“Understanding Is A Clear Roadmap For Peace”: Koirala
A day after Home Minister Kamal Thapa gave a hard-hitting statement against the second agreement between the parties and the Maoists, Nepali Congress (NC) president Girija Prasad Koirala has said, on Saturday (March 25), that the understanding is a clear roadmap for peace. Talking to party activists in his hometown of Biratnagar, Koirala said that it is the responsibility of democrats to bring in ‘non-democrats into the mainstream.’ He said that full and honest implementation of the pact would lead to peace restoration in the country. He, however, condemned the ever-increasing violent activities of the Maoists. He reiterated that restoration of parliament was the only way out of the present imbroglio. Koirala added that a constituent assembly after the reinstatement of parliament will restore peace and democracy in the country. He ruled out talks with the King before the rights or people are restored. Koirala urged all to participate in the agitation. Leading dailies report.
Parties Trash Minister Thapa’s Warning
Trashing the warning of Home Minister Kamal Thapa that the state would be compelled to treat parties like it does the terrorists if the parties stick to their understanding with the Maoists, the leaders of seven parties have dared him to do so. NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC said, “The parties will stick with their understanding with the Maoists. Let the state do what it can.” Likewise, Pradeep Gyawali, leader of Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), said that the parties were steadfast on the agitation aimed at ushering in constituent assembly. He, however, conceded that increasing violent activities by the Maoists were obstructing the parties’ agitation. Earlier, Home Minister Thapa had blasted ‘the second understanding between the parties and the Maoists that was hatched in New Delhi , India .’ “The so-called agitation from April 6 is the Maoist agenda. By shouldering it the parties have proven that they have fallen into the well-laid trap of the Maoists,” Thapa said on Friday, adding, “The state wishes to see the parties differently from the Maoists. But these understandings will compel the state to treat them also like terrorists.” Thapa urged the party leaders to initiate talks with the King and restore peace and democracy. “The agreements between the parties and the Maoists can never bring in peace. They are only aimed at further destabilizing the country.” Leading dailies report.
Acharya Warns The Country Could Disintegrate
Senior leader of NC and former deputy prime minister Shailaja Acharya has warned that if good sense doesn’t prevail soon, the country trapped between two kinds of extremism could head towards disintegration. Expressing utter dissatisfaction over the understanding between the parties and the Maoists, Acharya said the survival of NC was endangered as it had shouldered the agenda of the Maoists. Saying that the operators of the constitution had been unsuccessful rather than the constitution itself, Acharya warned there could be a huge bloodshed if the country goes for the constituent assembly. Stating that interference from various foreign power centers had further spoiled the situation, she called on the NC to return to its centrist origin. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.
Soldiers Beat Up Villagers, Probe Ordered
Following the murder of a Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) soldier by the Maoists, a group of army men assaulted over 150 villagers of Bichwa VDC of Mahendranagar. One dozen villagers are in serious condition. On Wednesday, RNA soldier Ramesh Bista had been shot to death by the Maoists in the village. Angered by the incident, the army men summoned villagers to the Sinhapur Post where they were badly beaten. They were accused of providing food and shelter to the Maoists. Meanwhile, chief of the post Daman Bahadur Ghale has said that the RNA has taken the incident seriously. “The incident occurred without any knowledge of senior officials. Injured will be treated and the guilty ones will not be spared,” Ghale told journalists. Leading dailies report.
More Items Exported To India Under Tax Net
Nepali products like vegetable ghee, jute products and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) like noodles will now invite a four percent duty while being exported to India . According to a highly placed source at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, a decision has been made to bring all imported products to India at par with the excise duty being charged on Indian products in the same categories. Chandi Raj Dhakal, president of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) said, “Under the trade treaty signed by the two government in 2002, Nepal is to get preferential treatment from India . The recent development does not adhere to the commitments.” The source at the Indian embassy said that “the current widening of the net” is part of the Indian budget plans and it does not violate the trade treaty between Nepal and India . “Products that are being exported to India are subject to the four percent incise duty which is to be levied on all imports to India from all countries,” the official said. “Nepali agricultural products that are being exported to India would now find it more difficult to compete in Indian market,” Dhakal said, adding that the recent pronouncement will mean a disaster for Nepali industries. He even accused the Indian side of politicizing the issue. Another industry watcher, on conditions of anonymity, expressed doubts over the motive and timing of the Indian announcement. He hinted at the possibility of this step being part of India ’s desire to “coerce Nepal ” into agreeing to some of the new clauses of the transit treaty between the two countries that is due for renewal by April 6, when the three months’ extension expires. The Indian decision is in sharp contrast to recent Chinese decision to waive custom tariffs completely on 1550 Nepali goods being exported to China . The Himalayan Times daily reports.
Nepal Arrested, Taken To Kakani
A day after seizing communication equipment from his residence, police personnel arrested Madhav Kumar Nepal, the general secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UM), and took him to Kakani camp of Armed Police Force (APF). Nepal who had been under house arrest since January 19 was presented with a letter stating that he was being put under preventive detention for 90 days on charges that he “spread confusion against the government.” On Thursday, teams of police also searched residences of Nepal ’s two brothers Binod Nepal and Saroj Nepal and confiscated their computer and phone. The Kathmandu District Administration has produced a letter accusing Nepal of sowing confusion against the government by gathering people in public places. His actions, the letter argues, could affect the ‘sovereignty, integrity, public peace and order.’ Meanwhile, political parties have condemned the action of the government terming it as yet another example of growing authoritarianism. The meeting of the seven party joint agitation coordination committee has asked the government to immediately release Nepal and hand over the seized equipment. Students in several campuses in Kathmandu organized rallies protesting Nepal ’s arrest and equipment seizure. In front of Amrit Science College , enraged students torched a government motorcycle. A sit-in program was also held in Maitighar Mandala on Thursday afternoon to protest Nepal ’s arrest. Leading dailies report.
SC Upholds Terrorist Tag
A bench of Supreme Court (SC) has quashed a writ petition demanding revocation of terrorist tag from the Maoists. The court said the petitioner who appealed against the government’s decision two and a half years ago to term the Maoists terrorists could not produce evidence to prove that the Maoists were a political party. The three judge full bench comprising judges Khil Raj Regmi, Gauri Dhakal and Badri Kumar Basnet issued the verdict on a writ petition that was filed by a Maoist sympathizer Taranath Ghimire a year and a half ago. Likewise, a separate bench comprising judges Regmi, Dhakal and Balram KC, upheld Section 9 of the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Control and Punishment) Ordinance of 2005 that authorizes the government to clap a person in preventive detention for up to a year without prosecution or trial. Regmi and Dhakal upheld the provision of the Ordinance but KC differed. Justices Regmi and Dhakal said that the Act does not contradict the Constitution as statute allows taking anyone into preventive custody if anyone construes a threat to the sovereignty, integrity or the law and order situation of the country. Differing on this point, Justice KC said the provision contravenes the Constitution inasmuch as law is concerned with terms of punishment. The Himalayan Times daily reports
AG Introduces New Strategy To Strengthen Govt. Cases
Attorney General Laxmi Bahadur Nirala has said that his office has introduced a new strategy to strengthen the cases of the government in the courts of law. “Now on, no government authority can submit any reply in court without consulting us,” he said. Previously, different government authorities used to submit their clarifications in courts and ask the Office of Attorney General (OAG) lawyers to defend the cases. “The government authorities were working in a wrong manner,” Nirala said. He said he has discussed the matter with ministers and secretaries and the government authorities concerned have agreed to strictly implement the new strategy. “Any reply by any government authority to any court of law would be forwarded only after the consent of government lawyers,” he said. Currently, the government ‘is losing about 80 percent of the cases.’ “This happens because we cannot defend the government properly,” said Nirala. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
