Do it right

How much homework has the Maoist party or the JSPN done on the suitability of a directly elected presidential system for Nepal?

It’s been just seven years since the country adopted a federal constitution, but several of its main architects already want to change some integral components. The CPN (Maoist Centre), the second biggest partner in the ruling coalition, has pitched for a directly elected president in its election manifesto, as has the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal (JSPN), the biggest Madheshi outfit. The two parties are also batting for a fully proportional electoral system. A few others like the Rastriya Prajatantra Party would like to see a directly elected president and a ceremonial monarch, as well as a fully proportional legislature. The country's two biggest political forces, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, want to retain the current arrangements.