No mid-June elections if Interim Statute is not issued soon: Election Commission

The Election Commission has said that the Constituent Assembly elections would not be possible by Mid-June this year if the Interim Constitution is not issued as soon as possible. Addressing a press conference at the commission’s office in the capital Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Bhoj Raj Pohkrel said that the Interim Statute was absolutely necessary for additional election laws and directives. Pokhrel also informed that training programmes regarding the elections would not be possible if the Village Development Committee (VDC) secretaries do not return to their respective villages by January 9. “The longer the interim statute is delayed, the preparations needed to hold the constituent assembly elections will fall behind further, “CEC Pokhrel said. Saying that collecting the electoral rolls for the constituent assembly elections was the most challenging task, the Commission has informed that the voters’ list could be prepared by the end of Chaitra (mid April) if the necessary voting laws were prepared in time. Meanwhile, the commission has started training election officials in the districts. The commission plans to deploy 4700 officials to train local election officials to collect the voters’ list. The commission has also informed that some 22,000 officials will be required to collect names from across the country for the voters’ list. At today’s press conference, CEC Pokhrel also informed that preparations were underway to use semi-transparent ballot boxes in the elections. Meanwhile, head of the UN team to assist in Nepal’s peace process, Ian Martin also discussed the different aspects of the constituent assembly election with the Election Commission officials today.

Another Janandolan if Interim Statute delayed, warns Prachanda

Maoist Chairman Prachanda has warned the government of another “Janandolan” if the Interim Constitution is not issued by the end of this Nepali month (January 14). The Maoist Supremo also disclosed that the government and the Maoists had already reached an agreement to issue the Interim Statute by Jan 9. Prachanda made the comment while talking to journalists in Dolakha district today. He also claimed that the Nepali people “would rise in rebellion” at their (Maoist) call if a situation is created where the constituent assembly elections cannot take place. “What I think is- let’s not say by January 9- but if the interim constitution is not issued, interim legislature not formed, by the end of this (Nepali) month (Jan 14), then we won’t be left with any other alternative; we will go for protests,” Prachanda said. Prachanda also said that he had come to Dolakha “to study the possibilities of developing economic models for the building of a new Nepal.” Saying that he was “positive” about the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Prachanda stressed the need for domestic investment in such projects. Prachanda who reached Dolakha on Wednesday toured district headquarters Charikot, Tamakoshi Bazaar, Mainapokhari and Jiri with his wife and children. During his tour, he interacted and took photos with the local people. Meanwhile, speaking at a different programme in Palpa district today, CPN UML leader Bamdev Gautam also warned that his party will withdraw from the government if the interim constitution is not promulgated by mid-January.

Speaking at an interaction programme organized by Press Chautari, Palpa, Gautam also stressed on promulgating the interim statute and holding constituent assembly election in time. He also said that the main objective of the constituent assembly election was to uproot the monarchy and that he would spread the same message in villages across the country.

A year of blogging

Parties, rights groups condemn arrest of civil society activists

Human rights groups and the political parties including the CPN (Maoist) have flayed the arrest of leading civil society activists from their peaceful sit-in programme in front of the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar Monday afternoon.

The CPN (UML), a key ally of the coalition cabinet, in a statement condemned the arrest of some 63 civil society leaders and asked the government to immediately release the arrested persons.

Likewise, Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said his party was 'angered' by the mistreatment and arrest of the civil society leaders, who were carrying out sit-in protest peacefully, demanding immediate promulgation of the interim constitution for timely election to constituent assembly.

"Our party strongly denounces such mistreatment and arrest of senior civil society leaders and demands their immediately release," Mahara's statement said, adding, "The government's attempt to silence the voices of the civil society has not only worried those advocating for democracy, peace and progress but it has also made the anti-constituent assembly elements happy."

The Maoist party also urged the government to gear up for promulgation of the interim constitution rather than engaging in such activities.

The Joint Forum for Human Rights and Peace (JFHRP) said the government action in the peaceful sit-in of civil society leaders have reminded of the brutality of erstwhile royal regime. A JFHRP press statement signed by 22 leading rights activists including Dam Nath Dhungana, Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Sindhunath Pyakurel, Gopal Sibakoti 'Chintan' Malla K Sundar and Dr Purna Kanta Adhikari asked the government to immediately release the arrested activists.

Likewise, Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) said the arrest of the civil society leaders mocked the democratic norms and the spirit of the people's movement in April 2006.

The Citizens Movement for Democracy and Peace, Unity Centre (Masal), Progressive Writers' Association and Rural Rehabilitation Organisation also flayed the arrest of civil society activists and called for their immediately release.

Police arrested 63 civil society leaders including Dr Devendra Raj Pandey, Shyam Shrestha, Dr Sundarmani Dixit, Mahesh Maskey, FNJ president Bishnu Nisthuri and Khagendra Sangraula from outside the PM's residence at around 11:00 am as soon as they started their sit-in.

Meanwhile, the arrested civil society activists who have been kept at the No. 2 Battalion of the Armed Police Force (APF) at Maharajgunj have said they would continue sit-in at the detention centre unless the Home Minister apologised for the police action in the peaceful demonstration.

"We have always been carrying out pressure campaigns and our movement will go on," Dr Pandey told media persons at the APF custody. nepalnews.com mk Jan 01 07

Democracy for Nepal: A Link to Visit

Democracy for Nepal: A Link to Visit

http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/

 

Government starts preparations for providing citizenship certificates to 3 million

Government starts preparations for providing citizenship certificates to 3 million

 

The government has started preparations for providing citizenship certificates to nearly three million people across the country.

The government is planning to mobilize 520 teams to distribute citizenship certificates to nearly three million eligible citizens in the next two and half months. Each team will comprise seven members, including a gazetted officer to distribute citizenship certificates.

The mobile teams will distribute certificates on the basis of descent, birth and residence.

Certificates will also be issued on the basis of the citizenship of the mother, as per the recently adopted Citizenship Act 2006.

The Kathmandu Post daily quoted joint secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoH), Dron Pokhrel as saying that the figure is based in estimates forwarded to the ministry by all 75 District Administration Offices.

The ministry has already placed an order with the Department of Print (DoP) to print three million citizenship cards till January 31. The DoP is using all eight of its offset presses to meet the delivery deadline.

Officials at the MoH said that they are planning to send 50 percent citizenship cards across the country by mid January 2007.

According to Pokhrel, the hologram for the cards will be brought from India.

The new card includes the names and citizenship numbers of both the father and mother and will also give the names of the spouse among other things.

As the ministry steps up procedures and arrangements for citizenship distribution, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has already disbursed Rs. 60 million to MoH for the purpose.

The government has approved a total budget of Rs. 130 million for the citizenship distribution.

The MoH has arranged to provide life insurance cover of one million rupees each for three months to civil servants going to the field to distributed citizenship.

Curfew imposed in west Nepal town following clashes

Authorities imposed a curfew in a west Nepal border town on Tuesday following clashes between communal groups in which several people were injured and several houses were set on fire, officials said.

People from surrounding mountainous areas clashed with local people in Nepalgunj, a border town 500 kilometers (310 miles) west of Katmandu, forcing authorities to impose the curfew, government administrative official Krishna Acharya said.

Acharya said the situation was tense and police had been mobilized, but had not been able to control the situation.

राजदूत नियुक्तीमा एमालेको पनि गुनासो

यस हप्ता सातदलीय सरकारले १४ वटा मित्र राष्ट्रहरूमा राजदूत नियुक्त गर्ने निर्णय गरेपछि शुरू भएको विवाद अझै साम्य भएको छैन।

अनि अन्तरिम सरकारमा जान आतुर देखिएको नेकपा माओवादीले जस्तै सातदलीय गठबन्धनको एउटा महत्वपूर्ण साझेदार नेकपा एमालेले पनि सरकारले सो निर्णय आफ्नो सहमति बेगर लिएको बताएको छ।

बिहिबार नै उक्त पार्टीको स्थायी समितिको बैठकपछि एकजना स्थायी समिति सदस्य र बैठकको सभापतित्व गरेका नेता अमृतकुमार बोहराले ति दुवै सरकारी निर्णय एमालेको सहमति विना नै लिइएको थियो।

उनले भने- " हाम्रो सहमति भैदिएको भए यि निर्णयहरू फिर्ता गर भनेर हामीले भन्ने नै थिएनौं। सरकारले पनि नियुक्तीका कुराहरू फिर्ता गर्नुपर्यो र माओवादीपक्षले पनि बन्दको कार्यक्रम फिर्ता लिनुपर्यो।"

माओवादी असन्तोष

सातदलीय सरकारले १४ वटा मुलुकहरूमा राजदूतहरू नियुक्त गर्ने निर्णयको विरोधमा देशभरका शहरी क्षेत्रमा बलेका टायरका धुंवा विलाउन नपाउंदै बिहिबार माओवादीले त्यस निर्णयको बारे आफ्नो पार्टीसंग कुनै छलफल नभएको गुनासो दोहोर्याएको छ।

बिहिबार आयोजीत एउटा पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा बोल्दै माओवादी प्रवक्ता कृष्ण बहादुर महराले भने-"हामीलाई थाहा छ हाम्रा अध्यक्ष र प्रधानमन्त्रीकोबीचमा यसबारेमा कुनै पनि कुरा भएको छैन।"

पत्रकार सम्मेलनको आयोजना बुधबार सम्पन्न माओवादी केन्द्रीय समितिको बैठकका निर्णयहरू सार्वजनिक गर्न गरिएको थियो।

त्यस बैठकले द्वन्द्वको अवस्थाबाट शान्तिपूर्ण प्रजातान्त्रीक प्रकृयामा अवतरण गर्ने नयां रणनीतिहरू पारित गरेको बताइएको छ।

राजदूत र मानवअधिकार आयोगमा भएको नियुक्ती सम्बन्धमा यता अर्को चाखलाग्दो खुलासा सरकारको एउटा महत्वपूर्ण साझेदार रहेको नेकपा एमालेले गरेको छ।

यता माओवादीहरूले भने निर्णय नसच्याइएमा केहिदिनपछि देशव्यापी बन्द गर्ने र जनआन्दोलन तीन गरिने भन्ने धम्की त्यागीसकेको छैनन्।

एमालेले चाहिं उच्चस्तरिय प्रतिनिधिमण्डल नै सरकार र माओवादीका शिर्ष नेताहरूसंग भेट्न खटाउने निर्णय समेत गरेको छ।

विश्लेषकहरू भन्छन् त्यसले सातदल भित्रै अनि सातदल र माओवादीबीच पुन: समाधानमुखी सम्वाद प्रकृया शुरू गर्ने अपेक्षा गर्न सकिन्छ।

from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali/news/story/2006/12/printable/061221_uml_envoys.shtml

भेटघाट

बिहिबार नै नेपालका लागि राष्ट्रसंघीय विशेषदूत इयन मार्टिनले प्रधानमन्त्री गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालासंग भेट गरेका छन्।

भेटका पूर्ण विवरणहरू प्राप्त भएका छैनन् तर सुत्रहरूका अनुसार भेटका क्रममा मार्टिनले यस हप्ता भएका उग्र घटनाक्रमहरूप्रति चिन्ता व्यक्त थिए।

Bishwanath Upadhaya new NHRC chairman

The government on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council (CC) on Monday appointed former chief justice of the Supreme Court Bishwa Nath Upadhyay as chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.

A cabinet meeting held at the prime minister's residence at Baluwatar this afternoon also appointed four others as commissioners of the national human rights watchdog. 

Upadhyaya had previously served as the coordinator of the constitution drafting committee for the 1990 Constitution.

The other members of the commission are: Udaya Nepali, Gauri Pradhan, Tulsi Bhattarai and Meena Pathak.

According to sources, more recommendations would be made that will include individuals from women, janajatis and madhesi communities.

सात दल, माओवादीद्वारा अन्तरिम संविधानलाई पूर्णता

हप्तौंको बैठक र छलफलपछि सत्तारूढ सात दलीय गठवन्धन र नेकपा माओवादीका शीर्ष नेताहरूले अन्तरिम संविधानलाई पूर्णता दिएका छन्।

आठ दलका नेताहरूले सो संविधान देशको मूल कानूनको रूपमा रहने र त्यसले राजालाई अधिकार र सम्पत्तीविहीन तुल्याएको जनाएका छन्।

उनीहरुका अनुसार, सो दस्तावेजले सम्पूर्ण शासन अधिकार प्रधानमन्त्रीलाई दिएको छ।

संवैधानिक प्रावधान

अन्तिम रूप दिइएको भनिएको अन्तरिम संविधानकाबारे जानकारी दिंदै नेकपा एमालेका नेता भरतमोहन अधिकारीले भने, "शासन, प्रशासन सम्वन्धि काममा अब राजाको कुनै अधिकार हुने छैन, त्यस्तो जिम्मेवारी प्रधानमन्त्रीको हुनेछ भन्ने कुरा सो संविधानमा लेखिएकोछ।"

सो संविधानलाई अन्तिम रूप दिन शुक्रबार दिउँसो शुरू भएको शीर्ष नेताहरूको बैठक शनिबार बिहानसम्म चलेको थियो।

बैठकका अर्का सहभागी नेपाली काङ्ग्रेसका नेता अर्जुननरसिं केसी ले भने, "राजाको परम्परागत सम्पत्तीलाई राष्ट्रियकरण गर्ने र स्व. राजा बिरेन्द्रको र उनको परिवारको सम्पत्तीलाई कोषको रूपमा विकसित गर्ने निर्णय पनि संविधानमा पारिएको छ।"

अन्तरिम संविधानबारे दल तथा माओवादहरूबीच निर्माण भएको सहमतिलाई गत महिना दुवै पक्षबीच भएको विस्तृत शान्ति सम्झौतापछिको दोस्रो महत्वपूर्ण खुड्कीलो मानिएको छ।

सो दस्तावेजमा दुवै पक्षले सही गरेको भएतापनि हतियार तथा सैन्य व्यवस्थापनपछि मात्रै त्यो लागु हुने बताइएको छ।

हतियार तथा सैन्य व्यवस्थापनबारे सम्झौतामा पुगेका दल र माओवादीले सो कामको अनुगमन गर्न सहमत भएको राष्ट्रसंघीय अनुगमनकर्ताहरूको नेपाल आगमनको प्रतिक्षा गरिरहेका छन्।