Constitution Making and Constituent Assembly in Nepal

1
Constitution Making and Constituent Assembly in
Nepal

• Yash Ghai
• CASU, UNDP

2
The Context of Constitution Making

• The importance of the context in the designing of
  the constitution making process
  
• Some typical contexts of constitution making
• fine tuning
• independence
• revolution
• democratisation
• post conflict

3
Specificity of Nepali context

• post conflict
• recognition of cultural diversity multi-lingual,
  multi-ethnic, multi-religious
  
• democratization
• social justice
• defining identity in the New Nepal

4
The Nature of a Constitution Making Process I

• Starting the process
• agreeing on the road map
• interim arrangements
• The importance of the process legitimacy,
  participatory, deliberative, building a
  consensus
  
• The formal and the informal dimensions of
  constitution making
  
• Values and constitutional principles

5
The Nature of a Constitution Making Process II

• Public participation and consultation
• Institutions
• Procedures
• Time lines
• Implementing the constitution

6
The Constituent Assembly

• What is a constituent assembly (CA)?
• CA and Parliament differences in nature and
  functions
  
• The mandate
• The composition
• The procedure

7
Constituent Assembly The procedure

• preparing the draft constitution
• consultative and participatory mechanisms
• debating the draft
• voting on the draft
• dispute resolution
• consensus building

8
Enacting and implementing the constitution

• Phasing out the old constitution and phasing in
  the new
  
• The transitional arrangements
• Implementing the constitution

9
Implementing the constitution

• old laws
• new legislation
• setting up new institutions
• preparing the public service for operating the
  constitution
  
• education for the public on the new constitution
• schedule for implementation
• constitution implementation commission?

10
Substantive Issues

• The agenda of the janaandolan
• Constitution as social charter
• Principles in the Interim Constitution

11
Principles Restructuring the state

• Sovereignty of the people self-determination
• reflecting the diversity of the people
• human dignity
• democracy
• participation and civil society
• inclusiveness political, economic, social
• integrity in public life
• transparency and accountability of political
  parties
  
• social justice and basic needs

12
Tools for restructuring I

• human rights
• federalism
• electoral systems
• equitable regional development
• affirmative action

13
Tools for restructuring II

• language policies
• secularism
• democratization of and inclusion in political
  parties
  
• social and economic rights
• the rule of law