LOCAL NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Leaders for constitutional amendment to tackle problems

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Mar. 14: Political leaders, journalists and intellectuals today agreed that the media had a crucial role in consolidating Constitutional values and democratic culture.

They shared the view that freedom of the press and right to information should not be curtailed even during the emergency period. The participants also stressed that the amendment in the Constitution should address the burning social and economic issues and the Maoist terrorist problem facing the nation.

They were speaking at a seminar entitled ‘Media and Constitutionalism’ organised by the Federation of Editors and Publishers, Nepal (FEPN), in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) here today.

Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala said that his party had forwarded the idea of amending the Constitution to address the Maoist problem.

"Constitutional amendment is a step to open the door for the Maoists to join the mainstream politics of the country. I have raised this issue to find a meeting point between the Maoists and parliamentary parties," NC chief Koirala said and added that the move would help parliamentary parties and the Maoists to find a solution to the problem.

"The Maoists should come forward and say what they want incorporated in the Constitution," Koirala said.

The political parties should give a message that the parliament is a strong authority to tackle the issue, Koirala remarked. "The political parties should contribute to strengthening the parliament."

"If the press can convince the Maoists that all parliamentary parties are united against them, the Maoists will eventually come into the mainstream politics," Koirala said and added that ultimately it was only through dialogue that the Maoist problem would be resolved.

CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said that there must be constitutional provisions to ensure free and fair elections,
curb corruption, empower constitutional bodies and bring massive social and economic reforms in the country.

"Those who stand against the Constitutional amendment are posing the obstacle to curbing corruption and radical reforms in the country. And those who completely negate the present Constitution are undermining achievement of the Popular Movement of 2046 BS," General Secretary Nepal said.

He expressed the confidence that the amendment would open the doors for the Maoists to come into a negotiating table, promote decentralization and empower the women, downtrodden and ethnic communities. The government must develop certain legal mechanism to wipe out evil forces of the society, Nepal noted.

The proposed Constitutional amendment must incorporate the popular sentiment, he noted.

Kamal Thapa, spokesman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party said that the political parties must hammer out a minimum understanding for wider reforms in the social, political and economic fronts to free the country from the current crises.

"The Constitutional amendment should be a part of the extensive reforms. The amendment itself is not a panacea to all problems," Thapa added.

He said that bad governance, social inequities and lack of self-autonomy of local bodies were responsible for the present crisis facing the nation.

He said that monarchy should not be dragged into the controversy while raising the issue of Constitutional amendment.

Prakash Saran Mahat, press advisor to the Prime Minster, said that there still existed feudal mentality among the political leaders, which had posed obstacles to institutional development of democratic set-up and constitutional values.

Pointing out the need of self-evaluation by the leaders, Mahat said national consensus was necessary for the Constitutional amendment. "We are suffering from negativism. We should disseminate achievements of the 12-year-old democracy by rectifying shortcomings of the system," he added.

FES’s Country Representative said that media played a role to promote constitutional and democratic culture. "There need a wider commitment and homework on the part of political parties while discussing the issue of amendment of the Constitution," he added.

From the chair, FEPN President Devendra Gautam said that the freedom of the Press should not be infringed during the emergency period.

FEPN Vice-President Sambhu Shrestha said that right to information would ensure better communication among the people and thus help the government for the systematic management of the emergency.

Meanwhile Professor Anand Aditya presented a paper on "Media and Constitutionalism" in the second session of the seminar presided over by senior journalist Shiris S. Rana. Kulchandra Wagle, president of Nepal Press Union, Sambhu Shrestha, president of Press Chautari and Professor Ananda Shrestha commented the paper.

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