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August, 2004 |
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Political |
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Elusive Peace Talks After the new government took its full shape last month inducting ministers from four political parties and so-called ‘representatives of the civil society’, the people, including the business community, were expecting announcement for a fresh round of peace talks with the Maoists. But the government is still to show its cohesiveness to bolster the courage to make any credible overtures. The situation at present is such that while CPN-UML, the largest ally of Nepali Congress (Democratic) in the government is publicly instructing the government to declare a ceasefire and invite the Maoists to come to the negotiation table, Prime Minister Deuba is repeating that he is not for starting a talk that is destined to fail for sure. Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari, who is the UML leader in the government, claims to have tried to prepare the grounds for peace by scattered allocation of government funds in the budget for the ongoing fiscal year that he made public on July 16. One important announcement is the allocation of fund for the Peace Secretariat. However, the Secretariat was proposed also in the last year’s budget, but nobody knows about its whereabouts. One major lacuna pointed out in the budget that may have some political repercussions was the silence about increasing the salaries and perks to the civil servants. Adhikari has promised to raise the facilities to the government employees in the supplementary budget that he expects to prepare after six months. However, there will be a committee set up to study the possibilities of increasing the salaries and perks, promises the budget, though no such committee is set up till this material went to the press. Meanwhile, the Maoists have issued a statement stressing that UN mediation is a must for the next round of peace talks and the government must accept in the talks to hold election for a Constituent Assembly. An unconfirmed report was also circulated that one senior leader of the Maoist Krishna Bahadur Mahara has arrived at Kathmandu. Girija Prasad Koirala, the President of Nepali Congress, which is still waging the struggle with other three small opposition parties against what is called “Regression”, is reported saying that he too is having talks with the Maoist leadership for peace. Meanwhile, the new US ambassador James Moriarty has, soon after his assumption of office, asked the political parties to join the government or at least help the government to restore peace. Another interesting development of the month was the dissolution of the central executive committee of the student wing of Nepali Congress. The step is taken by surprise by many as the leaders ousted by the party are regarded as having provided a revolutionary zeal in the Nepali Congress youth by voicing the demand for a republic. The month also happened to be the month of the anniversary of Nepali Congress leader BP Koirala and Nepal Communist party’s leader Pushpa Lal Shrestha. Though the anniversaries of the leaders were observed by all the parties that claim to be carrying the mantle of their legendary leaders, the programs organized on the occasion lacked the luster that they used to exhibit in the past. The controversy about the Supreme Court's decision acquitting British drug peddler William Robinson culminated in the resignation of KK Verma, one of the two Supreme Court judges who wrote the controversial decision. Another development in the judicial sector was the resignation of Attorney General Sushil Pant, appointed by the outgoing Surya Bahadur Thapa government. Pant’s replacement was not appointed till this matter went to the press. In another important new appointment in the government, Dr. Govind Bahadur Thapa, an economist working with the Nepal Rastra Bank has been hired as the Senior Advisor in the Ministry of Finance. In the front of the anti-corruption drive, the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) won a significant battle after the Special Court convicted former minister and senior leader of ruling Nepali Congress (Democratic) Chiranjibi Wagle on a nearly Rs. 30 million corruption scandal and ordered to send him to two years of jail term. Wagle can appeal against the verdict. His wife, son and daughter-in-law were acquitted. In another high profile corruption case, former minister Jaya Prakash Gupta and MD of Kantipur TV Kailash Sirohiya were acquitted along with the other co-accused. |
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