- Bicameral parliament recommended, Maoists for unicameral
- 76 constituencies, 151-member House recommended, Maoists for 245-member House
- 50 pc first-past-post electoral system, 50 pc proportional system recommended
- Maoists for multi-member constituency electoral system
- MPRF for VP to chair upper house
- Women for 50 pc candidacy in first-past-post electoral system
KATHMANDU, July 30: The CA committee on determining the form of legislative bodies finalized its preliminary concept and report on Wednesday. Though the committee has forwarded the document to the CA for deliberations, the main political parties differed over the major issues involved. [break]
The committee has recommended a bicameral parliament but Maoists have written a note of dissent. The largest party in the CA has insisted on a unicameral federal people´s representative body with an executive president.
Interestingly the Maoist party, which earlier agreed to a bicameral parliamentary system, has come out against it following the politburo meeting that decided to go for a unicameral people´s representative, similar to the system practiced in China.
It may be noted that 27,277 members of the public had suggested opting for a bicameral system when CA members reached out to the constituencies to collect popular feedback, while 8,006 people had suggested a unicameral system.
The Maoist party has also proposed forming a standing committee with 21 members at the most, under the people´s representatives. The members will represent the autonomous states. Such a committee will have authority to carry out legislative work when the people´s representatives are not in session.
The committee has proposed a 151-member Federal House of Representative. But the Maoists have written a note of dissent insisting on a 245-member Lower House.
The draft has recommended unicameral legislatures in the states. The number of representatives in each state is suggested to be 35 at the most. They will be elected through a mixed electoral system.
On women´s representation, the report has recommended that at least one-third representation in the lower house be ensured for women. But three women CA members in the committee wrote a note of dissent over the provision. They demanded that at least 50 percent of candidacies be ensured for women in the first-past-the-post election system when electing the House of Representative.
On universal franchise, the committee has recommended giving the right to vote to all Nepali citizens aged 18 while Maoist lawmakers have demanded the franchise for all above 16.
On courts, the document forwarded to the CA has banned deliberations in any chamber of Parliament on a case sub-judice at any court in the country, and on the judicial performance of judges. But the Maoists have demanded that lawmakers be allowed to deliberate such issues also in parliament.
The Maoists have also demanded that the autonomous states be given the right to self-determination.
On the electoral system, the committee recommended a 151-member House of Representatives. Of that, 76 representatives will be elected under a first-past-the-post electoral system and 75 representatives through a proportional electoral system. The draft has suggested delineating 76 constituencies. But the Maoists have insisted on adopting a multi-member constituency system.
Also, CA members from the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) wrote a note of dissent demanding that representation in the House of Representatives should only be on the basis of population while the draft has put forth a provision making both population and geography the basis for representation in the House.
Also, the MPRF CA members have demanded that the vice president be made chairperson of the upper house.
Devi Lal Thapa of CPN-UML wrote a note of dissent demanding inclusion of the wording ´extremely backward Karnali´ alongside the mentioning of backward classes and areas.
thira@myrepublica.com
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