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Kathmandu Monday February 11, 2002 Magh 29, 2058.
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Deuba
seeks support from all
By Surendra Phuyal
KATHMANDU, Feb 10: The
winter session of parliament, which will decide the fate of the state of emergency imposed
in the country, opened here Monday with a relaxed-looking Prime Minister Sher Bahadur
Deuba vowing to take "every possible step" to resolve the crises facing the
country.
Though vehemently
criticised by the opposition party leaders for his "failure" to broker peace
with the Maoist negotiators, a calm Deuba appealed to all the political forces and his
countrymen to help the government fight "terrorism". The Prime Minister even
expressed his readiness to make changes in the constitution and form an interim electoral
government.
"If dialogue
fails, force is necessary, emergency is necessary," Deuba told the House of
Representatives, justifying the state of emergency that was clamped after the three rounds
of talks between the government and the Maoists failed in late November. "Emergency
was the only option left...But now, if you think that making changes in the constitution
and forging a national government [thereafter] could be a solution, I am ready for that.
Let’s sit and discuss [the possibilities]."
His reactions came
after the Main Opposition CPN-UML leader, Madhav Kumar Nepal, indicated that his party,
which commands 68 seats in the House of Representatives, could support the government
"if it courageously comes forward and floats a proposal seeking changes in the
constitution".
Flatly rejecting the
Maoist proposal to form a constituent assembly—which would draft a new
constitution—Nepal said, "Such a move would only dampen the achievements of the
popular movement of 1990. So the need of the hour is to amend the constitution. This could
also be the solution to the political problem."
The state of emergency,
declared on November 26 to quell the six-year-old insurgency, needs to be ratified with a
two thirds majority of the House of Representatives by February 23, which is within three
months of its declaration, as per the Article 115 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of
Nepal.
And as the ruling
Nepali Congress has only a simple majority in the House with 113 members, the approval and
the possible extension of emergency would need the support of UML.
Appearing very much
informal, the Prime Minister also said that the government’s primary goal was to
disarm the rebels, and that further talks could be held "only after they surrender
arms". "Whether to hold talks with them in future or not would be known only
after they surrender their arms," he said.
Soon after the Speaker
Taranath Ranabhat opened the House for proceedings and invited the opposition party
leaders to make their remarks, the Deuba government came under fire for failing to, among
other things, control corruption, ensure good governance and maintain law and order
situation in the country.
They blasted the
government for imposing the state of emergency and bringing the two Royal
Ordinances—Terrorist and Disruptive (acts control and punishment) Ordinance and
Finance Ordinance—and said they would not support the government in extending the
state of emergency.
Surya Bahadur Thapa of
Rastriya Prajatantra Party warned that the people are blaming both the ruling and the
opposition parties for the deteriorating condition of the nation and economy, which is
about to "collapse". He also called on PM Deuba to act more responsibly and
rescue the country by means of "minimum national programmes and national
consensus".
Narayan Man Bijukchhe
of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party criticised the government for its inaction, and said,
"Our party does not want the state of emergency to be extended and we don’t
think emergency will resolve the problems." He also announced that he would be
presenting a Bill on Cultural City Management in the session.
Lila Mani Pokharel of
United People’s Front (UPF) blamed the government side of being
"irresponsible" during the failed peace talks with the Maoists last year. He
said that the state of emergency should not be prolonged and warned that the move would
further empty the already impoverished country’s exchequer.
He also demanded that
the "black ordinances" be withdrawn.
Chitra Bahadur K.C. of
National People’s Front (NPF) also slammed the government for imposing emergency and
demanded withdrawal of the "black ordinances". He also claimed that the army had
recently killed three innocent people in his home district, Baglung.
He added, "The
state of emergency has been declared in the country, but the people have been forced to
bear the brunt. They are being attacked and harassed by both the rebels and the
army."
Badri Prasad Mandal of
Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) urged PM Deuba to "do something to control corruption at
all levels". "Our donors are publicly saying that Nepal is among the most
corrupt nations in the world," he said. "The government should feel ashamed and
do something about it."
The House also condoled
the death of NSP leader Gajendra Narayan Singh, who died of cardiac arrest late last
month.
Speaker Ranabhat read
out a letter received from the Royal Palace earlier in the day. In his opening remarks,
Ranabhat expressed deep concern over the "damaged" law and order situation of
the country and condemned the extremist nature of the underground Maoists.
"Sooner or later
they (Maoists) will have to return to the negotiating table," he said, adding,
"The sooner it happens, the better it will be for the country. Peace is the need of
the hour, and only talks can resolve the crisis. I appeal to them to surrender their arms
and join to the national mainstream of politics…. The government should be guided by
this session."
The House proceedings
are scheduled to continue from 11.00 a.m. Wednesday.
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