Parties up ante for drafting election manifestos

KATHMANDU: Most of the political parties in Nepal are now geared up for preparing their election manifestos in view of the upcoming Constituent Assembly election scheduled for November 19.

Election manifesto generally reflects party’s views about the form of governance, the form of federalism, the economic policy, foreign policy and ways of social transformation.

With major political changes in the country, the Nepali people realized that the Constituent Assembly election was essential to draft their constitution. Although the first CA was dissolved without giving the Nepali people a new constitution, the Nepalis again decided to go for the second CA election to materialize their dream of promulgating a new constitution through the CA. People are curious about the nature of manifestos that political parties are going to bring out.

The UCPN (Maoist) which was the single largest party in the first CA has expedited the task of writing election manifesto with forming ‘manifesto drafting committee’ that comprises Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Gopal Kirati, Bishwabhakta Dulal, Dharmabhakta Devkota and Dilliraj Khanal.

We will include the party views about federalism along with identity, form of governance along with directly elected President, progressive social transformation and self-sufficient economy in the election manifesto, party spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota said.

The Nepali Congress which had become the second largest party in the first CA has already formed a committee under the convenorship of party Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel to prepare the election manifesto. The 15-member committee comprises Gopalman Shrestha, KB Gurung, Bimalendra Nidhi, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Arjun Narsingh KC, Mahesh Acharya and Narhari Acharya, among others.

However, the UML has not prepared anything to draft the manifesto so far.

Likewise, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic) headed by Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar formed a seven-member manifesto drafting committee under the convenorship of party general secretary Jitendra Dev.

The Rastriay Prajatantra Party is learnt to have started homework for the election manifesto constituting a committee under the leadership of Haribahadur Basent.