Schools Shut Down Due To Strike
Schools across the country have been shut down due to strike imposed by Nepal Educational Republican Forum (NERF). The Forum has imposed three-day school bandh beginning Wednesday (Feb 6) to press for their demands including betterment of facilities for teachers. The Forum has accused the government of not fulfilling earlier agreements regarding making the temporary teachers permanent, improving conditions for teachers, rehabilitating displaced teachers and making temporary school staffs permanent. The Forum went ahead with its school bandh despite appeals by guardians' association and civil society organizations. They had said that the action by the Forum was depriving the children of their basic rights to education. Compiled from reports
Thapa Urges Govt, Madhesi Groups To Reach Accord Quickly
Former prime minister and president of Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) Surya Bahadur Thapa has urged the government and Madhesi groups to reach accord at the earliest to ensure the election. Thapa has claimed that if they do not reach an understanding within a week, the election for Constituent Assembly (CA) slated for April 10, cannot be held. "The election cannot be held without addressing Madhesi movement," Thapa said, on Saturday (Feb 9). "An environment conducive for election must be created within a week through dialogue with Madhesi groups," he said. He warned that mobilising army could be counterproductive. Kantipur daily reports
Sujata Says Interim Statute Crossed Govt's Limits
Minister without portfolio and Nepali Congress central leader Sujata Koirala on Saturday (Feb 9) said the government brought the interim constitution crossing the mandate of the Jana Andolan II. Addressing a function on 'Madhes and the Constitution Assembly' organized by the Tarun Dal in Siraha, she said, "The Jana Andolon II has given the mandate of holding the Constituent Assembly election and reinstating the parliament standing on the 2047 constitution, but the government was compelled to write the interim constitution due to the Maoists." Though Prime Minister GP Koirala fulfilled the demands raised by the Maoists, the Maoists were involved in activities to disrupt the CA election, she said. "The armed groups in Tarai, except those aiming to divide the nation, should sit for talks laying down their weapons," she said. Compiled from reports
Deuba Says King Has The Right To Speak
Former Prime Minister and senior Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba Saturday (Feb 9) said that King Gyanendra's remarks to Japanese media persons were his fundamental rights to express his opinion. Speaking at press meet in Birjunj, the former PM said that the king has equal rights to express his opinion just as other citizens. On Monday, King Gyanendra, in an interview to Japanese media persons, expressed displeasure over the recent decision by the country's lawmakers to abolish the monarchy, saying that the decision does not reflect the majority view of the people. Lauding the substantial participation of people in the seven-party assembly held in seven major urban centers of the country despite banda, explosions and threat posed by the Madhesi agitators, the NC leader said that no one can stop the conduction of Constituent Assembly (CA) elections. Deuba went on to claim that the CA elections would be conducted even with the help of the Nepali Army if need be. Compiled from reports
King Gyanendra Says Republic Decision Doesn't Reflect Majority View
King Gyanendra has expressed dissatisfaction over the recent decision by the interim parliament to abolish monarchy after the April 10 Constituent Assembly (CA) election. Speaking to a select group of Japanese correspondents at the Narayanhiti royal palace on February 4, King Gyanendra said, "[The decision] doesn't reflect the majority view of the people. This isn't democracy." He, however, conceded that the people do have the right to choose the fate of monarchy. The interview was published in Japan 's leading newspaper DailyYomiuri. "Some leaders have tried to take action that's against cultural, social and traditional values," King Gyanendra said, in a cleverly veiled criticism of the Maoist party leadership, which leads a strong campaign to abolish the monarchy. The king also pointed out that law and order situation of the country is deteriorating, questioning the interim government's ability to govern the country. Citing the recent survey which showed 49 percent of respondents favored the continuation of the monarchy in some form, King Gyanendra said: "A majority of the people find great meaning in the institution of the monarchy. In all clouds, there is a silver lining. Let us hope." About a week ago King Gyanendra had broke his closely guarded silence in an interview to a pro-monarchist weekly paper in which he said that he remained silent to "let the peace process succeed." In the interview that appeared on the eve of the third anniversary of his coup, King Gyanendra had said, "Nepali people themselves should speak out on where the nation is heading, on the direction it is taking and on why it is becoming chaotic." Nepalnews.com reports
FSU Polls Suspended; MPs' Grant Put On Hold
The meeting of the Steering Committee of the Seven Party Alliance held on Monday (Feb 4) has decided to put on hold the election of Free Student Unions (FSU). The meeting held at CPN-Maoist head office in Buddhangar decided to ask student organizations to suspend the FSU election as it could affect the constituent assembly elections. The CPN-UML leaders, however, insisted that the FSU polls should take place. The Maoist side proposed to suspend the campus election taking into consideration the need to intensify the CA polls campaigning, emphasizing that the students should also actively take part in it. Nepal Congress and other smaller parties raised no objection to the proposal to stall the FSU polls. Even as student organizations have not yet reacted to the Steering Committee's decision, it is now certain that the FSU polls would be cancelled with Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula stating that the government would not be able to deploy the required number of security forces for the polls. On Sunday, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had also advised the leaders of the Nepal Students Union to withhold the FSU election and concentrate on the CA election. Additionally, the SPA meeting has asked the government to stop distribution of Rs one million to the MPs ahead of the polls. The government's decision to distribute the money to each parliamentarian through district development committees for development activities had been widely criticized. The Steering Committee meeting concluded that the money could be re-distributed to the MPS after the CA polls. The meeting also decided to raise the issue of Susta with India through diplomatic channels. People displaced from Susta staged protest outside the meeting venue in the morning and later informed the committee members about the encroachment of Nepali land by Indian authorities. The Steering Committee also decided not to reconstitute the local bodies for the time being. The decision to form the local bodies had been delayed due to disagreements within the SPA. Compiled from reports
Rs 30b Needed For Post-Conflict Work
The government has projected an expenditure of US $471.44 million (nearly 30 billion rupees) for post-conflict reconstruction and other peace-related activities. Madhav Prasad Ghimire, secretary at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, said on Monday (Feb 4) that as Nepal cannot meet such a huge expenditure, mobilizing resources from the donor community is a must. "The goal of peace building can remain just a wish, without enough resources," he said, presenting a paper on the topic 'Evolving Peace Process and Emerging Scenario' at the preparatory consultations for a Donors Meet, that ended in the capital, Monday. He said meeting people's expectations -- addressing the causes of poverty and achieving economic development -- is quite essential for attaining lasting peace. On the impact of the decade-long conflict, he said it has resulted in an estimated loss of eight billion rupees in destroyed physical infrastructure. Ian Martin, chief of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), said a major challenge for the current peace process is to achieve the same quality of dialogue (as with the Maoists) between the government and agitating groups like the Madhesis and others challenging the constituent assembly elections. Observing that the future of the army is always a central question in countries coming out of war, he said neither can the Maoist combatants be kept in the cantonments forever nor the state army restricted to barracks indefinitely. CK Lal, a newspaper columnist, said the government has to create political, social and economic opportunity to let the country emerge out of conflict. "It needs to unveil rural development packages and other targeted programs," he said. Deependra Bahadur Kshetry, a member of the National Planning Commission, said social and economic transformation is needed to keep the country from conflict. "Still, the peace dividend or the benefit of development has remained within the same coterie of people, not reaching the needy, marginalized and disadvantaged groups," he said. Kantipur reports
