KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 31
The CPN-Maoist Centre today unveiled its election manifesto, expressing commitment to amend the constitution to introduce directly elected presidential system and fully proportional election system.
The 82-page manifesto has given the slogan 'break from tradition for prosperity'. It says respect of language is respect of human rights, all citizens will get free education, free treatment and everybody will have guarantee of employment. It also says 'Maoists changed the political system and Maoists alone will change the country's situation.' The party stated that it would amend the constitution to have 165-member House of Representatives, and 55-member National Assembly.
The party supports a presidential system where a candidate securing 51 per cent vote in direct election becomes the president and a candidate securing 51 per cent votes in the province becomes chief minister. The number of provincial members in all provinces won't be more than 330.
Expressing commitment to strengthen federalism, the CPN-MC said it will ensure that the federal government focuses on policy making, provincial governments on development work ,and local governments on service delivery. It promises to make provinces financially self-reliant by ensuring fiscal federalism.
The party also pledged to form a high level commission to readjust provincial and local governments' boundaries.
It also pledged to restructure the country's bureaucracy and judiciary.
The party said that it would revise and replace Nepal's unequal treaties with India, including the 1950 treaty and tripartite Gurkha recruitment treaty, water resources and trade treaties.
It said the party wouldn't accept any foreign assistance that went against national sovereignty and interest. The CPN-MC said that it would work to achieve double digit economic growth, end all kinds of discrimination and make policies to provide employment to the youths.
The party also pledged to transform agriculture, promote collective production in all sectors, promote industries based on domestic raw materials, and develop national capital.
CPN-MC stated in its manifesto that the constitution was a progressive document as it protected the interests of indigent people and marginalised groups and communities and it also gave space for further progress as people could amend the constitution. The party also said that the country could gain from major changes under its leadership and as a result of its crusade.
According to the party, the biggest political challenge of the day was to achieve prosperity and build a base for socialism by ensuring social justice.
Stating that the constitution had not defined socialism, the party said it was clear that capitalist policies would not be the main elements of socialism that the party had envisioned. It also made it clear that their kind of socialism, did not mean all production and capital would be nationalised.
The party said that only its leadership could protect the gains of the current change and stop regressive moves.
The party said that its leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal had led all the efforts from the people's war to the constitution making process, and development would be possible only under his leadership.
Unveiling the election manifesto here today, CPN-MC Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that his party was committed to the note of dissent it wrote during the constitution making process.
Since a constitution is an outcome of power balance of the day, we agreed to the constitution, but we are committed to bring changes that we raised in our note of dissent, Dahal said.
He said both the forms of government and election system needed to be changed to achieve political stability, prosperity, and good governance. Dahal added that a powerful commission was needed to investigate the assets of political leaders and bureaucrats who held public offices since the restoration of democracy in 1990.
Dahal said his party favoured keeping Nepal away from any military alliance.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 1, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
