Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah is pushing through constitutional changes at a pace that has concerned both domestic opposition groups and international observers of Nepal’s political development. The specific changes — which affect the balance of power between the executive and legislature, and the provisions around local government autonomy — are being framed by the government as necessary modernisation and by critics as executive power consolidation.
The process concern, as much as the substance, is what’s generating the international attention: critics allege that the constitution amendment process is being abbreviated in ways that bypass the deliberation requirements that the 2015 constitution established.
What Shah Is Proposing
The proposed amendments would, among other changes, extend the term of elected local government bodies, modify the formula for provincial government resource allocation, and adjust the provisions around dissolution of the House of Representatives. Each of these is substantively significant; the combination of them has prompted opposition parties to accuse the government of systematically strengthening executive authority.
The Process Question
Nepal’s constitution requires a two-thirds majority in parliament for most amendments, and there are procedural requirements about committee review and public consultation. Opposition parties say the government is using procedural manoeuvres to shorten those requirements in ways that violate both the letter and spirit of the constitution.
The government’s position: the changes are urgent and the procedural objections are being used by opposition parties to frustrate legitimate governance.
Why It Matters for Nepal’s Trajectory
Nepal’s 2015 constitution represented a hard-won political settlement after years of conflict and instability. The perception that its provisions are being modified through procedural shortcuts — regardless of whether the substance of the changes is good or bad — raises concerns about whether the constitutional framework will retain the legitimacy it needs to function as a stable foundation.
