Nepal Notebook

Prachanda becomes more aggressive against India and USA as election approaches

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 10 Feb: Maoists and Chairman Prachanda are becoming more aggressive as the controversial and uncertain 10 April constituent assembly election-the country’s first—approaches.
He named USA and India for attempting to stop Maoists from being elected to power although the vote is only to elect candidates to frame Nepal’s constitution to suggest recommendations for a 1990 constitution that was scrapped by seven parties after an agreement in April 2006 to restore parliament.
“We and republicans must now be aggressive not defensive. We’ve won the war; some clashes remain,” Prachanda told teachers in Butwal Saturday.
Prachanda revealed preparations have been completed to launch a popular revolt 6 April if assembly elections aren’t held for the third time.
“A grand design has been prepared by enemies the worldwide fearing our victory. Opponents of assembly elections will meet their doomsday.”
Chief Election Commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokhrel hinted Sunday the promised 10 April election may be postponed for the third time.
‘The resolution [to the terai problem] cannot be prolonged. We have to take our programmes to the local level in the next two or three days,” Pokhrel advised the government.
A new front of three parties warned the government it will launch an indefinite strike and a blockade of the capital if six demands, including self-determination and provincial autonomy aren’t met before elections.
These are demands almost impossible for the government to meet now.
Maoists have threatened to capture the seat of government either through election or a popular coup even as they prevent their opposition from entering the hills they call their base areas.
Nepali Congress workers of prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala were violently turned back from Rolpa, Darchula and Baitadi in the far-West.
Amid threats to kill political leaders, Congress acting president Sushil Koirala said he survived an assassination attempt Friday in Gulariya where an unidentified group—probably terai rebels not Maoists —tried to blow him up with a socket bomb concealed under a platform from he was scheduled to address a meeting.
“I am lucky to be alive,” Koirala said.
Conservative leader of Rashtriya Janasakti Party Surya Bahadur Thapa warned promised election may be difficult to conduct without addressing the terai problems within one week.
He warned staggered elections separately in the hills and terai won’t be acceptable as leaders warned not to deploy the Army in the south bordering India.
“The suggestions of some for phase-wise
election and deployment of the army in Madesh is wrong,” the veteran politician warned.
Meanwhile, a security source who preferred anonymity said the deployment of special police force in the terai is having its effect.
“The police are working on inputs provided by Maoist YCL against former colleagues who have not joined the rebel groups. The effect is counterproductive.
“The problem could worsen if more people of the hill region leave the south from the security forces. There will be a divide along ethnic lines; the region could be a foreign territory,” said the veteran of the Maoist insurgency against whom he fought.
‘Areas like Rolpa and Rukum were alien territory when we first went in. The terai could be the same if more hill people leave,” he said.
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Nepal Notebook

Govt attempts to placate terai

Kathmandu, 10 Feb: The cabinet met Sunday after a long hibernation 24 hours after three parties in the terai formed a front with a threat to launch a strike and a blockade of the capital from mid-February to press six demands including self-determination and provincial autonomy.
Ailing prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala chaired the meeting which decided in principle to give proportional representation to groups in the terai in state agencies, including Nepal Army.
The threat did send shivers down the spine of the government even as one Muslim minister from the Koirala Congress threatened to hold elections by deploying the army.
Otherwise, the day was uneventful unlike Saturday.
Nepal extradited kidney racketeer Dr Amit Kumar Rawat to India on demand and three Madesh parties united to form a front self-determination and autonomy—a virtual call for independence.
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