Inclusive Constituent Assembly
Election Process
Rameshwor Shah
Country Population: 2,50,00,000
Total Voters (60%): 1,50,00,000
Electoral College: 15000
(1Member per 1000 Voters on VDC basis. On more than 50% remains of VDC
1Member to be added. A VDC with less than 500 voter would be attached to an
Adjoining VDC)
Total Elected Constituent Assembly Member: - 250
(1 Member per 1,00,000 Population / 60 Electoral College Member on district basis. On
More than 50% remains 1 Member to be added. A district with less than 50,000
Population would be attached to an Adjoining District)
Reservation
Indigenous Community: - 41Members (Population – 82,67,000 / 34.63%)
a. Mountain: - 64,27,000 (26.63%); Estimated No. Of Member: - 64
Reservation: - 32 (50% of Actual Estimated No.)
b. Madhesh: - 18,40,000 (8%); Estimated No. Of Member: - 18
Reservation: -9 (50% of Actual Estimated No. Of Member)
Dalit Community: -12 Members (Population-21, 58,000 / 8.92%)
a. Mountain: - 12,66,000 (5.47%); Estimated No. Of Member: - 13
Reservation: - 7 Members (50% Of Actual Estimated No. Of Member)
b. Madhesh: - 8,92,000 (3.45%); Estimated No. Of Member: - 9
Reservation: - 5 Members (50% Of Actual Estimated No. Of Member)
Women: - 1,25,00,000 (50%); Actual Estimated No. Of Member: - 125
Reservation: - 62 Members (50% Of Actual Estimated No. Of Member)
Indigenous Women: - 21 Membebers (34.63%)
a. Mountain Indigenous Community: - 16 (26.6%)
b. Madhesh Indigenous Community: -5 (8%)
Dalit Women: - 5 (8.92%)
a. Mountain Dalit: -3 (5.47%)
b. Madhesh Dalit: -2 (3.45%)
Other Women: - 36
a. Mountain: - 24 (67%)
b. Madhesh: - 12 (33%)
Minority Religious Community: -5
Civil Society: -5
(Political Party would fill Reserved Seats in proportion to their voting strength. Election Commission would determine and allocate number of reserved seats to Political Party)
Total No. Of Constituent Assembly Members: - 375
Elected by Electoral College: - 250
Nominated by Political Party: - 125
Constituent Assembly: 300 Seats Of Roughly Equal Population
My critique of the proposal above:
I think this is a great framework that should be subjected to a wide discussion.
Population is 27 million, not 25.
I am not too excited about the electoral college idea. Elections should be direct.
I like the one elected member for each 100,000 Nepali formula.
I am excited about the provision for reservations. Without that we will just be repeating the mistakes of the 1990s.
I really like the ample use of numbers, of facts and figures.
Are Dalits 9% of the country or 20%?
I like the breakdown of women into the various groups, otherwise Pahadi Bahun urban women will end up taking up all the seats for women. The 33% reservation that has been secured for women should be distributed among the various groups.
My biggest disagreement is political parties getting to nominate members.
They have indirect elections for president in America. That is NOT good. They have party lists in Israel. That is NOT good either. We should have direct elections.
Have one seat for each 100,000 people. Divide the country into 270 constituencies. Have reserved seats. And let the voters decide. That is where I stand.
There are reservations for Janajati, for Dalit, for women, but none for Madhesi. Why is that? Coming from the president of the Madhesi Civil Society! Just like women have reservations, so should the Madhesi.
Are Madhesis only 33% of the population? That just is not true.
ँमधेसी समाधान राष्ट्रियस्तरबाटै’