Key Topics Included in Government Reforms and Rastriya Swatantra Party’s Manifesto

Issues such as resolving the landless squatter problem, refunding money to cooperative victims, and operating two international airports have been incorporated. April 11, Kathmandu—President Ram Chandra Paudel presented the upcoming fiscal year’s policy and program to Parliament, which includes topics featured in both the Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswap)’s pre-election manifesto and the government’s reform agenda.

The policy document encompasses the Raswap manifesto and government reform initiatives such as the constitutional amendment discussion paper, landless squatter problem resolution, refund of funds to cooperative victims, operation of two international airports, and public institution reforms.

On the same day Balendra Shah was appointed Prime Minister, the government approved a hundred-point reform list that included forming a task force to prepare a ‘Constitutional Amendment Discussion Paper.’ Following this agenda, a discussion paper task force was established under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s political advisor. The task force has been engaging in continuous dialogue with various stakeholders. The fourth point in the one hundred-point reform agenda called for establishing a task force to debate long-term political and institutional reforms, including the electoral system.

The government’s reform agenda stated: “To build national consensus on constitutional amendments, the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office will form a task force within seven days to prepare a ‘Constitutional Amendment Discussion Paper,’ ensuring the process is participatory, transparent, and fact-based.” Raswap’s pre-election manifesto had committed to preparing such a discussion paper within three months of taking office to foster national consensus on constitutional amendment proposals.