MONDAY IS 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF 12-POINT NEW DELHI ACCORD

MONDAY IS 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF 12-POINT NEW DELHI ACCORD

Kathmandu, 21 Nov. Monday marks the completion of five years signing of the 12-point New Delhi accord between Maoists and seven parliamentary parties brokered by India.
The agreement resulted in the fall of the Shah dynasty, declaration of a republic that has yet to be institutionalized by promulgating a constitution and the rise and emergence of communists as the largest and dominant force in Nepali politics.
Traditional dominance of Nepali politics by Nepali Congress ended.
Major points of the agreement are yet to be fulfilled.
Elections for a constituent assembly were held; its two-year has concluded and tenures have been repeatedly extended to draft a constitution and conclude the delayed peace agreement.
Government has sought another six-month extension after 30 November to conclude the twin responsibilities.
United Nations which was invited to help implement the peace process withdrew 15 January this year without completing its work in a failed mission.
Foreign influence and interference has peaked with the 12-point agreement signed by Chairman Prachanda and Girija Prasad Koirala.
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STIFF RESISTANCE FROM WITHIN UCPN (MAOIST) TO RETURN SEIZED ASSETS

Kathmandu, 21 Nov.: Maoist effort to handover seized assents Sunday met stiff resistance in Bardiya in the far-West from within the UCPN
Maoist chief Prachanda held four-discussions with district leaders amid opposition from a paction led by First Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya.
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NC General Krishna Prasad Shitaula and UML leader Bamdev Gautam accompanied the Maoist chief to the far-West district from the capital Sunday.
Assets are to be handover by Wednesday, according to terms of an agreement between major parties.






The Rising Nepal adds from Bardiya: The leaders of major three parties Sunday expressed their commitment to returning the seized properties to their rightful owners.
UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ called for forming a taskforce comprising the representatives from the Maoist party, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML to return the seized properties.
"If the taskforce faces obstacles from any side, it will inform the centre for the solution," said Prachanda.
Prachanda expressed his determination to return the seized properties as per the seven-point agreement.
"The campaign for the return of the seized properties will start from Bardiya without hurting the landless squatters, ex-kamaiyas and homeless people," he said, adding that the government had to form a scientific land reform commission to address the problems of landless people. "While granting right to one, the right of another should not be curtailed."
Stating that most of the people were displaced in Bardiya during the decade-old insurgency, he said the government would launch relief and compensation programmes for them.
UML vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam expressed his hope that the seven-point deal would come into force.
Stating that the Maoist party was also taking the share of outputs from the seized lands, Gautam said that it had not only captured the land of landlords but also of the common people.
He also lamented that agreements signed time and again between the government and the Maoists were not implemented.
He called for the rehabilitation programmes for the landless squatters.
NC general secretary Krishna Sitaula said that if the seven-point deal was not sincerely implemented, the new constitution was unlikely to be drafted.
"Today’s Nepal could move only through unity and reconciliation," he said, adding that all the deals needed to be implemented.
He said that the international community was carefully watching Bardiya district, he asked the CDO to keep the records and monitor the seized lands and properties.
Chief of District Office Ram Krishna Subedi said that if the local leaders of three parties agreed to work together, it would be easy to return the seized properties.
Prachanda, Gautam and Sitaula had separately held discussion with the cadres of their respective parties. Then, they shared the same forum, pledging to implement the deal.
However, Tharuwan Rajya Committee member Suman, who is close to the Baidhya faction, said that the seized properties could not be returned back at any cost until there was alternative to the landless and homeless people.
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DEUBA MEETING SUPPORTERS IN PARTY IN TUSSLE WITH PARTY ESTABLISHMENT

Kathmandu, 21 Nov.: Senior main opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has convened a meeting Monday of central committee supporters at his Budhanilakantha resistance to discuss his tussle with NC establishment of President Sushil Koirala.
Deuba has threatened to take his dispute with the leadership to ward level of VDCs nationwide.
The three-time prime minister has charged Koirala for not implementing conditions of an agreement he had with late Girija Prasad Koirala to unite NC and NC (Democratic) after a temporary split.
Deuba led the rebel NC and claims he had an agreement with the former unquestioned NC top leader top to be his successor.
Deuba’s leadership in the party is now being challenged by Sushil Koirala and Vice-chairman and parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel.
Sushil Koirala defated Deuba in election for party presidency in last year’s general convention last year.
Most recently, Deuba charged for autocratically and illegally dissolving elected leadership of four affiliated party bodies close to the former prime minister.
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OPINION


ERODING AUTHORITY OF PARTY LEADERSHIP





Kathmandu, 21 Nov.: In a functional democracy, the political parties have a key role to bridge between the society and the government. They carry the diverse agenda of the people and implement them upon going to power. This is to ensure that ‘general will’ is well reflected

in the governance system. The parties offer informed choices to the citizens about ideologies and programmes so that a vibrant democratic and civic culture evolves to the satisfaction and participation of all members of the society. According to political scientist professor Dr. Thomas Meyer, the parties hold central role in the political decision making process as they mediate between social interests and state action. In the Nepalese context too, the political parties are always at the forefront of bearing and executing the public agenda. As they are central agents of political changes, they also play their pivotal role to implement the crucial decisions that have larger implications in the society, Ritu Raj Subedi writes in The Rising Nepal..
Under scrutiny
However, the competence of political leadership in Nepal has come under close scrutiny as the country passes through a turbulent transition phase. Its decision making power and implementing efficiency continues to erode with the rise of new pressure groups and intra-party conflict. The recent political events suffice to highlight the increasing tension between the party establishment and its opposition, and between the central leadership and the emerging subversive groups. The major political forces surrendered to the newly created janajati (ethnic) caucus and could not get the statute amendment bill endorsed by the parliament. After janajati lawmakers from the Maoist and UML threatened to defy the whip, the government was compelled to pull out the amendment bill aimed at forming the experts’ panel to suggest on state restructuring. This was a severe blow to the seven-point deal signed by the top leaders of UCPN-Maoist, CPN-UML, Nepali Congress and United Democratic Madhesi Front. The parties had to tread on the same path where they were hesitant to move for years. They finally agreed to form the state restructuring commission under the bizarre political maneuverings marked with threats, humiliation and helplessness.
The leadership of Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and UML chair Jhala Nath Khanal was bruised as they were unable to handle their resepctive parliamentary parties at the crucial moment. In the Maoist PP meeting Friday, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai continuously requested the chairman to issue a whip to the Maoist lawmakers to vote for the amendment bill but Prachanda turned a deaf ear to his plea. He dragged his feet as he knew that his chief whip Dev Gurung, the frontline leader of Baidhya faction, and a large number of janajati lawmakers were sure to flout it. So, he opted to end the meeting in indecision and inaction to the satisfaction of Baidhya faction. It was a political loss to the PM and Prachanda himself and this will further encourage the Biadhya faction to undermine them in the days to come.
Khanal’s managerial capacity in the party was also challenged as he became a hostage to the demand of the janjati CA members, most of them his loyal. He also tested the limit of his leadership thanks to the emergence of new force in the ethnic line.
The creation of janajati caucus in the CA has not only debilitated the decision-making power of top leadership, this has also exposed weak ideological foundation of the parties.
The success of janajati caucus has sent another message: if united, even bigger force is compelled to recoil. Now what will happen if more caucuses come to the fore on similar grounds? Women lawmakers could form their caucus in the parliament and hamper the CA’s proceedings. The women have their century old grievances and could storm against the male-dominated parliament to frame more woman friendly law. The Madhesi lawmakers can do the same. They can squeeze the House to revenge the decades of discriminations against them by the past hill-origin ruling class. Not only this, even the lawmakers from Khas Chhetri and Brahmin community could form their own caucus and bring the CA business to a sheer halt, demanding that the federal units could not be structured on the ethnic lines. This might overturn the success of janajati caucus. This is possible because the number of lawmakers from Khas Chhetri and Brahmins far exceeds the other groups in the House. However, the need of the hour is not to carry politics on parochial line. Not any group should be guided by the historical grudges and vendetta.
Social dialogue
Why does the leadership fail to take the party on the ideological path? Why do the lawmakers from ethnic background still smell conspiracy that unitary system and Brahmanism will again be imposed in the country although the nation has already decided to adopt a federal system? There is certainly the problem of deficit of trust. To perceive things from ethnic lens erodes the basis of common ideological ground that sticks the people having diverse values and principles together. At the same time, the rising ethnic voices offer opportunity to the leadership to pursue inclusive policy so that the disadvantaged communities also get adequate space in the new political set-up. There is a need of launching social dialogue among the different communities for confidence building, harmony and broader political consensus. The political parties must follow realistic approach instead of rhetoric and populist ones, which only harm the nation in the long-term.
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