KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has stated that constitutional amendments could be made to strengthen democracy.
Speaking at an event organized by the party’s Legal Department in Lalitpur on Tuesday on the occasion of the Constitution Day, Deuba said the constitutional amendments proposed by NC and coalition partner CPN-UML are not against democracy but are intended to strengthen it.
He also urged people not to doubt the intentions of the two parties which have historically fought for democracy.
Deuba also rejected suggestions that provincial structures were being scrapped and said provinces can not be removed. But they need to be made more accountable, he added. “Although questions have been raised against proportional representation in provinces, there are no voices against inclusiveness,” he added. “We need inclusiveness because some communities are still unable to win elections on their own.”
Nepal promulgated a new constitution on September 20, 2015, replacing the interim constitution of 2007. The constitution has been a subject of debate, with some groups calling for amendments to address issues of representation and federalism.