Constitution needs changes: Nepal PM

Published December 30, 2006

KATHMANDU, Dec 29: Nepal’s Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Friday said an interim constitution, finalised earlier this month, needs to be amended as it has given unlimited power to the premier.

Earlier this month, senior political leaders and the Maoists finalised an interim constitution that paves the way for the rebels to join the government and transferred King Gyanendra’s powers as the head of the state to the prime minister.

“Since the interim constitution has made the prime minister all powerful, there is a danger that he can act as a dictator, so it needs to be amended,” Koirala told reporters at his hometown in Biratnagar, 548 kilometres east of Kathmandu, on Friday.

“There should be the balance of power by defining the authority of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary bodies... all powers should not be limited to a single person,” Koirala said.—AFP

Opinion

Editorial

May 9 fallout
09 May, 2024

May 9 fallout

A YEAR since the events of May 9, 2023, very little appears to have changed, at least from the political ...
A fresh approach?
09 May, 2024

A fresh approach?

SUCCESSIVE governments have tried to address the problems of Balochistan — particularly the province’s ...
Visa fraud
09 May, 2024

Visa fraud

THE FIA has a new task at hand: cracking down on fraudulent work visas. This was prompted by the discovery of a...
Narcotic darkness
08 May, 2024

Narcotic darkness

WE have plenty of smoke with fire. Citizens, particularly parents, caught in Pakistan’s grave drug problem are on...
Saudi delegation
08 May, 2024

Saudi delegation

PLANS to bring Saudi investment to Pakistan have clearly been put on the fast track. Over the past month, Prime...
Reserved seats
Updated 08 May, 2024

Reserved seats

The truth is that the entire process — from polls, announcement of results, formation of assemblies and elections to the Senate — has been mishandled.