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Contact:  
In Atlanta: Deborah Hakes, +1 404-420-5124 
In Kathmandu: Sarah Levit-Shore, +977 1 444-5055/1446

Kathmandu…According to a Carter Center report released today, Nepalis expect their new constitution to provide peace, security, and address basic needs.  They support measures to promote equality, inclusivity, and education for all; end discrimination; uplift disadvantaged communities; and improve access to the state and justice system.

The report is based on the most recent findings of Carter Center observers throughout the country, who have monitored the post-election peace and constitutional-drafting process since June 2009 and provided impartial information on progress to political leaders, civil society, the international community, and Nepali citizens.

The report explains that citizens who support federalism tend to associate it with decentralization of power and hope that the government will be brought closer to the people, allowing for greater access to the state, more accountable decision-making, improved service delivery, an end to discriminatory practices, and more equitable representation.  However, some citizens raise concerns regarding federalism such as disintegration of the country, communal conflict, and being cut off from other areas.

"The concerns raised by citizens underscore the need for accurate and unbiased information about federalism to reach the local level to facilitate informed discussion and debate," said Dr. David Pottie, associate director of the Carter Center's Democracy Program.

Carter Center observers also found that indigenous and marginalized peoples' organizations are increasingly active at the local level, particularly in promoting ethnic-based federalism, which they see as a means for decentralization, equitable representation, and ending discrimination.  By contrast, national political parties remain largely inactive on constitutional issues at the local level with the exception of the Rastriya Janamorcha and the UCPN(M).

"Regardless of the federal model adopted, citizens and advocacy groups are both clear in their desire for decentralization and their opposition to the idea of domination by any one particular group within the new federal states," said Pottie.

The Center offers the following recommendations to Constituent Assembly (CA) members and organizations that provide it with financial or technical assistance:

• Conduct an impartial and accurate awareness campaign about federalism at the local level.
• Widely publicize basic information regarding the constitutional process to inform citizens of progress achieved and ongoing debates within the CA to date.
• Conduct a genuine public consultation on the draft constitution that informs citizens of how the new constitution will impact their daily lives and incorporates lessons learned from the previous outreach program.
• Increase efforts to engage in dialogue with indigenous and marginalized groups that are using peaceful and democratic means to raise their demands.

Carter Center reports on Nepal's peace and constitutional-drafting process may be found at .

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Working to build peace in Nepal since 2003, the Carter Center deployed an international election observation mission to observe the 2008 constituent assembly elections. The Center has remained in-country to monitor the constitutional-drafting and peace process, with a focus on the local level.

"Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope." A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. Please visit  to learn more about The Carter Center.

Read the full report in English (PDF)

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