UCPN-M lawmakers submit memo to CPDCC chairman Bhattarai

KATHMANDU: Lawmakers of the UCPN-Maoist from the indigenous and ethnic communities pointed out the need of amending and revising the preliminary draft of a new constitution citing that it has failed to address the rights of these communities.

As many as 27 lawmakers from the party have submitted amemorandum for the purpose to the Constitution Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (CPDCC) Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai.

The memo states that the draft has narrowed down the rights of these communities more than the Interim Constitution. They have further urged to mention the word 'people’s war' and 'secularism' in the preamble of the new constitution.

Similarly, the memo calls for including the provision of the national animal, mother tongue, right to equality, higher education in mother tongue, right to culture, structure of the state, state power sharing and federal Parliament among other issues.

Likewise, six lawmakers from the Madhesi community have also submitted a memo to CPDCC chairman Bhattarai calling for mentioning the words 'Madhes revolution' and 'federal' in the new constitution.

The memo further states to include provisions as proportional and inclusive representation, making trilingual provision in government bodies, listing all the mother tongues and issuing a citizenship from either the name of mother or father among other issues.