KATHMANDU, Nov 17: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) has proposed to divide the country into 15 provinces for restructuring Nepal into federal units.
The UML´s proposal was submitted at the Constituent Assembly (CA) Committee on State Restructuring and Distribution of State Authority on Monday.
The 15 provinces proposed by the third largest party are Khaptad, Karnali, Tharuhat, Magarat, Lumbini, Tamuwan, Gandaki, Tamsaling, Newa, Bhojpura, Sunkoshi, Mithila, Kirat, Limbuwan and Birat.
Seven of the provinces -- Tharuhat, Magarat, Tamuwan, Tamsaling, Newa, Kirat and Limbuwan -- are delineated on the basis of nations (ethnicity). Two provinces -- Bhojpura and Mithila are defined on a linguistic basis.
Other provinces have mixed ethnicities, said UML CA member Dr Mangalsiddhi Manandhar, who is also a member of the committee.
The UML has said that the party delineated the provinces on the basis of identity including ethnicity, linguistic, cultural and geographical factors and historical continuity. Likewise, it has taken economic interrelation, current status and prospects of infrastructural development, availability of natural resources and means and administrative accessibility as a basis for restructuring the country.
Around half the 25 political parties represented in the CA, including UCPN (Maoist), Madhesi People´s Rights Forum and Sadbhavana Party, have submitted their proposals to the committee while the Nepali Congress and other political parties are yet to submit theirs.
The 43-member committee is entrusted with preparing a preliminary draft report and concept paper on state restructuring. The Constitutional Committee and an experts committee will also work on preliminary draft reports prepared by the thematic committees. Furthermore, the report shall be endorsed by a two-third majority of the 601-member CA before inclusion in the new constitution.
Seven of the 11 thematic committees have prepared and submitted their preliminary draft reports to the CA so far.
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