The Complicated Path Towards Federalism in Nepal
This paper is based on one of the chapters of my PhD thesis entitled “Citizen participation under Nepal’s new federal context : A comparative study of two municipalities”. It discusses the long and complicated path towards federalism and the type of decentralization in Nepal. It is based on the analysis of the following documents : relevant sections of the 1990 Constitution ; the Maoists’ forty-point demand in 1996 ; the 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ; the 2007 Interim Constitution ; the 2012 preliminary draft submitted by the Committee on State Restructuring and Distribution of State Power ; the 2015 Constitution ; and published interviews with political leaders. These documents are significant because they were the essential tools of government action and they shaped politics during the federal constitution-making process.
First, a reminder is given of the peace agreement that was signed between the Maoists and the major political parties, which became a fundamental step towards restructuring Nepal. Then follows a discussion of the legacy of exclusion and excluded communities’ subsequent struggle to be included in the new political institutions. Following on from that, federal discourses on “viability” and “capability” that were given at the Constitutional Assembly at the time provincial boundaries were being decided are analysed. The current federal structure of Nepal is then described. And lastly, an assessment is made of the degree of decentralization to ensure citizen participation. Participation in terms of interaction, co-decision, and power-sharing will be discussed in other chapters.
En présentiel au :
Campus Condorcet
Bâtiment EHESS, salle A 202 (2ème étage)
2 cours des Humanités, Aubervilliers
Métro ligne 12 Front Populaire
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