Nemwang says election process can’t be aborted

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 26 July: Parliament Speaker Subash Nemwang said explicitly Monday the election process for prime minister can’t be aborted until a final result.
He said this after a meeting with President Dr Ram BaranYadav who, Nemwang said, expressed concern with inconclusive elections after two rounds of votes and delay in government formation.
‘The process has to continue until a final result,” he told reporters after meeting the president.
He said there are such provisions in the constitution and parliamentary rules.
Nemwang said this as UML and Maoists are attempting to amend rules to suit themselves to facilitate an outcome in the 2 August third round vote for prime minister.
Maoist Chairman Prachanda and NC Vice-chairman Ram Chandra Paudel are in the election fray.
UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal reiterated Monday his party will boycott the saying a majority vote will drag the country into a quagmire.
He claimed there was a conspiracy in the party to split it over the vote.
Khanal opposes election through simple majority while implicitly claiming a vote by three parties will be a national government,.
There are 25 parties in parliament,.
Sevem/eight parties ran the country for two years under Girija Prasad Koirala after the ousting King Gyanendra when the four-party Madesh front didn’t exist.
Anyway, even with the participation of seven parties, a coalition consisting of seven parties can’t be called a ‘national government’.
NC central committee meeting Monday decided it can’t give a written support of 16 demands of four-party Madesh front—including right to self-determination and terai autonomy.
General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi from Terai has been assigned to address the request for a written commitment from the Madesh parties.
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“The UN does not play politics in the countries where it goes to assist the peace process. The charges of UMNIN in some way being impartial are ridiculous. Since the parties have not been able to settle the issues, it is not UNMIN’s fault that the job is not done.”

(Outgoing British Ambassador Andrew Hall defending controversial UN political role in Nepal, The Kathmandu Post, 26 July)

“’People don’t want these things [lack of progress] looked into, Who knows what happens once you start opening up cans of worms? How far the chain of responsibility goes? At the moment, it is a conspiracy among all parties that this is going to be painful and difficult so we don’t want to do it.”

(Hall defending EU and US policy not to push peace process at the rosk of embarrassing political parties, The Kathmandu Post, 26 July)
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