Parliament ratifies Emergency
Overwhelming support from opposition, Yea 194, Nay 7

By Surendra Phuyal

KATHMANDU, Feb 21: Spurred on by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s pledge to carry out constitutional and socio-economic reforms, the House of Representatives on Thursday ratified the motion on the state of emergency, extending it for three more months.

After days of intense discussions over the emergency which stretched till Thursday afternoon, when the crucial hour of voting came this evening, 194 parliamentarians voted in favour of the motion, while seven voted against it. This is more than the two-thirds majority required to ratify the emergency rule, according to Article 115 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990.

Soon after the voting began at around 7:25 p.m., all the members of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC), the main opposition Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) cast their yea votes supporting the motion. But members of the United People’s Front (UPF), the Nepal People’s Front (NPF) and the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) cast their nay votes.

Three members—Minister for Population and Environment PL Singh and Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperatives Laxman Prasad Mehta of the ruling NC, and Ajay Pratap Shah of RPP—were absent during the voting. They are said to be outside the country.

"The overwhelming support extended to us by the opposition parties has boosted the morale of our security forces," an exhilarated Deuba later told reporters outside the parliament building. "Now, we will move ahead together, so that we can amend the constitution in a way that is agreeable to all the opposition parties."

The state of emergency was imposed in the country on November 26, 2001, two days after Maoist rebels launched a surprise attack on a Royal Nepal Army garrison in Dang in the mid-western hills, killing over two dozen security personnel.

Deuba’s mentor and former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was in a thankful mood. "It is the same support from them that helped us restore the democratic polity in 1990, now their support will help us protect democracy," he said. The greying veteran leader would not make any comments on the opposition parties’ and his fellow Congressman Girija Prasad Koirala’s wish to go for constitutional reforms.

Minutes before the voting began, Prime Minister Deuba pledged necessary steps towards constitutional reforms, and sweeping socio-economic reforms which include agendas such as empowerment of women and backward communities, corruption control and administrative and legal reforms. All this would be done within the ongoing session, he pledged.

His announcement, welcomed by all, came two-and-half hours after the House was temporarily adjourned at around 4:15 p.m. During the time, Prime Minister Deuba, former prime minister Koirala and the UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal held a closed door meeting inside Deuba’s office.

Sources in Singha Durbar said that the draft of the Prime Minister’s speech was finalized only after Koirala and Nepal endorsed it.

Earlier, the main opposition leader speaking in the jam-packed House flayed successive NC governments for failing to implement past accords, and asked Deuba to spell out the process and date for constitutional reforms—a condition, which also got the support of Koirala.

"We should be able to amend the constitution massively," Nepal said, pointing out the need to give more power to the prime minister, and form an all-party government that could hold general elections. At the same time "there is also a need for programmes to uplift the status of the backward, poor and marginalized people," he said.

But he also blasted the government for "unnecessarily" imposing emergency in the country, and asserted that the "army could have been mobilized without doing so". Nepal also spoke at length on the "negative impacts" of extending emergency, and called on the Maoist leadership to shun violence and join mainstream politics.

"Neither side will win the war, it will be the nation that will lose the war at the end," Nepal cautioned the Maoists. "It will be the people who will lose, and it will be our independence that will lose out. So Maoists, come forward and let’s do what we can together. The CPN-UML is ready."

NC President Koirala backed the main opposition’s demand for constitutional reforms, and expressed his party’s commitment to it. He also emphasized the need to forge a broader democratic alliance among all the political parties and "strengthening of prime ministerial process", while calling on the government to crack down on corruption.

"All the illegal property amassed by politicians should be taken back by the state, and this has to start from the Nepali Congress," he said amidst applause from a few of the lawmakers at the back benches of the treasury side. He also said that special package programmes for the victims of terror be unveiled as soon as possible.

The next session of the House is due on Tuesday morning.

PM’s yes to constitutional amendment

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 21: Prior to today’s parliamentary vote on endorsing the state of emergency, Primer Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba consented to the demand for constitutional amendment put forth not only by the opposition, but also surprisingly by the President of the governing Nepali Congress.

Referring to the speeches of the NC President Girija Prasad Koirala and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), the Prime Minister said he would "honour and implement the suggestions" on amending the Constitution, which he said was capable and adequately flexible to address all the problems of the nation.

Significantly, Deuba also said that directives under Article 115 (7) of the Constitution, would be issued "immediately" in order to properly manage emergency as well as to make it effective. The lawmakers, cutting across party lines, have long been demanding that the government issue the directives without any further delay.

Reading out his reply to the lawmakers’ concerns during the debate on the motion to endorse the emergency, the PM admitted that the emergency needed to be properly managed and that his government was alert on avoiding any adverse impact upon the citizenry. He also assured that the government was exercising caution to ensure freedom of politics and the press, except in the case of those eulogising "terrorism".

Besides accepting the "suggestions" to initiate amendments to the Constitution, the PM also assured the House of Representatives that his government would do the "necessary homework" and present a comprehensive reforms package in the ongoing 21st session of the parliament. Besides constitutional amendments, among the issues that would be addressed by the package are laws to control corruption, ensure fair elections, and laws to decentralise administrative procedure and render effective local self-administration .

In his statement while introducing a motion for ratification of the emergency in the Lower House last Monday, the Prime Minister had vowed to come up with radical socio-economic, administrative and legal reform programmes, while also seeking a national consensus to resolve the crises facing the country. Today, he said the government would move ahead with the promised reforms.

PM Deuba also paid glowing tributes to the security personnel who sacrificed their lives in difficult terrain to safeguard democracy. While pointing out that the whole country has been highly appreciative of the role of the army and the police, he expressed condolence to the families of the fallen security personnel. He also thanked the people and the security forces for "battling terrorism".

Russia condemns Achham attacks

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 21:Russia today strongly condemned Sunday’s Maoist attacks on various government facilities in Achham district, which led to the deaths of more than 100 security personnel.

"Russia strongly condemns the extremists’ actions in Nepal. What has happened is yet another striking confirmation of the fact that the terror unleashed by the extremists, presents a serious threat to the security of the Kingdom," said a press release issued here by the local Embassy of the Russian Federation.

The release said that Moscow is concerned about the reports of frequent "barbaric" acts of local leftist groups. It also called upon all political forces in Nepal to rally together to fight the mounting terrorist threat.

48 rebels killed in FW districts

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 21: Four days after the Maoist attacks in Achham district, and even as the parliament took up voting on ratification of emergency, security forces on Wednesday killed at least 48 rebels during the course of operations in several remote areas of the far-west districts of Achham, Doti, Kalikot and Dailekh, said a press statement issued here today by the Defence Ministry.

The Ministry said that the death toll on the Maoist side could be higher because the rebels carried away some of the bodies of their men. The press statement, however, did not specifically mention the areas where the rebels fell to the army bullets.

While Maoists suffered heavy losses in those five districts, they also lost two men on Wednesday in Dang and Rolpa districts of the mid-western region. The statement said that the army also seized a cache of arms from both the places.

The forces on Wednesday also took into custody at least 15 Maoists and 10 suspected rebels from different parts of the country.

The release also said that an army bomb-disposal squad was able to defuse a ‘socket’ bomb on the Laxmi Highway in Morang district.

The Ministry added that people in Manang handed over 41 guns to the security forces on Wednesday, while 13 guns were given up in Dhankuta.

Meanwhile, our reporter from Dang said that the rebels looted property worth Rs. 200,000 from the house of Resham Bhandari, Nepali Congress Chairman of Constituency No-3 at Uihari VDC-9, yesterday.

In another incident, the rebels set ablaze a vehicle owned by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) at Gurgai village of Saudiyar VDC. The NEA Branch Chief, Makeswor Jha, said the rebels forced the NEA staff to get off from the vehicle before setting it on fire.

Sporadic violence on eve of two-day general strike

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 21: Reports have been coming in from around the Kathmandu Valley and outside that the Maoists have been unleashing sporadic attacks on the eve of a two-day nation-wide general strike called by the rebels, which begins tomorrow.

At the capital today morning, a Maoist rebel was killed at around 7.30 after army men in plain clothes fired at him in the Sichahiti area of Lalitpur district, the Defence Ministry said here. The rebel, identified as Megh Narayan Shrestha, was trying to hang a ‘banner’ bomb, as well as an anti-monarchy banner at the area. An army man sustained injury while trying to defuse the bomb hung by the rebel.

The rebels also planted bombs in several parts of the Valley.

Early this morning, a squad of the Royal Nepal Army defused several bombs that were planted at the Guthi Corporation Office in Bhaktapur. One solider was injured when a group of Maoists threw stones at him even as he was trying to defuse a bomb. He was rushed to the Birendra Hospital, said a police source at the Police Headquarters in Naxal.

The security forces also defused bombs at New Baneshwor Chowk at around 3 p.m. today, the source added.

The security forces were also involved in removing banners from various parts of the Valley, which were hung by the Maoists. The banners had announced the two-day general strike, as well as had anti-monarchy slogans, said the source.

This is the first general strike called by the rebels in the Kathmandu Valley since the imposition of emergency on November 26.

The Valley Traffic Police officials, meanwhile, told The Kathmandu Post today that they have received over 50 calls from various dignitaries, asking for security escort vehicles during the two-day strike. The officials said that over 150 officers would be involved in the escort job.

An officer at the Hanuman Dhoka police station said that security has been tightened in and around the capital to avoid any untoward incidents.

Heavy fighting on in Salyan

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 21: Reports have been coming in that a heavy exchange of fire is taking place between the police and the Maoist rebels at Sitalpati of Salyan District, late Thursday night.

According to the reports, armed Maoists rebels attacked the Area Police Office in Sitalpati late evening and the police office lost contact with the headquarters in Kathmandu at around 11: 35 pm. Sixty policemen are doing duty at this office. Details of the incident have not been received till late Thursday, however a source at the Operation Department of the Police Headquarters in Naxal confirmed that there had been an exchange of fire between the police and the rebels at Sitalpati.

Sitalpati falls along the only road that joins Salyan Bazaar, headquarters of the district, with Dang, and is just 10 minutes drive away from the headquarters. According to reports, RNA personnel are deployed in the headquarters but not in Sitalpati.