Nepal President Calls for Accountability and Good Governance on Constitution Day

Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel has called for greater accountability, good governance and respect for dissent, saying democracy can only be strengthened when the state remains responsive to its citizens.

Speaking at a ceremony marking 11 years since Nepal adopted its current Constitution, Paudel said the document must be translated into tangible improvements in people’s lives, rather than remain a written promise.

He said political change alone cannot meet public expectations, and urged the government and political leadership to focus on effective public services, justice and transparency.

Paudel also linked this year’s Constitution Day to the country’s recent floods and natural disasters. He said development must not be measured only by roads, bridges and buildings, but also by the protection of people’s lives, livelihoods and future.

The President called for reconstruction efforts to address the needs of displaced families and said Nepal’s development must become more people-centred, just and environmentally sustainable amid climate change.

The President described federalism, inclusion, pluralism and expanded freedoms as major achievements of the Constitution.

He also paid tribute to those who died during Nepal’s decades-long democratic struggle and those who endured imprisonment, exile and persecution before the Constitution was promulgated in 2015.