Kathmandu, July 17: The government-appointed Constitution Amendment Taskforce has submitted its Constitution Amendment Discussion Paper to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM).
According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the report was handed over on Thursday by the taskforce coordinated by Ashim Shah, Political Advisor to Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
The taskforce was formed as part of the government’s 100-point Governance Reform Agenda, with the objective of facilitating a participatory, transparent and evidence-based national dialogue on possible amendments to Nepal’s Constitution.
Established on March 30, the taskforce officially began its work on April 8 and submitted the report within its second extended deadline.
During its assignment, the panel held 22 formal and informal meetings and conducted extensive consultations with 184 experts, including former presidents, former prime ministers, leaders of various political parties, constitutional experts, legal scholars, former judges, former attorneys general, former law secretaries, former civil servants, women leaders, media professionals and representatives of the private sector.
The taskforce also invited written recommendations from more than 150 institutions, including constitutional bodies, the Office of the Attorney General, provincial and local governments, the Nepal Bar Association and various religious organisations.
In addition, the panel collected 44,613 public suggestions through digital platforms after inviting feedback from citizens via its official website. Suggestions were received through email, WhatsApp, telephone and other electronic communication channels.
According to the Secretariat, the report contains an executive summary and presents the recommendations after reviewing historical documents related to constitution drafting, reports of the Constituent Assembly committees, and relevant national and international constitutional practices and precedents.
The recommendations have been organised under 20 thematic headings, providing a framework for future discussions on possible constitutional amendments.
Major opposition parties, including Nepali Congress, CPN UML, Nepali Communist Party have boycotted the taskforce. #nepal
