Towards Demarcation of Provincial Borders

 One of the issues that have been left for the parliament, the transformed Constituent Assembly, is the issue of demarcation of provincial borders. It is very clear that the four major parties in the constitutional coalition were not able to sort out their differences on this issue. And so they gave up and tried to agree on the less problematic issues.

The decision to establish eight provinces was a great achievement. Both the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML) had a conservative position in terms of fixing the number of provinces, while the UCPN wanted the number to go up to 11, if not 14, and even more, if that came as a solution. Striking out agreement on demarcation was something that they didn’t even venture to go into in the final and painstaking negotiation process. It was too daunting for the Maoists to go by the NC and the UML standards. However, this lacuna in the compromise draft has led to many stakeholders overlooking many good things that the draft constitution has brought forward. A couple of parties in the opposition, though they are not broad based at the moment, have raised their voices against this shortcoming in the federalization plan. However, it is possible to try out the demarcation once again while the country is deliberating about the draft constitution.

Many leaders in the major political parties have shared their feelings in this regard. Even Maoists leaders have ventilated that compromise solutions now would be better than leaving it to the transformed parliament. Additionally, President Ram Baran Yadav, who received different delegations of the smaller parties recently, has also advised four major political parties to promulgate the new constitution only after the delineation of provinces, this being the key demand of the leaders from Madhesi and Janajati constituencies. There is no harm in embarking on this issue once again. In fact, I am for it.

Everybody knows that it is better to have an opportunity that is certain than having one that is worth more but is uncertain. There is an environment for moderation. Is it not the same thing when one said a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. If this mentality prevails, even naming of the provinces would not be impossible in the next two months.