KATHMANDU: A task force formed to prepare a discussion paper on possible amendments to the Constitution has held consultations with leaders of various political parties.
Coordinator of the task force and political advisor to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, Asim Shah, said the process will be carried out through national dialogue and consensus rather than unilateral decisions.
Speaking during a consultation program held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Shah said the government is committed to identifying common ground among political forces while respecting areas of disagreement.
He added that the task force is working to identify issues where consensus is possible and where differences remain, and the discussion paper will later be made public for broader national debate.
Shah said the government is fully aware that constitutional amendments cannot proceed without national consensus and that there is no urgency in the process.
“We are not in a hurry. There is no possibility of constitutional amendment without national consensus,” he said, adding that consultations aim to understand party positions on what should and should not be amended.
During the discussions, leaders from different parties presented their views on governance systems, electoral models, and federal structure.
CK Raut called for strengthening the republican system through structural reforms, including a directly elected president, directly elected provincial heads, and elected heads of constitutional bodies. He also proposed a “right to reject” and “right to recall,” election reforms, and selection of ministers from experts rather than parliamentarians.
He further argued that the term “socialism-oriented economy” discourages the private sector and should be replaced with “social democracy,” and suggested delimitation of constituencies in the Madhesh region based on population.
Nepali Congress leader Min Bishwakarma said the core provisions of the Constitution should not be altered, stressing protection of federalism, inclusion, republicanism, and sovereignty. He also suggested reducing the number of ministers and elected representatives.
CPN-UML leader Krishna Bhakta Pokharel emphasized that constitutional amendments must not undermine the basic structure of the Constitution, proposing reduction in National Assembly members and limiting provincial cabinets to five to seven ministers.
Leader Madhav Sapkota advocated for a fully proportional electoral system and a directly elected executive head, along with stronger checks and balances to prevent abuse of power.
Former Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey urged a long-term constitutional roadmap based on objective evaluation of past constitutions, warning against rushed decisions.
Rastriya Swatantra Party parliamentary chief whip Kabindra Burlakoti said the current moment is appropriate for constitutional amendments and stressed the need to move forward by incorporating public opinion.
Keshav Kumar Jha of the Rastriya Mukti Party Nepal said the Constitution lacks Nepal’s indigenous identity and called for major revisions, including restructuring of local governance and inclusion of past democratic movements in the preamble.
Former minister Kalpana Dhamala emphasized implementation of fundamental rights and improvements in citizenship provisions, along with limiting repeated use of proportional representation quotas.
Nepali Congress leader and Constituent Assembly member Deepak Kuinkel also suggested reducing the size of Parliament and the number of ministers.
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