NEPAL: MAJOR PARTIES AGREE ON 11-STATE FEDERAL MODEL
The three major political parties of Nepal, United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) [UCPN-Maoist], Nepali Congress (NC) and United MarxistLeninist (UML) together with the Madhesi Front, reached a breakthrough on the new constitution as they agreed on 11-province federal structure along with mixed governance system.
As per the agreement reached during talks held at the Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s official residence in Baluwatar, the names of the provinces would be determined by elected state assemblies themselves. The federal states would be carved out on the basis of ethnicity, geography and language, said UCPN-Maoist vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha after the meeting.
The parties also agreed to form a commission to determine the boundary of the provinces.
Likewise, they also agreed to go for mixed system of governance with directly elected President who will share powers with the Prime Minister elected from the parliament.
Similarly, the leaders have also agreed on a bicameral parliament with the 371-member Lower House (House of Representatives) and 60-member Upper House.
With this s agreement, the UML has agreed to join the government. General secretary Ishwor Pokharel will lead the UML team in the government.
The Bhattarai government will practically turn into a government of national consensus once the UML joins it.
(http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2012/may/may15/news14.php: Supplied by Sukla Sen)
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