Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Kumar Thapa has warned that amending the constitution without setting clear priorities could push the country into conflict.
Speaking at a discussion on constitutional amendments organized by the NC at the party headquarters in Sanepa on Thursday, Thapa said haphazard amendment could create unforeseen constitutional complications, trigger extreme political polarization, and even undermine the fundamental bases that bind society and geography together.
He objected to the government’s approach of attempting to include the entire constitutional framework in the amendment agenda without focusing on specific or clearly defined problems.
“The NC has a clear policy of making no compromises on key principles such as democracy, republicanism, federalism, the parliamentary system, multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multicultural characteristics, and proportional inclusive representation,” Thapa said. “We, however, are open to amendments on issues such as reducing the size of the federal and provincial parliaments and the Council of Ministers, and strengthening local governments.”
He insisted that pushing agendas to dismantle existing structures could drag the country into conflict.
Stating that attempts were being made to turn constitutional bodies into extensions of the government, Thapa underlined the need to strengthen such bodies. “We do not believe in power-sharing within the party or at the national level,” Thapa said. “We are only saying that integrity in constitutional institutions must be maintained.”
