English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...

1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Nepal is in a transitional phase, moving from a preexisting unitary form of
governance to a federal structure. The Committee on State Restructuring
and Distribution of State Power (CSRDSP) of the Constituent Assembly
(CA) has published a report recommending a federal structure
comprised of 14 provinces. However, the general public as well as the
people involved in the political movement, the ethnic movement and
others are still not clear about federalism, its opportunities, challenges,
functioning and implementation. Recognizing the need for discussion
on federalism throughout the country, the Center for Constitutional
Dialogue (CCD), in collaboration with UNDP’s Civil Society Outreach/
Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal (CSO/SPCBN)
initiative, initiated a series of fourteen federalism workshops, one in
each proposed province, between March and December 2010.
The primary objectives of the workshops were
to share fact-based information, initiate local
discussions and seek recommendations with
district representatives, local political party
cadre, civil society leaders, marginalized
people and local government concerning
the following aspects of federalism:
• forms and structures by which
federalism may be designed;
• proposed powers of provinces,
autonomous regions and local
governments;
• individual and collective minority
rights, fiscal federalism, indigenous
rights;
• relationships among central,
provincial, autonomous regions and
local governments;
• the CSRDSP’ preliminary draft and
report; and
• practical problems and challenges in
implementing the federal structure.
Proposed Tamuwan Province Report 9