Kathmandu, January 24:

Central members and Constituent Assembly members of the main opposition Nepali Congress today discussed the proposed model of state structure and issues to be specified in the new constitution.

During the discussion held at the CA secretariat in Singha Durbar, central member Narahari Acharya presented a 32-page paper, prepared by a few NC leaders and experts, including himself. Party leaders said the proposed draft would be brought to extensive discussion before developing the party’s authentic view on it.

Party leaders and CA members have been given a deadline of five days to provide written suggestions.

The proposed draft has presented six bases — geography, nature and density of population, natural resources and economic potentiality, language, caste and culture, inter-relation of provinces and political and administrative potentiality — for carving the provinces.

The draft has suggested direct election for Prime Minister, the executive chief, and indirect election for President, symbolic head of the state. However, some NC leaders, including Govinda Raj Joshi, Man Bahadur Bishwokarma, Ramesh Lekhak and Ratna Sherchan put forth their views against direct election of PM.

Joshi said the system was unsuitable for Nepal from many aspects.

“We should not let the constitution fail like the previous ones by incorporating an un-experimented (direct election system) provision,” Bishwokarma said.

The draft has proposed bicameral parliament in the centre and unicameral parliament in the provinces.

It has presented two alternatives for constructing provinces — six or seven provinces based on population and caste and 11 or 13 provinces based on geography and caste. Putting forth his views on the draft, NC general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi said the party would reach to an authentic view on the contentious issues after extensive discussions.

NC’s chief whip in the CA Laxman Prasad Ghimire underlined the need for serious discussions on three contentious issues — structure of state governance, state restructuring and sharing of natural resources, economic rights and revenues.

“Since our geographical situation itself has divided the Madhes into two parts, there cannot be a single province in the Madhes,” Acharya said. CA member Gagan Thapa suggested serious discussion before the party makes an authentic view on the issues. He reminded that some Madhes-based parties’ threat of revolution if the ‘One Madhes, One Pradesh’ demand was not met.

NC central member Chakra Prasad Bastola said the party should study reasons that led to the failure of federal system in other countries before framing the party’s view on it.

“Freedom and equality are two major bases of democratic political system. Freedom should be given top priority in the statute, as equality without freedom cannot exist,” another central member Pradip Giri said.