Kathmandu, February 20:

Responding to the government’s request to contribute to the constitution-building process and provide substantive input for the statute, Washington Nepal Forum (WNF), a forum of Nepali professionals in the United States capital, today submitted a 17-point charter of recommendations to the Nepal government.

The WNF submitted its recommendations to Nepal’s acting ambassador to the United States Kaliprasad Pokharel, said WNF founder Homraj Acharya.

In their recommendations, the US-based professionals have suggested the government to form 10 to 12 federal states, saying that some, but not all, should reflect ethnic and linguistic heritage.

They have also suggested the government to adopt presidential system of government with term and age limits. They also suggested that the federal government should retain significant control over water and forest resources.

They have also called for strong federal and state protection for minorities’ rights.

The WNF also urged that “the constitution should be brief, specific and enforceable. It is not a place for legally unenforceable promises and empty utopian assurances. It should also be small enough to be carried in the pockets of citizens.”

The constitution shall neither be a technical document nor one for legally unenforceable promises. “It is not a thing for detail mentioning of rules, policy, directives or laws that can potentially be changed as per needs and demand,” the WNF said.

It also urged that only the half of the to-be-formed states should reflect linguistic and ethnic identity and the rest should be demarcated based on natural geographical boundaries.

The WNF also suggested including a provision in the statute to ensure a strong central federal government that holds sufficient power to resolve disputes among the states.

“It must be the first responsibility of each state and federal government to protect the lives of its citizens from dangers within and outside of the government. Rights of minorities and marginalised should be protected by the state and no state should be authorised to promulgate any act, laws, or policy directives that go against the federal law,” the WNF suggested.

Acharya said the charter of recommendations were worked out after several months of discussions and deliberations in Washington DC, among members of the Nepali diaspora and international experts having wide experience in constitution making process.