Nepal has finally got a constitution after years of political deadlock and violent protests. The country’s parliament approved the new constitution on September 16 that divides the country into seven federal states, each with three levels of government: federal, provincial and local. The charter is expected to come into force on September 20 when the final text is proclaimed.
The adoption of the constitution is a huge relief for a country that has been caught in a deadlock for years, stalling development and sowing instability. It comes after months of hard discussions between adamant groups which wouldn’t cede ground. In a sense, the final agreement is the result of this protracted stalemate, the result of an understanding that continued wrangling would do no good and only complicate the outcome. The difficulty came from accommodating the demands of so many ethnic and political groups, each demanding its fair share. Differences persisted till the last moment. Before the voting began, violent protests broke out over the proposed borders, which historically marginalised groups, including the Madhesi and Tharu ethnic minorities, say will leave them under-represented in the national parliament. And some groups wanted the country to be declared a Hindu nation. The new charter now cements the Himalayan nation’s transformation from a feudal Hindu monarchy to a secular democratic state.
The constitution is also the final stage in a peace process that began when the Maoists laid down their arms in 2006 after a decade-long civil war with state forces and turned to politics, winning parliamentary elections two years later and abolishing the monarchy. Work on the bill began in 2008 and was initially supposed to finish by 2010, but the Maoists were unable to secure enough support for the two-thirds majority needed to push it through parliament.
But the going will not be easy for the political leaders as differences persist. The three major political parties have backed the charter, but smaller opposition parties as well as ethnic and religious groups - especially in the southern plain regions - have rejected the document amid concerns over how borders should be defined. They even announced a nationwide general strike for Sunday, followed by protests where they will burn copies of the new charter.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which two months earlier killed nearly 8,900 people and destroyed around half a million homes, is said to be one factor that broke the political deadlock and forced all politicians to come together. The same spirit of cooperation and nationalism should prompt all sides to overcome the current differences over the charter. Nepal needs democracy, stability and good governance to emerge from the current problems.
Nepal has finally got a constitution after years of political deadlock and violent protests. The country’s parliament approved the new constitution on September 16 that divides the country into seven federal states, each with three levels of government: federal, provincial and local. The charter is expected to come into force on September 20 when the final text is proclaimed.
The adoption of the constitution is a huge relief for a country that has been caught in a deadlock for years, stalling development and sowing instability. It comes after months of hard discussions between adamant groups which wouldn’t cede ground. In a sense, the final agreement is the result of this protracted stalemate, the result of an understanding that continued wrangling would do no good and only complicate the outcome. The difficulty came from accommodating the demands of so many ethnic and political groups, each demanding its fair share. Differences persisted till the last moment. Before the voting began, violent protests broke out over the proposed borders, which historically marginalised groups, including the Madhesi and Tharu ethnic minorities, say will leave them under-represented in the national parliament. And some groups wanted the country to be declared a Hindu nation. The new charter now cements the Himalayan nation’s transformation from a feudal Hindu monarchy to a secular democratic state.
The constitution is also the final stage in a peace process that began when the Maoists laid down their arms in 2006 after a decade-long civil war with state forces and turned to politics, winning parliamentary elections two years later and abolishing the monarchy. Work on the bill began in 2008 and was initially supposed to finish by 2010, but the Maoists were unable to secure enough support for the two-thirds majority needed to push it through parliament.
But the going will not be easy for the political leaders as differences persist. The three major political parties have backed the charter, but smaller opposition parties as well as ethnic and religious groups - especially in the southern plain regions - have rejected the document amid concerns over how borders should be defined. They even announced a nationwide general strike for Sunday, followed by protests where they will burn copies of the new charter.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which two months earlier killed nearly 8,900 people and destroyed around half a million homes, is said to be one factor that broke the political deadlock and forced all politicians to come together. The same spirit of cooperation and nationalism should prompt all sides to overcome the current differences over the charter. Nepal needs democracy, stability and good governance to emerge from the current problems.
