Two major communist parties of Nepal make their Constituent Assembly elections manifestos public this week. Read on before deciding to vote for anyone of them:
[Next blog: Wagle has been following the campaign trail of Maoist Chairman Prachanda for the past few days. How do people who were seen in Prachanda campaign rallies think about the man who led the violent revolution? Are they going to vote for him in Kathmandu-10? Plus, interview with the leader and his campaign verbatim.]
UML, In CA Manifesto, Proposes Executive PM, Ceremonial President
A major ally of the ruling Seven-Party alliance (SPA), CPN-UML on Sunday made public its election manifesto for the Constituent Assembly (CA) proposing to bestow the executive powers of the state upon the Prime Minister and to give just a ceremonial role to the President who will also be the head of the state. UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal publicised the manifesto with the slogan ‘Let’s establish a federal democratic republic, let’s build a strong and prosperous Nepal”, at a press conference organised at the UML headquarters at Balkhu in the capital today.
The manifesto has proposed to elect the Prime Minster under first-past-the-post (FPTP) election system and the President through a clear majority of the elected parliament. The UML manifesto has also proposed to bestow all responsibilities of the country’s administration upon the Prime Minister. The party, however, has proposed to entitle only limited rights and responsibilities to the President in his capacity as the ceremonial Head of State. Likewise, the manifesto has also provisions for a bicameral legislative body at the centre, unicameral assembly at each state under the new federal governance system. UML General Secretary Nepal said, “The elected representatives shall run the local bodies.” “We have forwarded the principle of developing the federal structure on the basis of ethnic, linguistic, cultural and geographical distinctiveness,” he added.
The UML manifesto, however, does not mention the number of states to be formed under the federal system. The party has said that the number of states will be determined later by the state restructuring a commission comprising experts. According to the manifesto, the first CA meeting will form a commission with the consensus of the political parties to draft a new constitution and to restructure the country in a progressive manner. Regarding UML’s economic plan, the UML General Secretary said, “We have proposed for the development of the public, private and cooperative sectors as the pillars of our economy.”
Maoist Commitment Paper (aka Manifesto): 11 Autonomous Federal States, Per Capita Income US$ 3,000 in 10 Years!
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has unveiled their election manifesto proposing to restructure the unitary its into 11 autonomous federal states and pledging to increase the per capita income of Nepalis to US$ 3000 in the next 10 years. Releasing the manifesto, entitled “Commitment Paper-New thought and new leadership for new Nepal,” in the capital on Friday (7 March), Maoist Chairman Prachanda said, “We have documented the commitment of our decade-long people’s war in this paper.”
The Maoists’ commitment paper states that Nepal will become a pro-people federal democratic republic. The Maoists have expressed commitment to people’s sovereignty, freedom of the press, human rights and democratic competition, in the paper.
It has restructured the country into 11 autonomous states and three sub-states, all based on ethnicity and geography.
Seti-Mahakali and Bheri-Karnali autonomous states are based on geography while Magrant, Tharuwan, Tamuwan, Newaa, Tamsaling, Kirant, Limbuwan, Kochila and Madhes are based on ethnicity. The sub-states within the Madhes state–Mithila, Bhojpura and Abadh–are based on language.
The Maoists have conceptualized a three-tier mechanism for the judiciary and the administration in the country.
The Maoists have also reiterated that every autonomous state will have the right to self-determination.
“The right to self determination will not lead the nation towards fragmentation rather it will keep the nation united by guaranteeing the rights of all castes and regions,” the paper states.
The center, the paper sates, will have control over army management, border security, foreign relations, inter-state trade, monetary policy, big hydropower, railways and others.
The Maoists have proposed that the representatives to the CA will elect an acting president for the period until the elections for parliament take place.
On the issue of economic policy, the Maoists have proposed ‘New Transitional Economic Policy’. The Maoists’ economic policy stresses he tillers’ right to land and has focused on socialist economy.
“The New Transitional Economic Policy will reach the country at the position of highly developed state in next 40 years,” the paper says. Dr Baburam Bhattarai, on the occasion said, “We will increase the current 270 dollar per capita income of Nepalis to 3,000 dollars in next 10 years.”
The Maoists have proposed the formation of national army by integrating both Nepal Army and their People’s Liberal Army. “A national army will be formed by democratizing Nepali Army and professionalizing People’s Liberation Army,” the paper states.
While stressing that more employment opportunities will be generated within the country, the Maoists’ commitment paper states that the Gurkha recruitment service will be banned.
The Maoists have also proposed that all unequal treaties including the 1950 treaty with India will be revoked.
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 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.
United We Blog 
Comments
16 responses to “Communist Manifestos: Maoist Vs UML (United Marxist Leninist)”
“The government has recognised 32 people killed during Terai agitations as
martyrs.
Issuing a statement Monday, the Home Ministry said 24 people killed during last year’s Terai movement and six others killed during the agitations called by the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMP) in February this year have been declared martyrs.”
Bu**S&%t. Why not declare all the thieves, burglars et al who’ve managed to lose their lives while fighting their ’cause’ martyrs?
Thanks for this clipping from the party manifesto. Can you let us know where we can find these manifestos/platforms (in either Nepali or English)? It would be educational for all of us to be able to go through them in detail. Tks!
it seems nepal will run in a clear and wide road for which lots up repair and construction is needed. all the best
Ok,… we’ve seen and heard things like this for many times, whenever there is election time. But who has kept the record like how many of these are even put into action? I don’t think significant points are lost and these paper just fly off in the air.
Hope not this time. Best of luck all of us.
Just putting forward the manifesto does not do justice if your doing and your writings do not match. Don’t just speak loud prove by your deeds.
All hogwash when it comes to the maoists. Ask the central committe members of the maoists that if they come to power and they nationalise everything what then?
They have answer – We will sell tudhikhel and narayanhiti!!!?
To who? And how long will the country run on the sale of tudhikhel (if there is a buyer – maybe Prachanda himself with his looted money) – 2 months? then what?
Who can buy if the government owns everything? No taxes – so where is the income? Free health care- how? Free education – how?
Who’s going to invest – nobody. Do we have the money – no. Especially when there are no more taxes.
No free enterprise – no taxes-no foreign investment – No nothing – only hogwash.
Good points uml – and to add federal states with their own this that and the other – who’s going to give the money for that as well? Prachanda’s Dad? More begging from donors? Of course with plenty of conditions attached. Maybe Baburam can go and pray to Gorakhnath again to shower him with gold from the skies.
Ha Ha Ha Ha ,
really funny comments uml and wow. i had a good laugh after a long time, thanks.
Expecting good thing with these thugs will be waiting to get something to eat from hyenas. There is going to be big tussle after CA, where road maps of each party is not clear. On one side these three parties signed the agreement with madhesi and Limbuwan khumbuwan people for autonomous federal system and rearrangement of NA, on the other side they themselves criticizing their signed agreements.
Are they playing a cheap game to the nation and people or ruling country like children ? Whatever good or bad is going to happen, these three leaders Koirala, Nepal and Dahal should take the responsibility for making decision inside the room.
two things that separate the Maoists and the UML are– one has a bloody terrorist background and the other has no background to talk about other than their stint in the opposition (of course a very corrupt stint for a couple of years), and one has a bhittey President and the other has a kothey Prime minister- both equally adept at stand-up comedy. Except that Pushpa Kamal looks more out of control and frustrated than MKP who is living in false hope yet again that he is the next PM of Nepal. Sorry, it ain’t going to happen.
It seems obvious to me that Narayanhiti would become a public park with a museum, no?
Narayanhiti will become Indian Embassy.
If Prachanda becomes President narayanhiti will be Prachanda durbar.
It does not make a difference no matter how many pages there are in their or any others have. All it matters is the practical use of it
What is this… where is the points you promised before the election date was fixed? all gone in vain? Isn’t there anything called shame in the dictionary of your politicians?
Right as one of the commentator said, there should be a way of generating country’s wealth to facilitate general public. The best way is by implementing tax system, minimum wages and salary system, find a way to attract treasure from rich people (progressive tax system) and effective development plans and policies.