State Restructuring and Power Sharing: Issues of Contemporary Times

State Restructuring and Power Sharing: Issues of Contemporary Times

Question for icebreak How do you perceive the structural changes brought by present constitution in the state affairs of Nepal? © NASC 2019

Constitution of Nepal In order to fulfill the aspirations for perpetual peace, good governance, development and prosperity through the medium of federal democratic republican system of governance, hereby promulgate this Constitution through the Constituent Assembly. © NASC 2019

What is state restructuring? State restructuring is something that is directly associated with political re-imagination of the state as per the spirit of the time and is a continuous process in democracy © NASC 2019

Variant structures of states Equal Federal Structures (states): USA, Australia, Germany, South Africa Unequal Federal Structures (States): India (J&K, Sikkim), Canada (Quebec) Autonomous regions in Unitary State: China Regional Political Structures: Srilanka, United Kingdom Decentralized Local Structures: Norway, Sweden, Denmark Nepal?? © NASC 2019

Why Nepal requires state restructuring? Establishing rights Recognizing voices Sharing resources Enlargnig/Expanding choices © NASC 2019

Sectors of Restructuring Constitutional Political Administrative Social/Cultural Fiscal What it means in Nepal? © NASC 2019

What is the definition of state of Nepal? ax'hftLo, ax'eflifs, ax'wfld{s, ax';f+:s[lts ljz]iftfo'Qm, ef}uf]lns ljljwtfdf /x]sf ;dfg cfsf+Iff / g]kfnsf] /fli6«o :jtGqtf, ef}uf]lns cv08tf, /fli6«o lxt tyf ;d[l4k|lt cf:yfjfg /xL Pstfsf] ;"qdf cfa4 ;a} g]kfnL hgtf ;dli6df /fi6« xf] -wf/f #_ © NASC 2019

Criteria or bases for state restructuring A. Identity: Ethnicity/community (जातीय/समुदायगत) Language (भाषिक) Culture (सांस्कृतिक) Historical continuity (ऐतिहासिक निरन्तरता) Geographic continuity (भौगोलिक/क्षेत्रगत निरन्तरता) © NASC 2019

Criteria or bases…(contd.) B. Capability: Economic inter-dependence/capability (आर्थिक अन्तरसम्बन्ध र सामर्थ्य) Status of infrastructures and their viability (पूर्वाधार विकासको अवस्था र सम्भावना) Availability of natural resource (प्राकृतिक साधन र स्रोतको उपलब्धता) Administrative accessibility (प्रशासनिक सुगमता) © NASC 2019

Power Sharing in Nepal Principles Organization/sharing of Power Cooperation vs. Competition Separation vs. Balance of Power Horizontal power sharing : power sharing between the three organs of government (legislative, executive and judiciary) Vertical power sharing : sharing state power between different territorial layers of government (federal, state, and local levels) © NASC 2019

राज्य शक्तिको बांडफांड © NASC, 2018 2018-08-16

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tx cg';f/ clwsf/ tyf sfo{x?sf] afF8kmfF8 ;+3sf sfo{{x?M ;+ljwfgdf Joj:yf ePsf Psn tyf ;femf clwsf/x? /fli6«o gLlt tyf lgodgx? dfkb08 tf]Sg] cg'udg tyf d"Nof+sg cGt/fli6«o ;DaGw cg';Gwfg tyf gljgd\td k|ljlwsf] ljsf; s]Gb|Lo tYof+s cGt/;/sf/L ;dGjo © NASC 2019

clwsf/ tyf sfo{x?sf] afF8kmfF8 k|b]zsf sfo{{x?M ;+ljwfgdf Joj:yf ePsf Psn tyf ;femf clwsf/x? k|fb]lzs gLlt tyf lgodgx? k|fb]lzs dfkb08 tf]Sg] cg'udg tyf d"Nof+sg cg';Gwfg tyf gljgd\td k|ljlwsf] ljsf; k|fb]lzs tYof+s cGt/lgsfo ;dGjo ;+3Lo tyf :yfgLo ;/sf/nfO{ k|Zff;sLo tyf ;]jf k|jfxsf] nflu cfjZos Joj:yfx? © NASC 2019

clwsf/ tyf sfo{x?sf] afF8kmfF8 :yfgLo ;/sf/sf sfo{{x?M ;+ljwfgdf Joj:yf ePsf Psn tyf ;femf clwsf/x? :yfgLo gLlt tyf lgodgx? :yfgLo dfkb08 tf]Sg] cg'udg tyf d"Nof+sg :yfgLo tYof+s ;]jf k|jfxsf] nflu cfjZos sfo{x? © NASC 2019

Federation Province no. 3 KTM Metropolitan City Coordination Cooperation Coexistence

Key Issues Whether the restructured governments are symmetric? Or assymetric? Symmetry of functions assigned to asymmetry of governments Are all provinces symmetric? Are the local governments symmetric? Tila Gufa Municipality (Kalikot) vs. Dhulikhel Municipality (Kavre) Lahan Municipality (Siraha) vs. Putalibazar Municipality (Syangja) Bharatpur Metropolitan City (Chitwan) vs. Kathmandu Metropolitan City (Kathmandu) What about the functions? The functions for provinces and local governments are symmetric (Schedule-5- 9) © NASC 2019

FAQs Centralized of decentralized federalism, which is suitable in Nepal? (Decentralized federal countries: Switzerland, Canada vs. centralized federal country: Malaysia) What is the scope/space of district (district government)? Is it necessary to have constitution implementation mechanism and transition plan for next few years? What should be the relationship between the rights to self- determination and federalism? © NASC 2019

FAQs How should the recognition of diversity of language be managed in Nepal? How should the levying and collection of taxes be allocated among the federal, province and local governments? © NASC 2019

Potential risks (opportunities) Implementing constitution Reaching people Building ownership on state and national solidarity Making federalism a good means Strengthening local government © NASC 2019

Way forward State capacity development Delivering more with less Evidence based course correction in main four pillars of Federalism (constitutional, political , fiscal and administrative) © NASC 2019

Thank You © NASC 2019