Creating the New Constitution: A Guide for Nepali Citizens Creating the New Constitution: A Guide for Nepali Citizens Editors Yash Ghai Jill Cottrell Contributors Bipin Adhikari Lok Raj Baral Surendra Bhandari Jill Cottrell Yash Ghai Krishna Hachhethu Krishna Khanal Dhruba Kumar Sapana Malla Kumar Regmi Geeta Pathak Sangroula Yubaraj Sangroula Pitamber Sharma Tek Tamrakar Mihir Thakur International IDEA publications are independent of specifi c national or political interests. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of Internatinoal IDEA, its Board or its Council members. @ International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2008 Applications for permission to reproduce or translate all or any part of this publication should be made to: International IDEA SE - 103 34 Stockholm Sweden International IDEA encourages dissemination of its work and will promptly respond to request for permission to reproduce or translate its publications. Cover Photo: Deependra Bajracharya Graphic Design: Subarna Humagai ISBN : 978-91-85724-51-2 Preface The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democratic change worldwide, including support to the constitution-making process. Since 2006, and on the basis of requests by national parties including political parties and more recently the Constituent Assembly, International IDEA has been providing support to the constitution-making process in Nepal. This support has focused mainly on the pro- visioning of resource materials and the convening of dialogues among national political actors on topics of key importance to the constitutional process. International IDEA will continue supporting the constitution-making process by open- ing avenues through which a broad cross-section of Nepali society can come together to discuss a host of constitutional issues. International IDEA will provide access to international expertise through its own comparative publications and through its net- works of international experts. Following Jana Andolan II, much debate has arisen on the Nepali constitution. Hence, Creating the New Constitution: A Guide for Nepali Citizens comes on the heels of much rich discussion and research into contemporary issues that Nepali constitutional experts have had to grapple with. The publications provides a brief history of past constitutions in Nepal. It includes a more detailed examination of the substance of the 1990 Constitution, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses, as a means to provide a better understanding of the current issues and debates. It also identifi es proposals and controversies surrounding political reform and provides cross-reference to the experiences of other countries relevant to the current process in Nepal. The publication does not offer particular solutions; rather it provides an analysis of different options that emerge when making a new constitution. It aims to encourage full participation in the process of constitution making by introducing readers to con- stitutionalism, the roles of constitutions, and to key constitutional concepts, relating the latter to the current issues of political reform. Vidar Helgesen Secretary General August 2008 I II Acknowledgements This book is the outcome of a collaborative effort among a group of scholars of distinction. Draft chapters, or sections, were prepared by Bipin Adhikari (Nepal's constitutional history), Lok Raj Baral (protecting the constitution), Surendra Bhandari (the executive and systems of government), Krishna Hachhethu (political parties), Krishna Khanal (electoral systems), Dhruba Kumar (security), Sapana Malla (women), Kumar Regmi (courts and independent institutions), Geeta Pathak Sangroula (economic, social, and cultural rights), Yubaraj Sangroula (diversity), Pitamber Sharma (criteria for delineating federal units), Tek Tamrakar (Dalit issues), and Mihir Thakur (legislature). These were edited, and to some extent rearranged, and supplemented by the editors, Yash Ghai and Jill Cottrell. Yash Ghai also provided the initial drafts of the introductory chapter, the chapter on fundamental principles, on federalism, and much of the materials on human rights and the safeguarding of the constitution. International IDEA is very grateful to all the contributors and to the editors for their thorough work. We are also grateful to Leena Rikkilä and Ajit Baral, the Programme Manager and Publications Offi cer of International IDEA's Nepal Offi ce. Leena Rikkilä brought together the experts to work on the book and provided her input in the production of the book while Ajit Baral saw the book through to the press. Finally, we would like to thank Tiku Gauchan for copyediting the book. III Contents Preface ...............................................................................................................................I Acknowledgements ...............................................................................................................III Chapter 1: Form and Purposes of a Constitution ..............................................................................1 Deciding the Nature of the New Nepali Constitution .......................................................................................1 How and Why Constitutions Were Developed around the World ....................................................................2 Nepal and the Constitutions It Has Had ......................................................................................................... 3 The Major Issues That Are Addressed by Modern Democratic Constitutions .................................................5 Sovereignty .............................................................................................................................................5 Separation of the State and Its Institutions from Communities ...............................................................7 Control of and Accountability of State Power ..........................................................................................7 Individualism, Equality, and Human Rights .............................................................................................8 Social Justice, Basic Needs, and the Environment ..................................................................................8 Membership of International and Regional Communities ........................................................................9 Addressing the Challenges That Modern Constitutions Face ..........................................................................9 Personalization of Power..........................................................................................................................9 Corruption .............................................................................................................................................10 Ethnic Diversity .....................................................................................................................................11 Weak Civil Society .................................................................................................................................12 The Way Forward .........................................................................................................................................13 Refl ecting the People's Choices in the New Nepali Constitution ...................................................................14 Chapter 2: History of Constitutions and Constitution Making in Nepal ...................................................17 Governance According to Traditional Laws ..................................................................................................17 The Succession of Constitutions ..................................................................................................................18 Processes Used in Making the Constitutions ................................................................................................20 Promulgators of the Constitutions ...............................................................................................................20 System of Government .................................................................................................................................21 The Role of the King ....................................................................................................................................21 The Role of the Judiciary ..............................................................................................................................22 Democracy and Elections .............................................................................................................................22 Human Rights ..............................................................................................................................................23 Hinduism ......................................................................................................................................................24 Inclusiveness ................................................................................................................................................24 Accountability of the Government ................................................................................................................24 The Need for Refl ecting on Past Constitutions