The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the Federal Socialist Party and five Madheshi parties from Terai (southern Nepal) earlier this week formed a political alliance so that ethnic federalism, self-government and self-determination be included in the country's new Constitution. Nepal's two largest parties, however, continue to reject those principles, and are working to approve a Constitution before the end of 2014 without including them.

The Maoists, Federal Socialists and Madheshis believe that each one of Nepal's main ethnic groups should be granted its own state within a federal Nepal. The aim, according to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, is to ensure that the new Nepal takes into account the interests of peoples, indigenous communities, religious minorities and women.

The seven-party alliance believes that the two main political parties (the Nepali Congress and the Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Nepal, CPN-UML) want to adopt a Constitution that keeps the current status quo. According to the alliance, that status quo means continuing to marginalize non-hegemonic peoples and concentrating power in Nepal's capital Kathmandu.

Constituent Assembly debates over the structure of the Nepali state

But the seven-party alliance will find it hard to have its proposals passed. The Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML enjoy a very comfortable majority in the Constituent Assembly. Lawmakers are now debating over the structure of the Nepali state. An agreement exists to turn Nepal into a federal country, but neither the Congress nor the Marxist-Leninists want the constituent states to be based on ethnicity, but rather on geographical concepts.

In addition, the two largest parties also refuse to recognize the right to self-determination of the constituent states, The Himalayan Times reports: they argue that such a right could lead to the disintegration of the Nepali state.

After overthrowing the monarchy in 2008, Nepal elected its first Constituent Assembly, charged with drafting a federal Constitution. The bid was unsuccessful, and in 2013 a second Constituent Assembly was elected, which is now trying to come to an agreement on the draft Constitution. MPs have promised to have it completed before the end of 2014, although they have a four-year term.

The seven-party alliance has just 121 of 601 seats in the Constituent Assembly. The Nepali Congress has 196 seats, and the Marxist-Leninists, 175. But the alliance members argue it would be unfair to agree on a new Constitution that does not have their proposals in mind.

(Picture: Flag of Nepal / photo by MShades / Chris Gladis.)

Further information:

• Follow up on Nationalia: A second chance to build a federal Nepal, Nepal PM insists on rejection of ethnic federalism in Constitution