Decentralization/Federalism – 2015
2015
On 31 May 2015, parties had agreed to reach a consensus on disputed issues including federalism and issues of ethnicity and adopt a fast track approach to produce a draft constitution. On 9 June, 4 major political parties reached a 16-point agreement to deal with the contentious issues1 The CA engrossed the draft constitution and sent it to publish in the Nepal Gazette to collect people’s feedback for the next fifteen days on 7 July.2 According to the draft constitution, Nepal shall have eight provinces based on five criteria of identity (ethnicity/community, language, culture, geography/territorial continuity and historical continuity) and four criteria of capability (economic interdependence, and capability; status of infrastructure development, possibilities; availability of natural resources; administrative feasibility). The Nepal government will form a federal commission to recommend the demarcation of federal provinces. Two third majority of all members of the provincial assemblies will name the provinces.