MAOISTS PROTEST ASSAULT ON LAWMAKER CUM TRADE UNION LEADER

TAMSALING BANDH CLOSED DOWN CAPITAL AND SURROUNDINGS

Kathmandu, 28 Aug.: Tamsaling activists forcibly closed the Valley Sunday demanding autonomy around Valley hill districts , proportional representation in government bodies and promulgation of a constitution by 31 August.
Two vehicles were torched for defying the strike.
Nnnn

MAOISTS PROTEST ATTACK ON TRADE UNION AND LAWMAKER

Kathmandu, 28 Aug,: Maoist workers Sunday came out on the streets in the capital protesting an overnight attack on Maoist lawmaker and trade union leader Salikram Jamakattel at Babar Mahal.
Jamakattel is undergoing treatment at Norvic Hospital for head injuries sustained in a sharp weapon attack.
Dhading from where the lawmaker is elected was closed down.
Identify of assailant/assailants is unknown.
Nnnn

CHITWAN CLOSED DOWN

Kathmandu, 28 Aug.: Central district Chitwan was closed down Sunday by supporters of UML youth leader Sanjaya Lama was shot dead Saturday.
Lama associated accused a Nepali Congress activist for the shooting.
Rajendra Gurung has been arrested for questioning.
nnnn

JAYANT PRASAD HOLDS TALKS WITH SUSHIL KOIRALA

Kathmandu, 28 Aug.: Indian Ambassador Jayant Prasad also held talks with NC President Sushil Koirala Saturday,
Prasad first met former Prime Minister and senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.
The new Indian ambassador assumed responsibility Friday.
Nnnn

UNIDO CHINA OFFICIAL FACES MUSIC
Kathmandu, 28 Aug.: The Beijing-based director of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), who had struck a controversial deal with the Hong Kong-based Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (APEC) for ‘developing Lumbini’ as an ultimate pilgrimage for Buddhists around the world, has received a warning from the UN body’s Vienna-based headquarters, Guna Raj Luitel writes in The .Himalayan Times.
“Taking exception to UNIDO ITPO-China chief Hu Yuandong’s act of inking the deal by keeping it in the dark, the UNIDO headquarters has warned Hu not to make such a mistake again,” former UN Assistant Secretary General Kulchandra Gautam quoted a source as saying.

“We have informed the Nepali permanent representative about the action,” Gautam quoted the source. The UNIDO headquarters has written to APEC informing that the deal is not acceptable. Nepal’s permanent representative to the UN has hailed the UNIDO move, a source said.

The government and the people came to know about the deal only after the official Chinese news agency Xinhua ran a report saying that Nepal had sanctioned it.

UCPN-Maoist Chairperson, APEC’s self-styled deputy chairman, has taken part in different APEC meetings in Malaysia. Recently, APEC representatives had sent some people for a survey in Lumbini.
Nnnn

FIVE CHETRI GROUPS UNITE
Kathmandu, 28 Aug.: Five different groups fighting for the rights of Brahmins and Chhetris united today [Saturday], The Himalayan Times reports.

Chhetri Samaj Rastriya Mahasangh, Chhetri Samaj Tanahun, Khas Chhetri Ekata Samaj, Chhetri Samaj and Khas Chhetri Ekata Dialogue Coordination Committee converged into the Khas Chhetri National Federation (KCNF).

At a press meet organised to inform about the unification, the groups accused the government and parties of trying to erase the identity of a large population of Brahmins and Chhetris.

They asked the government to address their demands on issues of the nation and nationalism and warned of a protest if their demands fell on deaf ears.

Speaking at the programme, ex-chairman of Chhetri Samaj Rastriya Mahasangh Kumar Thapa said the unification was meant to save the nation and nationalism and boost the strength of all Brahmins and Chhetris. A 17-member central committee of the federation was formed under Thapa’s leadership.

New KCNF spokesperson Iman Sing Basnet said as the idea of fragmenting the country into federal states on the basis of castes can trigger ethnic clashes, the federation aims to protect the country’s integrity.
nnnn



MAOIST ROADMAP UNFOLDS FRESH DEBATE
OPINION


CONSENSUS RHETORIC GAVES WAY TO MAJORITY GOVT. RULE

Kathmandu, 28 Aug.: After their rhetoric of consensus stopped working, the political parties are engaged in hectic bids to form the majoritarian government. The latest political developments show that the parties had talked of consensual politics just for the sake of public consumption. They were and are not for consensus in a true sense because they talk consensus in their own term. There is a lack of a sense of sacrifice and commitment. The parties defined consensus by putting themselves at the centre. The leaders see the possibility of consensual politics only when their own party is allowed to take the mantle of the government. Such a parochial mindset remained a crucial obstacle to a national consensus government within the deadline set by the President, Ritu Raj Subedi writes in The.Rising Nepal.
Majoritarian process
Practically, all agree that consensus is the key to concluding the peace and constitution writing processes and ending the protracted transition. So, the parties continue to talk about consensus even though they have formally entered the election to form the majority government. This is for avoiding the public resentment. Outgoing Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal spent more than six months in power by chanting the slogan of consensus but failed to give a consensual shape to his administration. His consensus formula yielded no magical outcome as other parties snubbed his alliance with the Maoists based on the seven-point deal. Ironically, those parties, which saw the Khanal government as an obstacle to the consensus government, are in the disgusting race to grab the prime ministerial chair under majoritarian process even after his resignation. This hunt for the PM’s post will take the nation nowhere. Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai, a prime ministerial candidate from UCPN-Maoist, earlier vowed that he would not vie for the premiership under the majoritarian system but accept it only as a consensus figure. Interestingly, he is now in a fervent drive to become the PM under the majoritiarian process. This particular case adequately tells that our politicians hardly heed to match their words with actions.
Ahead of the PM election that is slated for today, UCPN-Maoist has dished out its roadmap on the peace process to satisfy other parties for the formation of the Maoist-led government. Though late, the Maoist unveiled the roadmap to conclude the peace process. This is indeed a very positive step on behalf of the former rebels but a pertinent question is: why didn’t they do so within the deadline of the formation of the consensus government or during the Prachanda-led coalition government or in the time of Khanal-led government? The Maoist hesitation to make a breakthrough during the Khanal tenure is still mysterious. They lightly took Khanal’s (mis)adventure to grant home ministry to them and inducting their new ministers at an ill-time. Despite Khanal’s repeated pleas for a breakthrough in peace front, they simply ignored it, finally forcing him to step down in humiliation. Now it seems the Maoists intentionally let the Khanal government tumble down by dispossessing him of any political capital that could enable him to stay in power. The roadmap came at a critical moment to clear the deck for their ride to power.
Impelled by the theory of necessity, the Maoists have come up with a recipe to finish the staggering peace process within one-and-a-half months. The Maoist proposal to start regrouping their fighters within August 31, integrate around 8,000 combatants into the security organs, and issue the preliminary draft of the constitution within one-and-a-half months are definitely instrumental to revive the peace process if they are not confined merely to their face value. The trickiest part of the total peace text is fixing the combatants’ number. CPN-UML and Nepali Congress flatly rejected the Maoist proposal of integrating 8,000 combatants into the security. During the high-profile meeting involving of the three major parties, they have agreed on 3 to 5 thousand combatants to be integrated, according to UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal. The two parties accused the Maoists of backtracking from their earlier stand. They also blamed that the Maoist proposal lacks clarity and a concrete action plan to complete the peace process within the proposed deadline. The proposition to involve their top commanders in politics is a supportive idea. This will help avoid the friction that will likely happen while finalizing the post adjustment and harmonization in the mixed security structure because ambitious Maoist commanders have been claiming higher posts in the army, annoying its leadership and ranks as well.
The Maoist scheme to integrate 8,000 fighters in the security agencies unfolds a fresh debate over the important component of the peace process. The number is indeed higher than the early understandings and non-Maoist may disagree on this number but there is ample space for negotiations to decide the actual number. The Maoists seemingly announced they would be flexible regarding the number of combatants to be integrated. The cold response from the mainstream parties to the Maoist roadmap is a bad news for the Maoists vying to the post of prime minister.
Unity of purpose
The need of the moment is to keep peace and constitution writing processes above the power sharing game. These should be the common agenda of all and the parties must refrain themselves from treating peace with a partisan perspective. The Maoists, as the largest party and key actor in the peace process, need to be flexible to take other forces in confidence. The parliamentary parties are demanding the Maoists to be a true civilian party and the latter should try their best to convert into a credible democratic force. In the same manner, the non-Maoist parties must shed their bigoted views on the Maoists and reciprocate with them upholding a sense of collaboration and unity of purpose.

nnnn