SECOND NATIONALEET OF FORMER LAWMAKERS

SECOND NATIONAL MEET OF FORMER LAWMAKERS
Kathmandu, 13 Dec:: Second national meeting of former legislators is being held in the capital Tuesday.
Speaker Subash Nemwang is the chief guest.
The meeting is being held at the Lh;tse Hallof CA building.
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GOVT, BLANKET AAAAMNESTY PLAN DRAWS FLAK
Kathmandu, 13 Dec.: Human rights activists and advocates today flayed the government’s plan to grant blanket amnesty to human rights abusers by forming the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission on the Disappeared, The Himalayan Times reports.

The rights activists’ comment comes a day after Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai gave an interview to Sajha Sawal, a BBC Nepali Service programme, in which he revealed the plan.

“This is not good to lobby for blanket amnesty at a time when the government is doing final homework to form the commissions,” Charan Prasai, senior human rights activist, said at a programme that Joint Forum for Human Rights and Human Development and Peace Campaign, Nepal had organised. “The PM’s lobby is against jurisdiction of the TRC.”

The TRC bill has prohibited pardon for six crimes — hostage taking and murder, murder of innocent people, rape, torture, enforced disappearance and kidnapping.

However, the TRC can grant amnesty to other rights abusers with the consent of victims. “The government’s proposal is against the TRC jurisprudence,” advocate Baburam Giri said.

Coming down heavily on the government for its bid to grant pardon to abusers, another rights activist Pradip Pokhrel said the government should not take any decision on reconciliation without finding the truth.

He urged the government to study rights violations by forming the commissions first.

Stating that the government’s plan to grant general amnesty is in violation of TRC jurisdiction, advocate Ashik Ram Karki called for formation of the key commissions at the earliest.

Advocate Sharmila Parajuli said delay in the formation of TRC may makes it easier for perpetrators to destroy the evidence.
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COURT ASKS INDEPENDENT LAWMAKER TO PRESENT HIMSELF

Kathmandu, 13 Dec.: Kathmandu District Court has issued a notice to lawmaker Baban Singh — who is at large — to present himself before the court in a case

related to his alleged

involvement in an attempt to kidnap, The Himalayan Times reports.

The court has given Constituent Assembly member Singh 30 days to present himself to record his statement. If he fails to appear within the given time, police will initiate steps to arrest him.

Rajesh Man Singh, a native of Birgunj, had filed a case on December 2 with Kathmandu police against three persons — including independent lawmaker Singh — for attempting to abduct him.

Rajesh had charged Singh, Lal Babu Shastri and Ravi Shastri with hatching a plot to kidnap him, also presenting mobile phone records and video records to police in support of his claim.

Cops have already arrested Lal Babu and Ravi and written to the Parliament Secretariat seeking help to produce Singh before police.

According to a police source, Baban Singh, envious of Rajesh’s growing clout in Parsa and Rautahat as an

activist, allegedly conspired with Lal Babu (22) and

Ravi (25) to kidnap him

last month.
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