Kick-starting the official campaigning for the forthcoming April election, the CPN (Maoist) unveiled its election manifesto on Friday, reinforcing its commitment to restructuring the state to establish 'federal democratic republican' system.
In its 39-page 'commitment paper', the Maoist party has proposed 11 autonomous provinces and two sub-provinces with right to self-determination. Delineation of federal units will be based on ethnicity and geography, the manifesto says.
Likewise, the Maoist manifesto seeks to replace the centralised feudal system of governance by federal democratic republican order which will have a President elected with popular vote and a Prime Minister nominated by the parliament. The party has proposed for bicameral parliament.
Proposing party chairman Prachanda as the first president of republican Nepal, the manifesto says the first meeting of the constituent assembly should appoint an interim President and a new transitional government.
"New thought and new leadership is needed to build new Nepal," clarified Dr. Baburam Bhattarai.
It further asserts that the party will go for 'industrial capitalism geared towards socialism' and that the party has a policy to promote public-private partnership.
In what appears to be an ambitious development plan, the Maoist manifesto says 10,000 megawatt hydroelectricity will be generated in the next 10 years, and drinking water will be made available to the entire population in within five years period.
Likewise, the party has set another major target: ending illiteracy in just five years. The manifesto also suggests that basic health care will be available to everybody if the party makes it to the power.
"To develop the national industrial capitalism, a new transitional economy is required, which, if implemented will increase the per capita income from $ 300 to $3000 in ten years and to $10,000 in twenty years and in forty years, Nepal will be counted among one of the most prosperous countries in the world," claimed Bhattarai, who was the chief of the team that drafted the manifesto.
Republican Nepal will be a secular state with self-sufficient economy while the country's relation with India and China will be based on panchasheel, the manifesto says.
The party has also vowed to strictly regulate the border with India and end the tradition of recruiting Nepali youths in foreign army, and annul the Nepal-India friendship treaty 1950.
In the manifesto, the Maoists have expressed commitment to respecting internationally accepted human rights laws and guaranteeing fundamental rights of the citizens.
Party chairman Prachanda publicised the manifesto during a press conference organised at a five-star hotel in the capital.
Dr Baburam Bhattarai and other senior Maoist leaders were also present at the press conference. nepalnews.com mk/sd Mar 07 08
