KATHMANDU, July 20

Suggestions have come pouring in on the initial draft of the constitution from the public in Kathmandu Municipality, Ward No 9.

Of them, determining ‘diploma level’ as the basic academic qualification for Constituent Assembly (CA) member in the new constitution stood as the most prominent one.

Under the Public Feedback Collection Programme launched by the Public Relations and Constitution Suggestions Committee of the CA across the country on Monday and tomorrow, youths at Tinkune, Kuleshower voiced various suggestions on the preliminary draft of the new constitution.

They were of the opinion that if the government had determined grade 10 graduation as minimum qualification for driving license, it should also determine basic academic qualification for lawmakers Prahlad Giri, one such youth, argued that the government should fix a new academic criteria for lawmakers.

Speaking at the programme, local Keshav Pokharel suggested that the initial draft should be amended at the earliest concerning the qualification of Head of the State i.e. the President.

Other participants advised lawmakers to make provisions for ‘threshold’ in election to

form a national political party and to elect CA members through Proportional Representation system.

Dhrubachandra Gautam, another participant, pointed the need to incorporate the provision of ‘threshold’ according to which a political party or an electoral candidate needs to secure at least three to five percent of vote to form a stable government in the country.

He argued that due to lack of ‘threshold’, political parties continue to mushroom in the country, leading to failure to form a stable government.

In the light of the economical burden on the country, participants have also offered suggestions to reduce the number of lawmakers in the Constituent Assembly as against the proposed more than 900 lawmakers at the Central level to the local.

Speaking on the issues of the senior citizens, Dilli Bahadur Karki suggested to incorporate the issues of social security for senior citizens under fundamental rights.

Participants have also urged lawmakers to mull over providing Non-Residents Nepalis (NRN) a separate identity card rather than dual citizenship as mentioned in the initial draft.

“The constitution should be written in the simplest language for the layman to read and understand,” said Muktinath Shrestha. As far as secularism is concerned, a majority of participants have advised to replace ‘religion-free State’ while some public have pressed for the mention of ‘Sanatan Hindu State’ in the constitution.

Some suggested that the number of proposed federal states should be reduced to five from eight. The public also recommended forming Agriculture Development Commission, Youth Commission and free education and health services.