Kathmandu, March 16:

Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party (NWPP), one of the partners of the seven-party alliance, proposed today that the country’s executive president should be elected directly by the people.

Unveiling the party’s Constituent Assembly Member manifesto here today, party president Narayanman Bijuckchhe said the president will act as head of the government and head of

the state as well as commander-in-chief of the national army. A person must

secure at least 51 per cent of total valid votes cast to get elected to the top executive for a period of five years, the manifesto said.

According to the manifesto, there will be a constitutional provision of checks and balances of power between the president and central parliament. The president will present annual budget to the joint session of parliament.

There will be a bicameral parliament at the centre (House of Representatives and National Assembly), which can remove the president through a motion of impeachment by a two-thirds majority of both the Houses.

None of the members of the House of Representatives and National Assembly can join the council of ministers, the mainfesto said. The president shall have the rights to dissolve the provincial assembly and the government in case of any circumstances leading to threats to sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the country.

The National Assembly shall remain as a permanent body. Election to the House of Representatives (HoR), which will have a term of five years, will be held on Mixed-Member Proportional Representation basis. The manifesto has proposed to add a constitutional provision of the electorates’ rights to recall a member if he fails to perform his duty.

The manifesto has proposed turning the existing zones into provincial assemblies. The members of the provincial assemblies will be elected on the basis of population and geographical situation. The provincial assembly will elect its chief minister who will form the provincial government.

The central government will appoint its governor at the provincial state and he/she will act as a bridge to maintain relations between the centre and the state.

The NWPP party has also proposed introducing a system of issuing double citizenship — at the national and provincial level.

Meanwhile, the New People’s Front led by veteran republican leader Ram Raja Prasad Singh also proposed a presidential rule.

Making public its election manifesto, the front said there will be a constitutional provision of checks and balances to prevent the president from becoming a dictator. It also proposed a bicameral parliament.

Any proposal of the president affecting foreign relations will have to be passed by a two-thirds majority of both the Houses, the manifesto said. Singh has said that the permanent Senate should be made more powerful than the HoR. He has also proposed a constitutional provision of rights to recall for misconduct of a lawmaker. Both the parties have also proposed a constitutional provision of holding referendums to decide important national issues.