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‘Bring statute with 8 Loktantrik values’
KATHMANDU, APR 11 -
Prominent civil society leaders have urged the government and the parties to work in tandem to get the new constitution within May 28. They have said the constitution should, however, guarantee eight core values of Nepali Loktantra: federalism, secularism, nationalism, plurality and pluralism, social justice, nonviolence, separation of powers, and freedom of speech and press.
Releasing a public appeal to political parties, civil society leaders said, “It is the prime duty of all the political parties to resolve all the contentious issues, including the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants and finalise the peace process and promulgate the constitution within the given time.”
The leaders said the Constituent Assembly has no legal right to extend its own term as much as it likes without taking permission from the people. “The parties should and if they want they can finalise the new constitution within May 28,” said Daman Nath Dhungana, former Speaker and constitution expert.
“We are here to remind the political parties that it is their collective responsibility to build on the achievements made so far through the support of the people,” said popular comic artist Madan Krishna Shrestha. “The parties should collectively be accountable to their duties of writing the constitution in time as they are both trusted and paid by the people for the job.”
“While we say that the parties should bring out the constitution on time, we also equally stress that the new constitution should not compromise any of the democratic values on the pretext of making it in a hurry,” said former UN Under-Secretary General Kul Chandra Gautam.
Posted on: 2010-04-12 08:19
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