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Note no. 378
14.4.2007
NEPAL: CEC Urges Postponement of CA Elections: Update No. 123
By. Dr. S.Chandrasekharan.
The Chief Election Commissioner has formally informed the government of its inability to conduct elections by June 20.
Ramchandra Paudel outlined the common minimum programme agreed to by the eight parties in the parliament on 13 April. While there was nothing new in the programme, the urgency to settle the simmering Terai problem is not seen.
In Terai itself, the two breakaway factions of JTMM continue with their depredations while the MJF (MPRF) of Upendra Yadav has threatened a three-day bandh from April 20 as the Government in their view has not shown any seriousness to address their concerns.
Postponement of CA Elections:
Now it is official. The Chief Election Commissioner has written formally to the Prime Minister on the night of 12 April 2007 that it is technically not possible to hold the elections on June 20. He has said that he would need at least 110 days even after the legalities are settled. These relate to the voters, candidates, political parties, election officers and monitors.
The voters list and the party registration are being completed on by next month and the CEC is justified in telling the government to postpone the election date.
It is unclear how the Government was planning to announce the election date as June without consulting the Chief Election Commissioner despite warnings from the latter. Further the CEC has the prerogative to announce the election date.
Both the Maoists and the UML- Male group will be disappointed over the postponement. Surprisingly the government came in for very severe criticism from the Jana Morcha party. Raghuji Pant of UML went to the extent of demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister himself. One of the Maoist members of Parliament threatened that the PLA will be out of the camps if the elections are postponed. C.P.Gajurel of the Maoist not surprisingly blamed USA, India and the monarchy for the postponement of the elections. Mr. Gajurel has to be educated that the Indian Ambassador has been pressing from the beginning that the elections should be held on the due date no matter whether the acts are ready or not!
Earlier the UN Representative had told Dr. Chalise, Adviser to the Prime Minister even on 7 April that it was not politically possible to hold hte CA elections on June 20. He added that the elections cannot be held if the issue of Terai and of ethnic minorities remain unsolved.
Official Maoist reaction is expected anytime. For some time the relationship between the Prime Minister and the Maoists Leader Prachanda has not been smooth. Prachanda was upset over PMs statement in New Delhi that he ( G.P.Koirala) had gambled his political career to bring terrorists to the mainstream. He told the Press- Wait and see. The coming days will show who brought whom. He labelled the seven party alliance as pathetic. He must also have noted that Prime Ministers daughter Sujatha has been on the offensive, going round the town strongly criticising the Maoists and their violent ways.
The Common Minimum Programme:
Ramchandra Paudel tabled the Common minimum programme for the second time in the Parliament on 13 April 2007.
Some of the points of the CMP announced by Ram Chandra include
1. A consensus will be reached on the issues of national defence, foreign policy and water resources in order to utilise them in the interest of the country and the people. ( This appears to be a preventive measure, initiated more by the Maoists to preempt Nepali Congress from entering into any agreement with India like the extradition treaty that is still pending )
2. Property of Late King Birendra and his family will be placed in a trust. Property acquired by King Gyanendra in his capacity as monarch will be nationalised.
3. Law and Order will be guaranteed. Action will be taken against those trying to disrupt the CA elections- (This is a tall order and the task is doubly difficult with the Maoists continuing with their extortion and retaining seized properties and the Terai still not pacified- Add to this the low morale of the local Police)
4. Committed to the implementation of the Comprehensive tripartite peace agreement among the Maoists, the government and the UN.
5. All Party Peace Committees will be formed up to the local level and a work plan to democratise the Nepal Army will be formulated. ( This formulation is again that of the Maoists- integrating the PLA and the Nepalese Army is not democratisation but something else)
6. Verification of the Maoist Combatants will be initiated soon and a special committee will be formed. ( This job is best left to the UN Monitoring Commission)
7. A high level Truth and Reconciliation Commission and another National Peace and Reconciliation Commission will be formed. (To us, it looks that the South African Pattern will not work. In South Africa there was a genuine desire on the part of Nelson Mandela to forget and forgive. Here every incident now is attributed to those who were on the other side in Jana Andolan II)
8. Proper supply of the daily needs at cheaper prices will be made and self employment and employment of youths affected by the conflict will be arranged. ( Hope this would include those affected by Maoist violence too)
9. Schools and Hospitals to be declared as Peace Zones. ( Surprising this comes from the Maoists who had targeted the schools and kidnapped students for indoctrination during the conflict.)
10. Environment to be created for industrial society and for new investments.
The Terai Problem:
The Government finally announced the Talks team for holding talks with the Madhesis, Janajathis, Dalits and others. Ramchandra Paudel will lead the team and other members of the team are Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the Information Minister, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, the water resources minister and Ram Chandra Yadav, the state Minister for General Administration.
The Terai continues to be restive. Both the breakaway groups of JTMM have been calling for bandhs and many of the institutions and business centres in eastern Terai continue to remain closed. The two groups have been targeting hill people settled in Terai and if this is not curbed there could serious backlash in other parts where the Hill people dominate.
The MJF of Upendra Yadav has also called for a three-day Bandh in Terai from April 20 accusing the government for not showing enough seriousness to address the concerns of the Terai.
The De Limitation Commission:
The De limitation Commission has submitted its report to the Government. It is learnt that they have suggested 28 more seats for Terai and 7 more for the Hill people. The breakup would be 116 for Terai, 102 for the Hills and 22 for the mountainous regions making it in all 240 constituencies. Earlier it was 88, 95 and 22 for the Terai, Hill and the mountain regions respectively.
For the hill and the Terai regions, each constituency will have around 96000 people.
It is not clear whether a mere increase in numbers would satisfy the MJF. Each constituency has to be delineated afresh to ensure that there is geographical and ethnic continuity. The MJF had alleged that earlier the constituencies were drawn in such a way that in many the Hill people were in a majority.
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