Prachanda for changing electoral system, form of governance to strengthen republic

Kathmandu, March 17: CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has called for changing the electoral system and form of governance to further strengthen the republic.

Releasing a book on historic Nepal Mandal written by the Federal Council Chairman of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, on Monday in Kathmandu, the former Prime Minister said that only the complete proportional electoral system and directly elected executive presidential system can ensure political stability and good governance.

“The present incidents have confirmed this. Such cases would repeat until the form of governance and electoral system were aligned with the federal democratic republic,” the Maoist Centre Chairman said. Prachanda further argued that the system of appointing ministers from among the lawmakers has invited wrong practices and the institutionalization of corruption.

On the occasion, he said that the recognition of Nepal Sambat as the national calendar and the use of Nepal Bhasa as the official language have advanced the identity of the Newa community. In a separate context, Chairman Prachanda said that his party has no policy to join this government in the present context but added that his party would offer ideas to overcome challenges if such a crisis surfaced in the country.

The writer of the book, Shrestha, said that reinstatement of the monarchy, which was demolished with the force of a 10-year-long armed struggle and the people’s movement, is not likely in the country since it is history now. The federal democratic republic should be revised, and we should move ahead to further empower people, according to Shrestha.

On the occasion, Chancellor of Nepal Bhasa Academy Malla K Sundar said that the Newari community is never in favor of the monarchy, adding that the feudal monarchy destroyed the identity of the Newari community. The book with 288 pages covers the issues of the establishment of a federal democratic republic in the country, the future course for identity-based federalism, and Newa: in identity-based federalism, the restructuring of the state organs and fiscal federalism, among others. —RSS