Note no. 379	22.04.2007
NEPAL: Unstable Conditions Continue: Update No: 124 By Dr. S.Chandrasekharan. Reaction of Maoists to Postponement of Elections: The reaction of the Maoists was one of anger when the Chief Election Commissioner announced the need to postpone the scheduled date of elections on technical grounds. One of the Maoist Parliamentarian threatened that their PLA will be out of the cantonment if the elections were not held on June 20. Prachanda said that the letter of the Election Commission has broken the basis of the unity of the eight parties and a new basis has to be found. Declaring the country as a republic could be the new basis of unity, he said. He alleged that reactionary elements ( read monarchy) and foreign forces (read USA and India) were conspiring to disrupt the polls in the guise of Terai agitation. According to Prachanda the eight parties represent the people and that a majority decision would be accepted by both the people and the international communities. In the event, the interim parliament is unable to take a decision, Prachanda said that he was even willing to go along for a referendum if the elections are postponed. In this Prachanda has the support of UML also. To us, the interim Parliament is just an interim measure to conduct the Constitutional Assembly Elections and it cannot be considered as all inclusive. Prachanda may get disappointed if he is to think that the international community will go along with him. If the referendum is to be held there are two issues involved. One is that the law and order situation is no better now to conduct a referendum for the people to choose in a free and fair manner. Second, if it is to choose between monarchy and the republic, does not the King, as any other citizen in Nepal have a right to canvass his case. Will this be possible? Hundreds of Maoist cadres across Nepal protested over the postponement of elections. The cadres in the Chitwan camp as well as those in Nawalparasi also came out to protest. There are two issues that need to be settled before the elections could be thought of. One is the continuing violence and high handedness of the Maoists. Second, is that the Terains having tested their strength are coming up with other demands making it impossible for the government to settle the issue once and for all. In both the government needs to take a serious look whether enough has been done. Maoist Leaders should rein in their Cadres: Last week the Police raided the offices of the Communist Youth league, a sister organisation of the Maoists. While Press reports made out that nothing was found, other reliable reports indicated that arms were recovered from their offices. On the 20th the Police caught hold of seven YCL cadres who had barged into a house at Boudhha and allegedly attempted to take away valuables. The same day, the Maoists threatened a Police Team that had gone to a place Champus in Kaski district to reconstruct the Police Station that was destroyed during the conflict and ordered the team to leave the village immediately. They also threatened that they would take physical action against the team if it refused to leave the village the same day. The YCL also bundled out 11 Madhesi patients injured in the conflict out of Bir Hospital and sent them to Birgunj on the 16th April. They also appear to be continuing with the revenge killings on the Gaur incident. On 15th April, an armed group of Maoists pulled out one Basu Patel in Kalaiya, Bara district from his house and later his body was found in the local teachers training centre. No one came more strongly than the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation who said that the polls were delayed due to the unsavoury activities of the Maoists. He asked How can the Maoists ride in seized vehicles even after joining the interim government and which law allows them to use others vehicles? Situala the Home Minister also complained indirectly against the Maoists and claimed that fear still reigns in the villages and the atmosphere of fear needs to be impelled. It is pathetic to see him complaining when as the Home Minister he should come out clearly what he intends to do as no election or even a referendum can be held if such an atmosphere continues. The Madhesi Issue: For a while it was thought that the Madhesi problem is getting sorted out with the talks team announced and the head of the team making an open call to all the groups to come forward for talks. The MJF even accepted the call for negotiations but put in new conditions for the talks. They said that the MJF would be ready to take a positive initiative to settle the problem through dialogue if the government restores law and order and scraps the work of the Commission in redrawing the constituencies in the Terai. The last demand has come in all of a sudden and it was repeated in the Assembly by Hridesh Tripathi the MP and actually the proceedings of the House were stalled both by Tripathi and the Maoists- the latter protesting against the raids on YCL offices. The MJF should understand that the Commission constituted for delimitation cannot be scrapped midway. It should wait for the results rather than complain even before the work of the commission is completed. Without waiting for a response from the Government, the MJF has gone on a three-day strike in the 22 districts of Terai bringing life to a stand still in most of the districts. Even the Nepali Congress of NC had to postpone its meeting in Janakpur. Some fresh demands are now being made besides sacking of Home Minister Situala. These include- 1. Independent commission either headed by UN or a similar credible international agency to investigate the Gaur killings for which the local media is blaming the MJF. 2. Dissolving of the Constituency Delimitation Commission until a political consensus is reached between the MJF and the Janajathi forum 3. Free medical aid to those injured in the protests and clashes in the Terai. The last demand has already been agreed to and the OCHCR though not a regular UN mission has investigated the incident. The problem we notice in the Madhesi movement is that the MJF Chief Upendra Yadav is losing control over his cadres. There are different sister organisations like the Madhesis Students Union, Madhesi Intellectual Forum, Madhesi Dalit Forum and Madhesi Youth Forum all pulling in different directions. The Tharus have already pulled out. This may suit the Maoists but not the government who will have to deal with them and bring in some order in the Terai before elections could be thought of. On the Gaur Incident: The OCHCR has come out with its own investigation report and has blamed all the actors particularly the Government for not intervening and prevent the clash. The points they made were 1. The incident started when a dozen young men destroyed the stage built by the CPN (M) at the meeting place. When they were resisted, they had to run away from the scene only to regroup later with a larger number. 2. The CPN (M) cadres were overwhelmed and 27 persons in all including 4 women and one 17 years old girl were killed. There was no rape or molestation of women as alleged by the media earlier. 3. The prime object of the State is to carry out immediate and thorough investigation into killings. But the investigation is yet to be launched. 4. The High Level Commission set up by the government is yet to start its work. 5. The MJF and the Maoists Human rights and humanitarian laws. UN Official Sandra Beidas said that the State has a special responsibility to protect human rights. But the State failed to keep up its responsibility. The law enforcement agency failed to stop the violence when it broke out. It is not clear what prevents the High Level Commission to start its investigation. Any delay in starting the investigation will undermine the very credibility of the commission. The interim government needs to understand that the Gaur incident should be gone into in detail and the culprits identified. It is also not clear why the government should hesitate in initiating another judicial commission to look into the 60 odd deaths occurred during the Madhesi agitation. The New Nepal? History of sorts was made when the new Chinese Ambassador presented his credentials to Prime Minster G.P.Koirala at the Singh Durbar this week. The Ambassador was given a grand welcome and a guard of honour before the credentials were presented. Hitherto credentials were presented to the King at the Palace. The old order is fading out and it is still not clear what kind of order there will be for the New Nepal.
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