Nepal's new Constitution is most "inclusive and democratic", former foreign minister Prakash Sharan Mahat said today as he dismissed reports of discrimination against the Indian-origin Madhesis in the citizenship provisions incorporated in the statute.
"The provisions related to citizenship incorporated in the new constitution of Nepalis is very much liberal and inclusive," said Mahat, who is a senior member of the Constitution Drafting Committee of Nepal as well as a central committee member of Nepali Congress.
There was no discriminatory provision against any community including Madhesis and any country including India, in the provision of citizenship incorporated in the new constitution, he said.
He further said that any woman from any country including India, who is married to a Nepali man, are immediately eligible for naturalised citizenship of Nepal as per the provision in the constitution.
"Our constitution is most inclusive and democratic and there is no truth in the negative publicity made regarding the provisions of the constitution," he added.
Any children whether their parent have naturalised citizenship or citizenship by decent or ancestry will be treated as citizen by descent or by birth, he said.
"The son or daughter born to foreign woman having acquired naturalised citizenship of Nepal will be eligible for the highest political position including President and Prime Minister," he said.
To make sure that there is more inclusiveness for the marginalised communities including the Madhesis, the previous Nepali Congress led government has immediately put forward proposal to amend the constitution after its promulgation on September 20, 2015, he said.
The amendment bill aims to address the two key demands of the agitating Madhesi parties, including proportionate representation and allocation of Parliament seats based on population, he said.
The Madhesi parties have launched agitation and enforced a blockade of the land-locked country, protesting against the new Constitution for the past three months.
Their major demands include re-demarcation of the boundary, inclusion of proportionate representation and allocation of Parliament seats on the basis of population.
