CESIF

December 2023 Analysis: Federalism

by CESIF Nepal
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The growing resentment among Chief Ministers of provinces ended with the release of a nine point joint paper for the implementation of federalism. Political parties are divided over the  practice of federalism in Nepal. After the UML provincial convention in September 2023, the  Nepali Congress held its provincial conference in Lumbini, Gandaki, and Madesh provinces in  December. 

Timeline of major events

 
Date Events
December 29th Hetauda meeting of the Chief Ministers released a nine-point joint  paper
December 19th - 20th Nepali Congress Gandaki Province Conference
December 21th - 22nd Nepali Congress Madesh Province Conference
December 23rd Nepali Congress Bagmati Province Conference
 
 

Yet Another Joint Roadmap for Federalism


 
While Nepal is relatively new to federalism, provinces have been unhappy over the practice of  federalism. Following last month’s dissatisfaction over the lack of authority to regulate police  forces and civil services, Chief Ministers from all seven provinces have devised a strategy, by  presenting a joint memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Amidst calls for  greater provincial autonomy, the group of Chief Ministers demanded control over police forces,  ownership over resources, and the right to collect revenue, and urged passage of a long-awaited  civil service law. The demands presented are not unique from previous ones.

While such initiatives and pressure could act as a good catalyst for strengthening federalism, it  is worth noting that this kind of grievance is not new. In December 2018, Chief Minister and  then Prime Minister KP Oli prepared an action plan to implement federalism. Also, the special  committee formed for the implementation, study, and monitoring of federalism prepared a report entitled Federalism Implementation Study Report, 2079. This showcases the  carelessness of the federal government in addressing the issues and concerns of provinces. The  true essence of federalism lies in the full implementation of constitutional rights and powers at  all levels (local, provincial, and federal).
 

Different Voices of Federalism



Federalism has not been practiced in full swing in Nepal. There are many challenges to the  same. Stressing the implementation part, the leaders from the newly formed left-party alliance  Socialist Front urged the government to remove legal obstacles to the implementation of  federalism.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) on the other hand has been vocal about the abolition of federal  structures, and the establishment of a Hindu monarchy. On a similar note, in the political paper  released by Rastriya Swatantra Party (RPP), questions have been raised about the structure of  the province and proposed alternatives to provincial structures.

The protest against federalism is not new to Nepal, such have been occurring sporadically from  groups and parties. On one hand RPP is opposing federalism and on the other hand their recent  move is to secure the Speaker's position in the Koshi province.  The RSP in its political paper  have questioned provincial structure, and not federalism. Federalism which started as an  alternative to address the concern of identity and ethnicity in Nepal has become a tool of  identity politics by some political parties. The political parties suffer from the conflict between  ideological goals and immediate political gains. The stability of Nepal’s federal system  depends on how these parties are able to negotiate their differences.
 

Congress Provincial Conference: The Test of Party Strength  



Lately, the Nepali Congress has been holding a provincial conference with the aim of  channeling energy among leaders, members, and party workers. The month of December  witnessed its provincial conferences in Gandaki, Lumbini, and Madesh provinces. Bishwa  Prakash Sharma, General Secretary of Nepali Congress expressed the responsibility of NC and  government to empower the provinces in every sphere and fulfill the demands set by provinces.  The internal conflict between the leaders was clearly exposed on the public stage. The  disagreement over the order of ranking of leaders in Madesh province led to dissatisfaction over leaders. Some blamed a lack of party protocol for such a situation. The conference  appealed to every NC member in provinces to abide by institutional conclusions at the  provincial level of the Congress as well. In every province, there was the same concern over  maintaining the order of dignity of the provincial assembly members aligned with the central  officials and protocol to be arranged at every level.
 
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CESIF Nepal

CESIF Nepal