Chief Minister of State-2, Lal Babu Raut, said strong relations and cooperation among all three layers of government is essential to make the federal system and the constitution successful.
CM Raut said so in an interview to the National News Agency (RSS) correspondent Himanshu Chaudhari on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the promulgation of the constitution ensuring federal democratic republic in Nepal.
Raut reminded that the new constitution had come on the background of Madhes movement and people's movement.
He further said the unitary system of unequal governance and single ethnic thoughts came to an end. However, there were still some complications to fully implement the federal system. People have not been empowered yet to exercise their right as enshrined by the constitution. The form of governance needs to be in a way the campaign of prosperity and development can be achieved in the federal system, CM Raut further stressed.
In response to a question relating to the practical situation in terms of implementation of State government and local level activities, CM Raut said although the constitution has finely delineated the rights and responsibilities of all three layers of governments, the State and local level government are facing problems.
In the wake of COVID-19 crisis, the State and local level governments made various efforts as arrangement of isolation and quarantines. However, honest acceptance of federal system must be reflected in federal government, he mentioned.
According to him, the practical aspect of implementing rights by the State and local governments are weak despite clear mention in schedules of the constitution. "The federal government should be sensitive to the making of laws on implementing the provision mentioned in the schedules of the constitution," he stressed.
He worried that the State level activities were delayed due to not having laws on time. The atmosphere was still slow off the mark to depict federal system. The laws formulated by the federal government have shrunk the role of State government.
Moreover, CM Raut reiterated that the rights devolved from Singha Durbar were yet to reach to people's door steps as envisioned by the federal democratic republican constitution.
"The rights/authority is still concentrated in Singh Durbar. The discrimination against women, Madhesi, Dalit, Muslim, Tharu, differently able persons and marginalized ones has not ended but perpetuated. The policies of inclusion, proportional representation are ignored. The citizenship issue is pressing. Shadowing the constitution amendment is another worrying matter," he reiterated.
Raut was for the broader acceptability of constitution where every Nepali's voice and aspiration could be addressed. The laws must be friendly to Madhesi, Dalit, women, Muslim, Tharu and marginalized people.
Reasoning that the constitution is a common document to all Nepalis, he hoped the weaknesses in the constitution would be corrected in future.
Source: National News Agency Nepal
