Addressing a joint meeting of the party´s CWC and PP members held at party headquarters at Sanepa, the NC leaders argued that it is good to learn from past experience and correct the drawbacks seen in parliamentary exercises instead of looking for a new system of governance. [break]
All 19 PP and CWC members taking part in the deliberations Wednesday were also averse to the idea of adopting a mixed model of governance under which executive powers are shared between the president and the prime minister.
However, NC leaders Nara Hari Acharya, Gagan Thapa, Devraj Joshi, Mohan Pandey and Suprabha Ghimire asked the party leadership to seriously consider a proposal for a directly elected prime minister as this can help ensure there is no political instability -- a major problem seen in 15 years of parliamentary exercise in Nepal.
Those taking part in the deliberations include Dr Minendra Rijal, Gopal Man Shrestha, Ramesh Lekhak, Ramesh Rijal, Pushpa Bhusal, Ram Krishna Yadav, Dilendra Prasad Badu, Mohan Pandey, Lalita Kingring and Jiban Prem Shrestha.
All those arguing against a directly-elected presidential system maintained that such a system gives rise to the possibility of dictatorship as it has limited space for accommodating dissenting groups. "There is supremacy of a group, not an individual in the parliamentary system of governance.
A parliamentary system has never given rise to a dictator. Rather, it is those who speak against the parliamentary system that give rise to that phenomenon," argued NC leader Ramesh Lekhak.
Lekhak further argued that though they should not hesitate at the idea of giving expanded powers to a president chosen through an electoral college, the party should maintain its position in favor of a ceremonial president and an executive prime minister elected by parliament.
Analyzing the drawbacks of the presidential system, Dr Minendra Rijal argued that a directly-elected presidential system entails the danger of dictatorship. "If a rebel party wins a majority there is always a danger of dictatorship. And again if that party is defeated it is likely to return to rebellion. A presidential system fails to properly accommodate dissenting voices," he maintained.
On the occasion, those arguing for a directly elected prime minister countered the allegation that they were backing the agenda of the CPN-UM. "The UML started proposing a directly elected prime minister only very recently. But we have been advocating that system for the past 14 years," NC CWC member Badri Pandey quoted CWC and PP member Narahari Acharya as saying.
Acharya asked the party to give due consideration to the proposal for a directly elected prime minister in order to address the problem of political instability and other anomalies seen in the past.
"There is better check and balance in a directly elected prime ministerial system as the prime minister needs cooperation from other parties for the day to day functioning of the government," he further said.
Also speaking on the occasion, Gagan Thapa argued that the party should not create a situation in which the ongoing peace process would get derailed over the system of governance. "The meeting point of the parties on system of governance is a directly elected prime minister. The party should not hesitate to go for that system," Thapa said.
The joint meeting will continue till 11 a.m. on Thursday as all CWC and PP members are yet to put forth their views. "If we bear in mind the opinions emanating from party leaders at various levels the joint meeting is very likely to endorse an official party position in favor of a parliamentary system," claimed a senior NC leader.
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