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| A differently-abled man browses the constitution draft at an interaction programme in Bouddha, Kathmandu, on Sunday. Photographer: Nimesh Jang Rai |
KATHMANDU, JUL 20 - The Committee on Citizen Relations and Public Opinion Collection has so far received over 12,000 suggestions on the preliminary draft of the new constitution.
People registered their feedback via a toll free number, website, email and direct mail from across the country. Most suggestions are related to the preamble, federalism, forms of government, citizenship and fundamental rights.The Constituent Assembly Secretariat, however, has not provided the details of what kinds of suggestions they are receiving arguing that revealing it could influence feedback to be received in the coming days. According to Secretariat spokesman Bharat Raj Gautam, there are an encouraging number of inputs also from the Nepalis residing abroad.“Sixty five percent suggestions on the website are from within the country while the rest are from Nepalis abroad,” said Gautam. The committee plans to organise interaction programmes in all the 240 electoral constituencies on Monday and Tuesday. However, there are complaints from the field of an insufficient number of copies of the constitution draft and the rain affecting the opinion collection process. CA members have already reached their constituencies for gathering people’s views on the proposed constitution. More than 590 lawmakers and 150 officials from the CA Secretariat have been deployed for feedback collection, with top political leaders pledging to engage in public hearings in their respective constituencies. On July 9, the Assembly endorsed a 15-day action plan for public consultation.People in the districts are excited to express their views on the charter even as a majority of those in rural areas have not got the copies of the constitution draft.Some groups opposed to key proposed constitutional provisions, burnt copies of the draft and even attempted to foil interaction programmes at places.Local party leaders and social activists have been helping Constituent Assembly members and CA Secretariat officials to collect people’s inputs for the law of the land. Informal sessions were held on Sunday to gather public opinion. People put forth their suggestions on matters related to secularism, federalism and capital punishment.Addressing a party gathering in Birtamod, Jhapa, CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli instructed cadres to speak for a minimum 3 percent threshold during the interaction with lawmakers. Oli also directed them to register suggestions in favour of religious freedom. In Biratnagar, Madhesi leader Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar said public opinion on religion would be respected. “We will consider public views if the majority favours Hindu state,” Gachhadar told the reporters at Biratnagar Airport on Sunday. A large number of people consulted in various districts wanted Nepal declared a Hindu state.The suggestions will be forwarded to the Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee for deliberation. The committee is scheduled to submit its report to the CA on Thursday.In Saptari, police arrested two cadres of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal for allegedly attempting to obstruct the public consultation process. Jagadev Yadav and Rajendra Yadav were held from Portaha after they tore up the draft distributed to the people. In Yoginiya, activists of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal and some Madhes-based parties burnt copies of the draft. In Tulsipur and Ghorahi of Dang district, activists of the Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist burnt the draft to symbolicallyprotest the party’s opposition to the constitution writing process.Nepali Congress lawmaker Amaresh Kumar Singh said he would boycott the two-day public opinion collection programme.(With inputs from our district correspondents)Venues for interaction in ValleyA total of 41 areas have been designated inside Kathmandu Valley for CA members to collect suggestions on the preliminary draft of the “Constitution of Nepal, 2015” beginning on Monday. For the two-day gathering, 32 areas in the Valley have been selected while seven areas in Lalitpur and two in Bhaktapur have been named as venues for interaction. At least two lawmakers are said to be attending each constituency.KathmanduConstituency 1Monday : Dasharath Rangashala; Bijaya Smarak School, DillibazarTuesday: Baneshwor Banquet, Thapagaun; VS Niketan School, AloknagarConstituency 2Monday: Bhagawati Secondary School, Sankhu; Saraswati Secondary School, KoteshworTuesday: Astha Party Palace, Thali; Goldengate Higher Secondary School, Old BaneshworConstituency 3Monday: Aalapot Kageshwori Library; Okhreni Secondary School, SundarijalTuesday: Samata School Nayabasti, Bouddha; Gokarna Mandir PremisesConstituency 4Monday: Basketball Court, Golfutar; Milan Chowk Party PalaceTuesday: Golden Light Party Palace; Agrawal Bhawan, KamalpokhariConstituency 5Monday: Old VDC building, Tokha; Dhumbarahi Party PalaceTuesday: Dhapasi Nature Club; Pareli Party PalaceConstituency 6Monday: Mansingh Dharma Higher Secondary School, Manamaiju; Lainchaur near DDC officeTuesday: Public Boarding School, Jhor; Milan Dharmasthai SchoolConstituency 7Monday: Balaju ParkTuesday: Balaju ParkConstituency 8Monday: Gyanodaya HSS, Bafal; Natural Science Museum, SwoyambhuTuesday: Basantapur Dabali; Natural Science Museum, SwoyambhuConstituency 9Monday: Tinkune Ground, Kuleshwor Tuesday: Gurjudhara-8 VDC old building, BalambuConstituency 10Monday: Panga Party Palace, Kirtipur; Tribhuvan Aadarsha School, FarpingTuesday: Satungal Party Palace, SatungalLalitpurConstituency 1Monday: Godavari andChapagaunTuesday: Gotikhel Higher Secondary SchoolConstituency 2Monday: Jyapu Samaj Building, BalkumariTuesday: Mahalaxmi Campus, LubhuConstituency 3Monday: NAST building, KhumaltarTuesday: Bhaisepati Clock TowerBhaktapurConstituency 1Monday: Kamal BinayakConstituency 2Tuesday: New Thimi
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