174 results found
Maldives Dhivehi Rayyethunge Party (DRP) chief, Mr. Thasmeen Ali, has said that the first government under the new Constitution, the government of President Nasheed, did not display courage and patience to follow the path of democratic governance.
Speaking about the domestic challenges that Nepal has been facing on the path towards drafting a new constitution, Nepal's Ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyay sought India's support in helping Nepal structure its democracy.
Several immediate challenges confront Nepal after the recent Constitutional Assembly elections and yet there are positive signs of Nepal emerging as a vibrant republic. This was the general consensus at a round-table discussion on "Emerging Political Situation in Nepal and Policy Options for India" organised by Observer Research Foundation on May 16, 2008.
We are not in an easy situation in Nepal. The country is in a kind of turmoil. It is like a frozen ice cube that is melting and we do not know how we should refreeze it into the shape we want. The country has lots of energy and is ready with a new agenda for social change and progress. But how do we give it direction so that the sense of nationhood that is strongly taking root is reflected in the new constitution now being drafted by the Constit
It is almost a year since fresh elections to the Constituent Assembly in Nepal took place for the formation of a new government and the writing of a new constitution that would, as was expected then, be a breath of fresh air for a country long engulfed in political and social unrest -- and political and constitutional instability afterward.
In Nepal, another fierce battle for the top executive post has begun, putting the much important issue of Constitution-drafting in the back burner. As usual, the federalism debate has evaporated from the mainstream,
Nepal is no stranger to Constitution drafting, having gone through six such rounds since 1948, with the seventh culminating in September 2015. is recent exercise, however, was unique as it was conducted, for the rst time, without the oversight of the monarchy. Certain populations of Nepali society had specic stakes in a new Constitution. For many of Nepal's marginalised communities such as the Madhes is, for example, the new Constitution oe
As Nepal is set to go to polls on 19 November, the political scenario in the country is turning increasingly foggy. Technically, the people of Nepal should be looking forward to the polls and the prospect of a new Constitution.
Analysing Netaji’s efforts during his mayoral tenure offers motivation across the socio-political spectrum to give due importance to municipal affai
What the amendments to the Constitution by the National People's Congress have done is to tighten the Communist Party's grip over the governmental system in a seemingly legal fashion.
In a first past the post electoral system, holding of simultaneous elections is full of contradictions. Many constitutional changes are imperative to
This report collates insights from unstructured interviews with people in South Kashmir about their lives following the Constitutional amendments of August 2019 that revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, and repealed Article 35A. The conversations with the respondents covered issues such as their livelihoods and the economy, the bureaucracy, and militancy in the region. The report is an attempt
Russia recently witnessed the re-election of its long-serving president. A constitutionally mandated term limit suggests this would be Vladimir Putin’s last presidential term. As Russia enters a period of power transition, it is likely that a number of political actors will become relevant during this phase. This brief looks at the groups that form the opposition—those operating within the formal institutions and the major players outside it�
The negative image of the state governors as above all “an agent of the centre” has proved difficult to erase.
While the Constitution provides the ECI with a sturdy framework within which to operate, this same edifice has become a handicap to the organisation a
Recently, the Dhaka High Court declared Bangladesh as a secular nation. The verdict brought respite to the feeling of guilt among the people for denouncing secularism from the Constitution, one of the core values for which they had fought for during the liberation struggle of 1971.
There are growing instances to show that this law has been weaponised as a handy tool against political rivals, to suppress dissent and free speech.
Last week Nepal became a federal democratic republic. On May 28, the first sitting of the newly elected Constituent Assembly members endorsed a proposal to amend the interim Constitution and declare the country a republic.
The Maoist-led government presented its Policy and Programme document last week, setting out a whole gamut of tasks facing Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' . The key points of the document are: to draft new constitution within given timeframe of two years,
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has called for early Presidential elections, which would be held on January 23, 2010. Under the Sri Lankan Constitution, the President can call for an early election after the completion of four years out of his six-year term.
In working out the constitutional changes in terms of division of powers between the President and Parliament, represented purportedly by the Prime Mi
As evolved in the US and the UK, an Integrated Defence Staff, in which 'army controls army', is the need of the hour for better implementation of required reforms. This weakness can be resolved only through a constitutional amendment or to the Rules of Business of the Government, or both, says Lt-Gen. S. Pattabhiraman (Retd).
The question of municipal leadership is of great significance in urban governance in India. There are various models of the position of chief executive of an urban local body (ULB), predominantly tilting towards the ‘strong mayor’ model either through ‘presidentialisation’ of the office or through a ‘mayor-in-council’[1] system. In India, it is the ‘state appointed municipal commissioner’ model that holds sway, sitting over a popu
There is a huge backlog of cases that are awaiting to be heard and processed for final verdicts.
With the current poll processes expected to come to a close long before the month-end, the Election Commission may need to address the two questions t
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should take care when detailing the reasons why constitutional reforms are needed. While talking about the external threats, he should be very careful not to unnecessarily cause provocations to either China or North Korea.
While a new reformative government is set to take power in Thailand, the complexities of international relations and domestic aspirations will shape T
Interventions by the military-royalists continue to impede Pita Limjaroenrat’s bid to become the next PM, thus posing serious challenges to Thailand
This paper analyses the domestic compulsions in Australia, India, Japan and the US that are influencing their positions on the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad). The paper notes that as the four countries are becoming increasingly aware of the risks posed by China’s rise over the last few years, they have sought to converge to the Quad. For Australia, the concerns are over trade dependency on China, and China’s sharp power projection and
Myanmar's path to a disciplined democratic government is paved with obstacles set by the 2008 Constitution.
Is the use of constitutional means to secure ruling in perpetuity a new normal in west Africa?
Given its difficult position under the Constitution, the subject of water has remained one of the most disputed areas in India’s federal relationshi
For Libya to successfully achieve democratic transition, it will need to overcome the various impediments in its path.
During an interaction at ORF, Maldives' delegation of senior officials reassured the audience that the Maldivian Constitution continues to restrict establishment of foreign military facilities and that Male will never compromise the security balance of the Indian Ocean.
The Indian model of federalism may be one of the most interesting typologies in the world, characterised as it is by a paradox, to begin with: that of being a “centralised federalism.” This paper provides a temporal framework in the discourse on Indian federalism by outlining the history of the country’s federal structure in four different time periods, from the birth of the Indian republic to these contemporary times. It shows how the prev
The three organs of the State, as laid down in the Constitution, are the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Reforms are about examining the
Mainstream parties have in unison come in defence of the article and treated it as an existential matter. Having supported the accession of the State
The lack of a Uniform Civil Code in India is undercutting the chances of an overall development of the Indian society
Jagmohan's address to the ORF faculty included a discussion on six important topics, namely slums and illegal constructions, human settlement patterns, culturally significant towns, cities and climate change, pattern of governance after the enactment of the Constitution (seventy-fourth amendment) Act, and resource mobilisation for city development
Vehicular congestion and insufficient parking facilities are significant emerging challenges for India’s mega and metropolitan cities, severely impairing mobility. Although curtailed by constitutional mandates, many Indian cities are seeking to resolve the issue through parking policies, focusing on regulations, pricing as a management tool, new technologies, and off-street parking provisions. This brief assesses the parking policies of Ahmedab
It has been five years since General Pervez Musharraf came to power in Pakistan in a bloodless coup on October 12. One questionable referendum staged in April 2002, the less-than-credible parliamentary elections in October the same year, a controversial constitutional amendment and two changes of government this year later, Gen Musharraf is still the numero uno.
The US cannot be seen to be losing the war in a re-election year, and so the US withdrawal needs repackaging as a peace process for Afghanistan. The problem is that nobody really knows what the Taliban wants and reconciling an emirate — and Shariat-based system with the existing constitution — is not easy.
The Congress ended with the insertion of the ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era’ into the Party constitution, confirming Xi as the most powerful Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping.
The bill has to be a constitutional amendment as it overshoots the Supreme Court's 50% cap on quotas and takes the total to 60%.
Unless urban planning is heavily incentivised with quality men and money, development plans are likely to remain on paper
Political parties are the only entities which are not subject to any regulation or regulator. The phrase political parties has not been mentioned in India's constitution and post independence, the legislatures have not enacted any regulation or law governing the functioning of political parties.
In the midst of various diplomatic engagements, Abe will find it hard to take up the issue of constitutional amendment.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has a fairly heavy political agenda before him. The foremost is his firm resolve to introduce constitutional reforms. If he wins the December 14 elections, Abe would have bright chances to win another term as the LDP president in September next year and stay at the helm for three more years.
Multi-party democracy was not inaugurated by Zia, the rehabilitation of communal politics was --- through the entry of ‘Bangladeshi nationalism’ a
