Dispute In Dividing 48 Seats
There are lingering differences among the seven parties and the Maoists in the division of quota when nominating 48 representatives at the interim parliament. As the seven parties and the Maoists prepare to divide the seat among themselves, the civil society leaders have said they cannot join the parliament as representatives of any political party. As per the November 8 agreement, interim parliament will have to be formed by November 26. This interim legislature will have 330 members including 209 members of the seven parties and others who are members of the present lower and upper house (excluding those who opposed the people’s movement). Since the Left Front does not have its representation in the current parliament, its representation in the interim parliament would be determined based on understanding. The Maoists will nominate 73 members and 48 members will be nominated from among the sister organizations and professional bodies, oppressed ethnic communities and regions and political personalities. Meanwhile, 11 sitting MPs of Lower and Upper House will not be nominated to the new structure given their “pro-regressive” positions in the past. According to news reports, the eleven MPs will include two each from the Nepali Congress (NC), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), along with three MPs of the Upper House who were nominated by the King. The unfortunate eleven MPs include Narayan Singh Pun and Prakash Koirala (of NC); Prem Bahadur Singh and Nar Bahadur Budhathoki (of UML), Buddhiman Tamang and Brajesh Kumar Gupta (of RPP), Badri Mandal and Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav (of NSP) and Roop Jyoti, Yangkila Sherpa and Dev Narayan Chaudhary (royal nominees). Among the 11, most of the MPs were also appointed ministers during the royal regime. Compiled from reports.
Blame Game Continues
Days after the signing of the November 8 agreement, rifts are being seen within the Seven Party Alliance (SPA). The general secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal has blamed Nepali Congress (NC) for sabotaging his party’s efforts to ensure that a referendum would be held to determine the fate of monarchy. He said that although all other parties in the SPA had agreed for referendum and for holding elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA) on the basis of Proportional Representation (PR) system, it was due to the refusal of NC that both these proposals were shot down. That is why, he said – speaking at the meeting of UML parliamentary party – the UML had to write down Note of Dissent on both these points in the November 8 agreement between the SPA government and the Maoists. In the agreement, the SPA government and the Maoists have agreed to determine the fate of monarchy through the first meeting of CA by a simple majority. Likewise, they have also agreed to hold the CA elections based on Mixed Proportional System. Likewise, Nepal also criticized the Maoist leadership for “spreading baseless rumors that the SPA and the Maoists have agreed to let Prime Minister Koirala continue as the head of the forthcoming interim government as well.” Maoist chairman Prachanda had, on November 8, stated that changing Koirala’s leadership before the elections to the CA could sabotage the whole process. Meanwhile, reacting to Nepal ’s criticism, Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai asserted that - “If it was alright for the UML to accept Koirala’s leadership after April 24 when we had called for the continuation of the movement, it is now a shameless act (for Nepal ) to raise these issues. We have accepted Koirala as the leader of SPA.” On the other hand, NC (Democratic) president Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the issue of leadership of interim government has not yet been discussed among the SPA and the Maoists. Compiled from reports.
Boucher To Visit Nepal
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher will be arriving in Kathmandu on November 15. The same day an EU troika mission will also arrive in the capital. They are visiting Nepal with the aim of observing the recent agreement between the government and the Maoists. The US and EU delegations would meet with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, senior government officials and political leaders. After the change in April, the western countries, particularly the US , have sent a number of officials, political leaders and ministers to visit Nepal . Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.
Lawyers Hail Provisions Of 1990 Constitution
Lawyers and political leaders have praised provisions of the 1990 Constitution, which is now being replaced by an interim constitution soon. Addressing a talks program to discuss the contributions of 1990 Constitution to the constitutional development of Nepal, Nilambar Acharya, a senior leftist leader who was Law Minister during 1990 when then interim government promulgated the 1990 Constitution, said that the seminal elements and values of the 1990 Constitution will continue to guide all future constitutions that will be promulgated in the country. Speaking at the program organized by Constitutional Lawyers’ Forum (CLAF), on Thursday (November 9), he called on all to remember the history. “Without remembering and celebrating history, we cannot build future,” he said. Likewise, Shambhu Thapa, president of Nepal Bar Association (NBA), termed the 1990 constitution as “extra-ordinary.” He said its spirit and even some sentences were included in the draft of the interim constitution. Thapa was a member of the interim constitution drafting committee. He said that one of the major weaknesses of the 1990 constitution was its lack of flexibility on amendment issues. Dr. Surya Dhungel, a constitutional expert, added that constitutions are generally formed to accommodate political aspirations of the day. He rejected notions that the constitution invited conflict in the country. Compiled from reports.
Restructure The Economy: Experts
Senior economists and leaders from business community have stressed on the need for economic restructuring in a post-conflict period as the nation awaits economic revival after years of fumbling and feeble performances. Prof. Dr. Bishwambher Pyakuryal, president of Nepal Economic Association (NEA), stressed that political parties need to move towards effective economic restructuring in a bid to boost national economy. Addressing a program titled “Role of Private Sector for Economic Development, Economic Policy and Impact to the Private Sector” organized by the National Business Initiative (NBI), former finance minister and UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikary said there should be reconstruction and rehabilitation for sustained economic advancement, placing a great emphasis on the private sector. Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, former finance minister, said that big businesspersons who have access to politicians and top administrators have exploited scarce resources of the nation and are delaying repayment of loans to the banks. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
Three Kids Killed In An Explosion
Three children were killed when a bomb they were playing with went off at Aatharai Sankranti bazaar in Tehrthum district on Thursday (November 9). Rupan Kandangwa, 9, Rasmita Kandangwa, 4, and Sujan Phumbo, 4, were killed after the bomb exploded. They had found the bomb lying in the nearby field. Leading dailies report.
UN To Send 200 Monitors
The United Nations is preparing to send around 200-member taskforce including camp monitors and military experts to help in the peace process. Following the November 8 agreement between the seven parties and the Maoists, the UN has informed about sending such taskforce soon. As per the agreement, the Maoist combatants have to be sent to cantonments, their weapons collected and sealed in a cache and all of these verified, recorded and monitored by the UN by November 21. The UN team is expected to arrive in the country next week. This week, a meeting was organized by Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York to discuss this issue. Sources said the expenses of bringing in monitors will be borne by the respective countries from where they will come. The UN’s bureau of peace establishment will select the monitors. Kantipur daily reports.
Martin For Detailed Pact On Weapons
United Nation’s Secretary General Kofi Annan’s personal representative in Nepal , Ian Martin, said, on Thursday, the UN monitoring teams will come here and begin their work once a detailed agreement on the modality of management of arms and combatants is reached. “We need a detailed agreement on the modality of management of arms and armed personnel,” said Martin at a press conference. “Trained international observers having military background will be involved in the monitoring,” he said, adding that the observers will be unarmed. Martin further added that the UN’s job is to help maintain confidence and put the monitoring teams in place to carry out their job of “credible monitoring” and added that the UN does not have a mandate to enforce the agreement. Any breach of the agreement will be notified to the international community, he said. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
US Condemns Maoist Intimidation
Along with various human rights organizations and Members of Parliaments, the US government, too, has condemned Maoists for forcefully seeking food and shelter for their cadres from valley residents. "The United States fully supports the ongoing peace process and hopes that it will lead to a democratic, peaceful, and prosperous Nepal . Given this support, the U.S. Embassy must condemn ongoing Maoist extortion and violence, especially illegal demands that Kathmandu residents house and feed cadre before and on the day of a large-scale Maoist rally planned for Friday, November 10," states a press release issued by the embassy. "Like a large number of other Kathmandu residents, a number of employees of this Embassy, as well as several American citizens, have been the target of such demands. This extortion, accompanied by violence or threats of future reprisals if the demands are not met, directly contravenes the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Central Committee press statement following the August 27-31, 2006 Plenary Meeting in Kamidanda Village, Kavre district, as well as a number of other statements by senior Maoist leaders," the release further states. The press statement further states that " Nepal 's transition to democracy only be damaged if one party feels it is free to advance its political agenda through violence and threats, despite its commitments to the contrary." "By demanding that Kathmandu residents involuntary house and feed cadre in their homes, the Maoists call into question their willingness to participate in good faith in Nepal 's political process," the statement writes. "The U.S. Embassy stands with the people of Kathmandu in demanding that the Maoists abide by their promise that donations from average citizens will be strictly voluntary and that any violation of this commitment will be swiftly punished," the statement adds. The Maoists have claimed that they are not using force to seek shelters for their cadres ahead of planned public address by their party chairman Prachanda on November 10 in Kathmandu . The cadres have been brought from various districts to attend the public meeting. Leading dailies report.
