Need to Grant More Authority to Provinces in Constitution Amendment

The Federalism and Localization Center recently held discussions on enhancing federalism and granting more powers to provincial structures through constitutional amendments. Mohanlal Acharya, a member of the government-formed task force, informed that an open dialogue involving all stakeholders will be conducted to draft the amendments. Former Madhesh Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut expressed concerns that attempts to enact the Provincial Police Act faced intimidation and referred to federalism as an ‘unwanted baby.’ The discussion took place on 27 Baisakh in Kathmandu.

Under the leadership of the Federalism and Localization Center (FLC), deliberations were held concerning the upcoming constitutional amendments. Participants emphasized the need to strengthen federalism and empower provincial structures with greater authority. This perspective emerged during a meeting organized by the FLC on Sunday with representatives from the government task force and political parties.

Participants acknowledged that while federalism is a significant political achievement of the current constitution, provincial structures have not been effective due to a lack of sufficient powers. They stressed that constitutional amendments should provide provinces with enhanced authority and ensure they remain accountable to the public. The interaction, titled ‘Constitutional Amendment on Federalism: The Issue of Provincial Structure,’ featured viewpoints from various political party representatives.

Task force member Acharya stated that the amendment draft will be prepared after open discussions covering all relevant topics. He also shared that there are ongoing talks about reducing the number of provincial assembly members and ministries, as well as correcting flaws in the electoral system. Communist Party leader Dev Gurung commented that fundamental aspects of the constitution should not be altered, advocating instead for building national consensus.