Congress reminds Maoists about its button-line
Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, July 5: Nepali Congress today reminded its bottom-line with Unified CPN-Maoist to settle the national contentious issues.
Since the management of the latter’s combatants was the most significant issue it would be impossible to write new constitution without settling it, Congress leaders told Maoist leadership in a meeting at the residence of Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Nayabazar.
Congress also told the Maoist that the consensus government would be impossible until the Maoists come up with honesty to implement the issues related to the peace process. There are only two days to elapse the deadline given by President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to form a consensus government. If the parties failed to meet the first option, the President will then call for second option that is forming government on the basis of consensus basis.
Vice chairmen Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidhya from UCPN-M and leaders Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Shekhar Koirala from Congress were present in the meeting. “We asked the UCPN-M to fix the number of combatants to be included in different security bodies. We also proposed that maximum 5,000 combatants could be integrated in the security bodies,” said Congress leader Koirala.
“They, however, denied our proposal saying that they were unable to fix number now,” said Koirala adding that the Congress leaders urged the Maoist leaders to be honest and sincere for combatant management issue.
“Formation of any kind of government, either consensus or majority, would not give solution if the Maoists were not agree to manage the combatants and implement all past agreements regarding return of the seized properties and disbandment of the paramilitary structure of the Maoist combatants,” Koirala said.
Another leader Sitaula said that the Congress clearly told the Maoist that consensus government would also be impossible until the Maoists were agree on the important issues of the peace process.
“We have put forth our button-line clearly and we will not compromise on the issues of the peace process,” said Sitaula adding that the Maoists did not seem responsible towards implementing past pacts.
UML, MJF, TMDP say Govt must be formed on consensus
Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, July 5: Leaders of the CPN-UML, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) and Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) today came to a conclusion that the peace and constitution-drafting processes would not be completed without the formation of a national consensus government. A similar resolution was endorsed by the UML’s parliamentary party meeting held on Saturday.
The leaders were also unanimous to say that the Unified CPN-Maoist must come up with a plan of action to implement issues related to the peace process as per the three-point agreement reached among the three major parties – UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML – on May 28, when the Constituent Assembly’s term was extended by one year.
The Maoist leadership had been saying that they would cooperate with implementing the clause 1 of the three-point agreement – completing remaining jobs of the peace process – “within hours” if incumbent Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal stepped down.
After PM’s resignation, the Maoist leadership is arguing that the remaining issues of the peace process – integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants living in the UNMIN-monitored camps – would be completed “gradually”.
“What we have agreed is that the peace process will not be concluded and the new constitution will not be drafted if yet another majority government comes in place,” Bhim Acharya, UML chief whip, who was privy to the separate bilateral meetings with the MJF and TMDP, said.
MJF president Upendra Yadav said the UML had a crucial role to play in forming the unity government. He said that the parties should not give up hope of forming the unity government even though it might take a few more days than the deadline set by the President. President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has asked the parties to form the consensus government by Wednesday.
TMDP leaders are believed to have urged the UML leadership not to give any space in next council of ministers to a person who has lost the CA election.
Emerging from the bilateral meeting, Jitendra Sonar, joint-general secretary of TMDP, said, “UCPN-Maoist cannot be allowed to lead the next government in the given circumstance unless it implements the issues of the peace process,” Sonar said.
He said that a party and a person leading the next government should be decided on consensus basis. Sonar said the Maoist leadership was “backtracking” from its earlier commitment that it would implement issues of the peace process shortly after the PM’s resignation.
Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, July 5: Nepali Congress today reminded its bottom-line with Unified CPN-Maoist to settle the national contentious issues.
Since the management of the latter’s combatants was the most significant issue it would be impossible to write new constitution without settling it, Congress leaders told Maoist leadership in a meeting at the residence of Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Nayabazar.
Congress also told the Maoist that the consensus government would be impossible until the Maoists come up with honesty to implement the issues related to the peace process. There are only two days to elapse the deadline given by President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to form a consensus government. If the parties failed to meet the first option, the President will then call for second option that is forming government on the basis of consensus basis.
Vice chairmen Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidhya from UCPN-M and leaders Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Shekhar Koirala from Congress were present in the meeting. “We asked the UCPN-M to fix the number of combatants to be included in different security bodies. We also proposed that maximum 5,000 combatants could be integrated in the security bodies,” said Congress leader Koirala.
“They, however, denied our proposal saying that they were unable to fix number now,” said Koirala adding that the Congress leaders urged the Maoist leaders to be honest and sincere for combatant management issue.
“Formation of any kind of government, either consensus or majority, would not give solution if the Maoists were not agree to manage the combatants and implement all past agreements regarding return of the seized properties and disbandment of the paramilitary structure of the Maoist combatants,” Koirala said.
Another leader Sitaula said that the Congress clearly told the Maoist that consensus government would also be impossible until the Maoists were agree on the important issues of the peace process.
“We have put forth our button-line clearly and we will not compromise on the issues of the peace process,” said Sitaula adding that the Maoists did not seem responsible towards implementing past pacts.
UML, MJF, TMDP say Govt must be formed on consensus
Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, July 5: Leaders of the CPN-UML, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) and Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) today came to a conclusion that the peace and constitution-drafting processes would not be completed without the formation of a national consensus government. A similar resolution was endorsed by the UML’s parliamentary party meeting held on Saturday.
The leaders were also unanimous to say that the Unified CPN-Maoist must come up with a plan of action to implement issues related to the peace process as per the three-point agreement reached among the three major parties – UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML – on May 28, when the Constituent Assembly’s term was extended by one year.
The Maoist leadership had been saying that they would cooperate with implementing the clause 1 of the three-point agreement – completing remaining jobs of the peace process – “within hours” if incumbent Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal stepped down.
After PM’s resignation, the Maoist leadership is arguing that the remaining issues of the peace process – integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants living in the UNMIN-monitored camps – would be completed “gradually”.
“What we have agreed is that the peace process will not be concluded and the new constitution will not be drafted if yet another majority government comes in place,” Bhim Acharya, UML chief whip, who was privy to the separate bilateral meetings with the MJF and TMDP, said.
MJF president Upendra Yadav said the UML had a crucial role to play in forming the unity government. He said that the parties should not give up hope of forming the unity government even though it might take a few more days than the deadline set by the President. President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has asked the parties to form the consensus government by Wednesday.
TMDP leaders are believed to have urged the UML leadership not to give any space in next council of ministers to a person who has lost the CA election.
Emerging from the bilateral meeting, Jitendra Sonar, joint-general secretary of TMDP, said, “UCPN-Maoist cannot be allowed to lead the next government in the given circumstance unless it implements the issues of the peace process,” Sonar said.
He said that a party and a person leading the next government should be decided on consensus basis. Sonar said the Maoist leadership was “backtracking” from its earlier commitment that it would implement issues of the peace process shortly after the PM’s resignation.
