The Maoist bid to change Nepal’s national flag and incorporate the phrase “People’s War” into the preamble was on Saturday rejected by a committee which is drafting the new constitution of the republic.
The 63-member Constitutional Committee voted to sort out 11 issues related to different provisions including national anthem, national flag, provision of emergency, name of the constitution, state authority and political parties.
The new constitution will be called “The Constitution of Nepal-2010” with the approval of the majority of members.
The Maoist proposal to put the words “People’s war” in the preamble has been rejected through majority vote while the proposal to incorporate the words ‘Madhes movement’ referring to the political struggle of the ethnic people in Nepal’s Terai region bordering India has been endorsed.
The Maoists claim that their decade-long war that claimed 15,000 lives was mainly responsible for abolishing of 240-year-old monarchy and establishing a federal democratic republic in Nepal, while the other political parties argue that the 19-day peaceful movement was led to its removal.
Most of the Maoist proposals were defeated by the ruling alliance of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. Though the Maoists were against press freedom and pluralism, the committee said they were unchangeable provisions and rejected their stance. Though the schedule for drafting the constitution has been amended for the eighth time, the deadline to complete the draft remains at May 28, 2010.
