People's Struggle and Aspirations for a New Constitution in Nepal: Taking Lessons from the Past Experiences

Abstract

In a period of sixty years, Nepal has already experienced six constitutions. Hopefully, it is going to have the seventh constitution soon. During all these sixty years and with all these constitutions, the Nepalese people are struggling hard for defining and institutionalizing a political system that would ensure good governance, constitutionalism, promote growth and development, enhance human development, and secure peace and prosperity. Many people view that these were the issues to be settled and attained a long time ago. This is an age exclusively for not thinking about governance models but enjoy the fruit of institutionalized system of governance that would produce desired outcome for human development. Obviously, it is too late to engage in deciding a modality of governance at this point of history. Nevertheless, without securing a desirable modality of governance the nation cannot move ahead. The historic opportunity is out there in the hands of the Nepalese people. This paper examines the past mistakes and analyzes how lessons could be learned from the past mistakes to wisely secure the historic opportunity. It argues, if reason and knowledge succumbed by isms and petty political interests guided by political ideologies the historic opportunity might go astray. Thus, the paper recommends democracy enriched by positive knowledge and reason as to be the foundational stone for making the future constitution.

Keywords: Constitution, Constitutionalism, Governance, Political Parties, Constituent Assembly