SEA CHANGE IN THE POLITY OF NEPAL: FEUDALISM TO GIVE WAY TO DEMOCRACY
MAOISTS WITH FAITH IN ARMED STRUGGLE AGREE TO SHUN ARMS
November 17, 2006 (Press Release) --
Statesmanship exhibited by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and other leaders of the seven-party alliance on the one hand and acceptance of a non-violent means for transforming the feudalistic society of Nepal by Maoists leader Prachanda has enabled Nepal avert both a civil war and a lawless society drifting towards anarchy with the signing of a comprehensive agreement in the early hours of Nov.8 to bring in peace and prosperity for the people.
According to this comprehensive agreement, Nepal will have a new Constitution, a new parliament, most probably a new head of State in place of the present King, with a promise for all-inclusive society in which the weaker sections on the one hand and the much-maligned Madhesis, the people living in the border districts with India, wrongly described as people of Indian origin) would receive social, economic and political justice.
The landmark agreement, truly a historic document, has been signed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and leaders of the other six parties in the seven-party alliance (SPA) on the one hand and Prachanda, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The agreement hammered out after two days of almost non-stop discussion has unanimous except for two points on which the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) one of the me seven parties in the SPA expressing its note of dissent on two issues. The first is that the future of the King should be decided at referendum to be held along with elections for the Constituent Assembly, and that the election for the new, parliament should be held on a proportional representation basis.
But first things first. The present Government has decided not to celebrate the Constitution Day today (November 10,2006), the sixteenth anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution on Nov.10, 1990 by King Birendra to replace the universally hated Panchayat Constitution promulgated by the Late King Mahendra on December 16,1962.
This is because the term of this Constitution will come to an end on Nov.25, after which from Nov.26, a new interim Constitution will be in place. This Constitution will last till the new Constitution to be drafted by a Constituent Assembly which is likely to be in pace by mid-June or early July 2007after general elections are held.
The time schedule for bringing in the sea change is something like this. By Nov. 16,a comprehensive peace agreement will be concluded between the Nepal Government and the CPN (Maoist). The interim Constitution will be promulgated on Nov.26 for which the draft will be completed by Nov.21.By Nov.26, the present Pratinidhi Sabha (House of Representatives) and the Rashtriya Sabha (National, Assembly , the so far dormant Upper House of the parliament of Nepal with a membership of 60.The Pratindihi Sabha has a strength
Statesmanship exhibited by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and other leaders of the seven-party alliance on the one hand and acceptance of a non-violent means for transforming the feudalistic society of Nepal by Maoists leader Prachanda has enabled Nepal avert both a civil war and a lawless society drifting towards anarchy with the signing of a comprehensive agreement in the early hours of Nov.8 to bring in peace and prosperity for the people.
According to this comprehensive agreement, Nepal will have a new Constitution, a new parliament, most probably a new head of State in place of the present King, with a promise for all-inclusive society in which the weaker sections on the one hand and the much-maligned Madhesis, the people living in the border districts with India, wrongly described as people of Indian origin) would receive social, economic and political justice.
The landmark agreement, truly a historic document, has been signed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and leaders of the other six parties in the seven-party alliance (SPA) on the one hand and Prachanda, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The agreement hammered out after two days of almost non-stop discussion has unanimous except for two points on which the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) one of the me seven parties in the SPA expressing its note of dissent on two issues. The first is that the future of the King should be decided at referendum to be held along with elections for the Constituent Assembly, and that the election for the new, parliament should be held on a proportional representation basis.
But first things first. The present Government has decided not to celebrate the Constitution Day today (November 10,2006), the sixteenth anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution on Nov.10, 1990 by King Birendra to replace the universally hated Panchayat Constitution promulgated by the Late King Mahendra on December 16,1962.
This is because the term of this Constitution will come to an end on Nov.25, after which from Nov.26, a new interim Constitution will be in place. This Constitution will last till the new Constitution to be drafted by a Constituent Assembly which is likely to be in pace by mid-June or early July 2007after general elections are held.
The time schedule for bringing in the sea change is something like this. By Nov. 16,a comprehensive peace agreement will be concluded between the Nepal Government and the CPN (Maoist). The interim Constitution will be promulgated on Nov.26 for which the draft will be completed by Nov.21.By Nov.26, the present Pratinidhi Sabha (House of Representatives) and the Rashtriya Sabha (National, Assembly , the so far dormant Upper House of the parliament of Nepal with a membership of 60.The Pratindihi Sabha has a strength
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