UN says Nepal parties should fix president’s powers
November 7th, 2009 - 6:01 pm ICT by IANS ( 1 comment )By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu, Nov 7 (IANS) Ignoring a rebuff by Nepal’s ruling parties, who have asked the UN not to intervene in the republic’s internal matters, a top UN official is suggesting that the parties fix the powers of President Ram Baran Yadav, whose action almost six months ago triggered a fresh crisis in the Himalayan nation.
Karin Landgren, chief of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) has suggested to the UN Security Council during her briefing on Nepal Friday that “it would appear to be in the interest of the democratic process for the parties to agree, pending the promulgation of the new constitution, on the ambit of presidential authority”.
Nepal is expected to promulgate a new constitution by May 2010, a step regarded as being the cornerstone of peace negotiations started in 2006 after the Maoist insurgents agreed to end their 10-year “People’s War”.
However, the new statute is in danger of being derailed with the Maoists, who are now the largest party in parliament, beginning protests against the coalition government and paralysing both the state administrative machinery as well as parliament.
The Maoist anger stems from the president stepping into their quarrel with the controversial chief of the army, Gen Rookmangud Katawal, whom they tried to sack earlier this year.
However, the general was reinstated by the president, leading to the fall of the eight-month-old Maoist government.
Since then, there has been a controversy over the role of the president.
The current ruling parties say Yadav, who is the constitutional head of the government as well as supreme commander of the army, took the right decision since it was endorsed by the other parties.
The Maoists, however, say Yadav is a mere constitutional head who has no power to oppose the decisions taken by an elected government.
Since last Sunday, the former rebels started street protests that will lead to a blockade of Kathmandu valley Tuesday.
Landgren said the peace negotiations - started in 2006 - had run into a “protracted deadlock, with the added risk of confrontation”. “Trust between the parties had continued to dwindle,” she said.
It remains to be seen how Nepal will react to the suggestion.
On Oct 30, in his report before the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had suggested that the Nepal parties should form a national government, angering the ruling alliance.
Nepal’s government replied by saying that it was up to Nepal’s people and parties to decide what kind of government they should have, how and under whom.
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Tags: ambit, baran, coalition government, himalayan nation, kathmandu valley, landg, landgren, maoist, maoist insurgents, maoists, peace negotiations, promulgation, role of the president, ruling parties, sarkar, street protests, supreme commander, un security council, unmin, yadav
November 8th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Dear editor,
I have already sent a requesting letter to Karin Landgren, chief of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN)before her suggestion to UN office. But, she disliked my request.
So, we Nepalese people are suffering not only by Maoists but also the UNMIN’s notorious activities.
Nepalese people had expected that the UN’s role would be impartial. But the UN could not remain neutral. The UNMIN listens only to the Maoist rebels and the corrupt leaders of the so-called big party totally disregarded the aspiration of majority of the Nepalese people. From the very beginning, UNMIN has been demoralizing Nepal Army and supporting Maoist and its rebel by allowing them to keep the weapons with them in the cantonment and let them start the youth force (YCL), who can be the law and order itself as they used to do during their revolution.
As we know, Nepal is positioned between two big nations, ‘China and India’. Although, Nepal is close to India in terms of culture and geography, Nepal has always been victimized by some Indian leaders. We Nepalese people request Indian leaders not to interfere and victimize Nepal, as they were found involved in abolishing Monarchy. WE know-without monarchy Nepal can’t move peacefully.
Maoist leader Prachanda recently said “If there is another revolt at least one million people may lose their precious lives. We need to be very careful at this juncture, to stop the casualties. When the people revolt they obliterate everything. If the mandate of the CA election is further ridiculed we will declare war.” So, we are confused what the Maoists want? ‘A dog’s tail in a barrel always crooked’.
Similatly, recently, the Maoist leader Mr. Bhattarai has said- ‘After the abolition of the monarchy, would try to resist, and our main contradiction then would be with the bourgeois democratic parties. After April 2009 [when Prachanda resigned from government], that phase of the Constituent Assembly and implementation of the bourgeois democratic republic was more or less complete. We had formulated the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), we had our base areas, we had a lot of mass support, and all this we have been able to preserve. The PLA is still with us, and the arms we collected during that war are still with us within the single-key system, monitored by the United Nations team, but basically the key is with us and the army is with us and we have never surrendered. We are still continuing in the path of revolution.’ What is that? Is this peace assignment of UNMIN in Nepal?
The UN Chief, Secretary-general of UN Hon. Ban Ki-moon’s 22-hour visit (last Oct.2008), Nepal couldn’t find any way to open the door. The visit of UN Chief was rather centralized to the Birth Place of Buddha as a pilgrim. We were confused about his visit to Nepal. We couldn’t find any creative answer from UN Chief. UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon also misguided from UNMIN and Ban Ki- Moon has urged for a national government participated by the Maoist. And he asked the government for not recruiting new personnel in the Nepal army and also not providing lethal arms to the Nepal army, a national security force. Nowhere in the world, would a country be able to protect its sovereignty by making the national army weak and powerless? The national army can’t compare with Maoist’s army. Now, in Nepal, we have two kinds of army- the national army and the Maoist’s army. Can we imagine two kinds of army in a country? Why UNMIN is not responsible for the overall management and supervision of Maoist army and their movement? It is the matter of grief for all. The intention of UN and its Org. UNMIN is to destroy all the identities of Hindus & Buddhists with the help of Maoist’s army. So, we are feeling, the Virus of UNMIN is more dangerous than Swine flu.
As Nepal is a sovereign country, Nepalese army is free to do anything for the country. Let all Nepalese (all over the world), Unite and Protest against the action of UNMIN in order to protect the sovereignty, democracy and identity of Nepal. Nepalese people don’t tolerate foreign intervention to our domestic affairs. So, there is no necessary UNMIN’s suggestions in Nepal.
Thank you.
Dirgha Raj Prasai
Former Member of Parliament, Nepal
Political Analyst.