Prime Minister Girija Prasad and Maoist leaders have reportedly reached an agreement on power-sharing giving way to the formation of the new government including the Maoists on Friday.
In a meeting with Maoist Chairman Prachanda and Maoist second in command Dr. Baburam Bhattarai at his Baluwatar residence this meeting, Koirala said that the interim government would be formed tomorrow after yet another round of consultations with the eight parties.
Taking note of Prachanda’s complaints regarding the issues like no action against the guilty of Gaur incident, unilateral promotion of army and police personnel and the formation of Electoral Constituency Delineation Commission (ECDC) without any consultations, PM Koirala assured that he would take care of all the issues, sources said.
According to sources, the PM made a final attempt today to convince the Maoists — who had even threatened not to join the interim government – in the wake of disagreements between the four major parties regarding distribution of ministerial portfolios.
In the 45-minute long meeting, the Prime Minister had also urged the Maoists not to disrupt the parliamentary sittings, sources added.
The Maoists, who had forwarded a three-day ultimatum to the government and that they might even opt to stay out of the new administration earlier this week, yesterday disrupted the House session demanding the formation of the interim government.
In reply to Prachanda’s statement that his party was preparing to announce fresh protests as the possibility of CA elections looked dim, Prime Minister Koirala expressed his commitment to hold elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA) on time, sources said.
According to sources, both the parties have agreed to form a small interim government before PM’s departure for New Delhi to attend the 14th SAARC Summit.
Earlier, political disagreements had arisen between the CPN-M and the NC after the former demanded that it should be given the Deputy Prime Minister's post, while the PM said that there should be no Deputy Prime Minister in the interim government.
It was highly expected following the PM’s heightened consultations with leaders of the other major parties that the interim government would be constituted before his departure for New Delhi.
Earlier today, the PM also held discussions with Pashupati Shamshere Rana, Chairman of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).
Rana had said that they had discussed the formation of the interim government and other contemporary issues during the meeting.
Sources had claimed Rana to have made the PM alert and to be "serious" before inducting the Maoists into the interim government as they had still not mended their ways.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Nepal bans rallies in south
Nepalese authorities have banned protest rallies in some south-eastern towns for four days to prevent more violence in the area.
A daylong curfew was also imposed on Saturday in a town in southern Nepal after violent clashes left at least 28 people dead earlier this week.
Six people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bloodshed on Wednesday, officials said.
The curfew was enforced in the town of Golbazar to prevent more violence between Maoist activists and the Madeshi People's Rights Forum, an ethnic rights group.
Shashi Shekhar Shrestha, an administrator of Siraha district, said: "A daytime curfew was imposed on Golbazar town after we learnt Maoists planned to disrupt a Madeshi programme."
Terai tensions
The Madeshi forum, which represents the ethnic group who live in a fertile strip of land known as the Terai along Nepal's border with India, is pushing for greater autonomy.
Paul Allen, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Nepal, said: "[The] Maosist activists died attending a rally, and their funerals in Kathmandu [on Friday] turned into another one."
The activists were killed on Wednesday after clashes broke out in the town of Gaur, 150km south of Nepal's capital.
The Madeshi forum was trying to hold its own rally in the same location.
Allen said: "Twenty-eight people died and more than 30 were injured in the fight that followed, fuelling concern that Nepal's recent peace is starting to look shaky again."
Former Maoist separatists and the government signed a peace deal last year, intended to end a 10 year conflict that claimed 13,000 lives.
The United States warned that Nepal's fragile peace process could be "imperilled" unless the government cracks down on violence besetting the Terai region.
Peace "imperilled"
The United States condemned Wednesday's killings and called on the government to arrest and prosecute all the perpetrators, regardless of their political or ethnic affiliation.
On Friday, Maoist activists placed the bloodied corpses of their comrades on display in the capital and threatened retaliation for their deaths.
Madeshis have staged a series of protests in
the south since January [Al Jazeera]
Addressing thousands of supporters, Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoist deputy leader, said: "The leader of this group should be arrested and a case filed against him in court. If the government refuses to do so, we will be forced to retaliate and the government will be solely responsible.
Bhattarai also accused the Madeshi Forum of using "war-like tactics".
More gatherings were planned in Nepal's south over the coming days.
But the violence and rhetoric have prompted the government to enforce a four day ban on rallies in the area to keep the two sides apart.
Six Madeshis were arrested on Friday "during raids" in the region, on suspicion of being involved in the clashes, Ram Kumar Khanal, the superintendent of police, told AFP by telephone from Rautahat district, 90km south of Kathmandu.
The police officer did not specify exactly what charges suspects might face.
Elections in Nepal are due in June for the first time in eight years, but the poll may be at risk if the Madeshi Forum's demands are ignored.
Madeshis have staged a series of deadly protests since January in a bid to win greater representation in national politics.
A daylong curfew was also imposed on Saturday in a town in southern Nepal after violent clashes left at least 28 people dead earlier this week.
Six people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bloodshed on Wednesday, officials said.
The curfew was enforced in the town of Golbazar to prevent more violence between Maoist activists and the Madeshi People's Rights Forum, an ethnic rights group.
Shashi Shekhar Shrestha, an administrator of Siraha district, said: "A daytime curfew was imposed on Golbazar town after we learnt Maoists planned to disrupt a Madeshi programme."
Terai tensions
The Madeshi forum, which represents the ethnic group who live in a fertile strip of land known as the Terai along Nepal's border with India, is pushing for greater autonomy.
Paul Allen, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Nepal, said: "[The] Maosist activists died attending a rally, and their funerals in Kathmandu [on Friday] turned into another one."
The activists were killed on Wednesday after clashes broke out in the town of Gaur, 150km south of Nepal's capital.
The Madeshi forum was trying to hold its own rally in the same location.
Allen said: "Twenty-eight people died and more than 30 were injured in the fight that followed, fuelling concern that Nepal's recent peace is starting to look shaky again."
Former Maoist separatists and the government signed a peace deal last year, intended to end a 10 year conflict that claimed 13,000 lives.
The United States warned that Nepal's fragile peace process could be "imperilled" unless the government cracks down on violence besetting the Terai region.
Peace "imperilled"
The United States condemned Wednesday's killings and called on the government to arrest and prosecute all the perpetrators, regardless of their political or ethnic affiliation.
On Friday, Maoist activists placed the bloodied corpses of their comrades on display in the capital and threatened retaliation for their deaths.
Madeshis have staged a series of protests in
the south since January [Al Jazeera]
Addressing thousands of supporters, Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoist deputy leader, said: "The leader of this group should be arrested and a case filed against him in court. If the government refuses to do so, we will be forced to retaliate and the government will be solely responsible.
Bhattarai also accused the Madeshi Forum of using "war-like tactics".
More gatherings were planned in Nepal's south over the coming days.
But the violence and rhetoric have prompted the government to enforce a four day ban on rallies in the area to keep the two sides apart.
Six Madeshis were arrested on Friday "during raids" in the region, on suspicion of being involved in the clashes, Ram Kumar Khanal, the superintendent of police, told AFP by telephone from Rautahat district, 90km south of Kathmandu.
The police officer did not specify exactly what charges suspects might face.
Elections in Nepal are due in June for the first time in eight years, but the poll may be at risk if the Madeshi Forum's demands are ignored.
Madeshis have staged a series of deadly protests since January in a bid to win greater representation in national politics.
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