Proposed Constitution
- It is a synthesis of what the three forces want. The king wants to preserve the monarchy, the parties want multi-party democracy, the Maoists emphasize classlessness. When you mix the three primary colors - blue, gree and red - you get white. My document is white.
- Article 5 has two versions, a republican version, and one where the king exists. It is for the three forces to decide which version they want.
- Even when the king exists, the army is under the parliament, and all state expenditures on the monarchy are offset through tourist revenue generated by the monarchy. You end up with a monarchy that is revenue neutral without it losing its traditional money from the state.
- Even though the monarchy is strictly ceremonial, the king gets to give the most important speech of the year.
- Even though it is the king giving that speech, it is written by the popularly elected Prime Minister.
- This would be the shortest constitution on the planet and a role model.
- This would turn Nepal into the number one democracy on the planet. America would be the oldest, India the largest, and Nepal the number one.
- China does not like the American or the Indian version of democracy, but it might come around to this Nepali version.
- India might also come under pressure to adopt it in bits and pieces.
- India and China as robust democracies would see the dawn of the Asian Century. Nepal would be at the center of it all.
- American progressives would want it.
- This would become the first constitution to integrate the internet into it. That would make it technologically cutting edge.
- The 1990 constitution is dead. The country needs a new constitution.
- This document would save a lot of time and money. If the three forces could come around to accepting it, then the country would not even have to go through a constituent assembly. The three forces would instead form an interim government that would hold a referendum to get this constitution accepted by the people. Once it gets accepted, the country instead holds elections to a new parliament. As a second step, the state and local elections could be held.
- This constitution would be socially the most progressive on the planet because it is fundamentally scientific. It starts with the basic one person, one vote, one voice postulate, and takes it to its logical conclusion all the way to the top.
- It provides for four layers of government.
- It solves the social justice issues of the Dalit-Madhesi-Janajati-Mahila without even naming them because the structure is so scientific and sound.
- It provides for a federalism that is not divisive at all, and one that makes room for the fact that people from different backgrounds will move all over the country. You end up with Madhesis in Dolpa, Sherpas in Birgunj. It is a citizen's right to move if they want to.
- The three states idea is also geographically scientific. You hug the three major river basins.
- The total, transparent democracy idea is cutting edge. It does not exist anywhere else on the planet.
- It is not true there is not enough internet penetration among the Nepali population to make it worthwhile the internet provisions in the constitution. The media has near total internet access. The transparency through the internet idea is designed for the media as a first step without marginalizing the people who will still have unfiltered, direct access. The MPs do not have to familiarize themselves with the internet. The parliamentary ministry takes care of all the translation work and technology.
- This document will take care of corruption like no other constitution on the planet. Corruption will become history, a relic you read about in the history books.
- Because this document will turn Nepal into the most vibrant democracy on the planet, second to none, it will make possible for Nepal to have double digit economic growth rates, year in, year out, for 30 years, regardless of which party comes in and out of power.
- Once you put in place a sound system like this constitution is, individual actors will have no choice but to perform their very best. And the best among them will naturally float to the top. There will be little or no room for foul play.
- People with leadership qualities regardless of what socio-economic bracket they were born into will have the option to rise to the top.
- Nepal has been a net importer of political ideas in its entire history, be it Marxism, or democracy, or socialism, or capitalism. Through this constitution it will become a net exporter for the first time. That will be something to be proud of.
- The most cutting edge constitution will also be the simplest, also the shortest.
- The best cure to chronic poverty is enshrined in this constitution. It is a combination of education, health, micro credit and political empowerment.
- Money is totally taken out of politics. Yet there is limitless space for the market to create wealth. The private sector gets free reign.
- This constitution guarantees internal democracy in the parties.
- In keeping the army to 0.1% of the national population, Nepal will become a role model for all poor countries that spend more on defense than they should.
- Nepal will become the model democracy that all countries in the Global South could emulate.
- Once there were such a total spread of democracy, the Global South could then organize to take their just place at the global level. Racism could be ended. The UN could be reorganized. Trade talks can be forced to become fair.
- Nepalis all over the world could actively participate in the democracy inside Nepal. They could follow all national debates in real time online and contribute to the same. The best Nepali brains worldwide could contribute regardless of where they might be in body.
- The three capitals - Udaypur, Chitwan, Surkhet - could emerge the three major urban centers in the country, bathed in wireless broadband, with a lot of space to expand. They could together end up housing half the country in the long run in a healthy way. Those three cities could compete with any city on the planet at all levels. They could become the three Shanghais.
- The three language policy is right. And the translation and internet options make it very practical. There are few hassles created.
- The tri-lingual education policy is the best that could be designed for a linguistically diverse country like Nepal. It will make sure all languages get a lot of resources poured into them by both the public and the private sectors. But it is also pragmatic. It only applies upto Class 10. Beyond that the market forces decide. You could end up with colleges and universities that are totally English, Hindi or Nepali medium. What language is in vogue changes over time. Chinese could gain major currency in a few short decades. You never know. Through my policy, you preserve what you have for cultural reasons, but you go with the global flow for commerical reasons. You do both.
- Because the three states are roughly identical, they provide each other with healthy competition in every way.
- Due to a sound federalism, Nepal could for the first time in history end up with an activist foreign policy with a potential global reach. Without federalism the one government in the country is too internally preoccupied.
- The constitution does not specify the structure of the district government. It leaves it to the states. In one state you could end up with a district chief getting directly elected. In another could be indirect. And there could be other differences. That will provide for healthy policy competition among the states. You get to experiment and decide what works best.
