From: M C Raj <mcraj.reds@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, May 9, 2011 at 12:35 PM
Subject: Campaign in Nepal
Shaping the Wheels…..
03 May 2011, Nepal
It was the then Election Commissioner of Nepal who invited CERI (Campaign for Electoral Reforms in India) to start the Campaign also in Nepal. Now he has become the Chief Election Commissioner in Nepal. The Proportionate Electoral System that Nepal adapted in its yet infant democracy that had wriggled itself out of the tentacles of monarchy had to find a meaningful place in the new Constitution of Nepal. The Campaign was supposed to give a concerted thrust in that direction. REDS agreed to start the Campaign also in Nepal and it was launched in the International Conference of CERI in Kathmandu at the end of 2009.
However, the wheels of the Campaign in Nepal got deeply stuck in NGO quagmire and found it difficult to move. Yet the cause needed to be extricated from the quagmire and the wheels of the Campaign had to be set in motion once again. Though down with Herpes attack M C Raj decided to make it to Kathmandu, without informing them of course, at the behest of Mr. Neel Kantha Uprety who is the Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal and an ardent supporter of CERI.
It was a completely different meeting this time. He had invited in her personal interest 15 eminent members of Parliament, Constituent Assembly and one or two NGO leaders. Ultimately 19 of them turned up. Two of the Members of Constituent Assembly were earlier part of the Nepal delegation in the historic First Round Table of the World Parliament of Indigenous People organized in Booshakthi Kendra, Tumkur.
All of them are convinced that Proportionate Electoral System will definitely find a place in the New Constitution of Nepal. However, whether it will be a Mixed Member Proportionate Representation (MMPR) or a Pure Proportionate Representation System still remains a question. Many of those present opted for Pure Proportionate Representation System. However, some parties in Nepal still may opt for the MMPR version. The Campaign will have a role to play here. The Campaign will also make it relevant to the people even after the ushering in of the new Constitution of Nepal in terms of educating the citizens and elected members on meaningful implementation.
Some of the major insights that came up during the discussions were the following:
-There are some Marginalized Rights Group officially set up in Nepal and they are functioning
-There is a widespread claim for Pure Proportionate Representation system in many quarters in Nepal.
- Electoral System is one of the major bottlenecks in bringing about the new Constitution of Nepal. It shows that Nepal is struggling to bring about a very healthy democracy.
- Some of the Committees set up by the government have ended up more as NGOs instead of being rights groups. That poses a problem.
- Three dimensions that are significant in the emergence of Nepal towards meaningful democracy are:
Federal Structure
Electoral System
Forms of Government
If we succeed in these we are to have
Balanced Power Relationship and
Appropriate Control over Resources
- This Campaign should not be another NGO but it should be a Forum
- Significant support is needed in Nepal for multiple researches as it has been done in the process of designing the process of CERI in India
- There is need for a National Coalition for Pure Proportionate Representation system
- This Campaign should pave the path for the emergence of a South Asian Forum for Electoral Reforms
- We should not keep the same name. Instead we must find a new name for the Campaign
- Even within the Proportionate Representation there must be appropriate compensation for past exclusions
- The Campaign in India need not be guided from India. It should be a Nepal Campaign fully.
The meeting then set up a Steering Group to carry forward the Campaign and all others who attended the meeting on 03 May will continue to be the Advisory Committee of the Campaign in order to avoid legal complications.
Steering Group
1. Mr. Amrit Bishwakarma – Coordinator
2. Ms. Ang Dawa Sherpa
3. Ms. Shanti Jirel
4. Ms. Shanti Devi Chamar
5. Mr. Jitendra Sonal
6. Mr. Suvasu Darnal
7. One Member from Muslim community (to be identified)
8. One Member from Jan Jati Pratistan (to be identified)
The Steering Group met in the evening of the same day separately and identified a name for the Campaign. The name is:
RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY FOR ELECTORAL REFORMS – NEPAL
The Steering Group has also decided to go ahead with organizing a National Conference on Electoral Reforms within the next two months. It was decided that more Campaign strategies will be worked in the light of all the findings in the National Conference of Nepal.
Note: This report is prepared out of my personal notes. Most people made their points in Nepali. I do not even know Hindi. However, I have made my notes out of what I understood and from what some members spoke in English. I am sure to have missed some points and request the honourable members from Nepal to remind me if I have left out some crucial points.
Raj
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