Naya Nepal Naya Blog

Tanahun VDC secretaries resigned en masse owing to the recent wave of threats against the local body employees across the nation.

A little-known underground outfit, Sanyukta Jatiya Mukti Morcha (SJMM), has been sending letters to VDC secretaries forcing them to quit their offices.

The secretaries submitted their resignations to Local Development Officer (LDO) Hari Prasad Dahal today.

33 VDC secretaries working in 46 different VDCs have resigned citing lack of security and the threats, VDC Secretaries' Welfare Protection Centre (VDCWPC) Chairman Buddhiman Shrestha informed.

VDC secretaries from different districts have been complying with the threats of SJMM by submitting en bloc resignation over the past few weeks.

Three-point deal includes:

--> Moving ahead with consensus and cooperation to take the peace process to a meaningful conclusion, to carry out all the remaining works related to the peace process, and to accomplish the historic responsibility of completing the task for writing the new constitution.

--> Extending the tenure of the Constituent Assembly by one year.

--> Forming a national consensus government and for that, the prime minister of the incumbent coalition government is ready to resign without delay.

Chairman of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) Mahanta Thakur said on Sunday that the failure to implement the written agreements has put the government formation process in limbo.

The inter-party rift is widening due to the failure to put in action the May 28 three-point agreement, Thakur said. He also underlined the need to implement the pacts for lasting peace.

The TMLP chairman, who arrived here in Piperia VDC to attend the 13th day death ritual of his slain party cadre Birendra Sah, said that the practice of not implementing the agreements has become a major problem.

While pointing out that nothing has been done on the crucial points of army integration and lasting peace, Thakur maintained that a permanent solution could not be sought unless such problems persist.

Thakur, while noting that Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal stepped down notwithstanding the House majority, said though paths have been cleared to move ahead in unity, the point of consensus is still elusive.

Confusion looms as there is no sign of a new government taking shape even in the wake of the president's mandate.

The TMLP favours consensus government and efforts should be made on the consensus system as the make of the Constituent Assembly beckons so, Thakur said.

Dhanusha district in-charge of Jay Krishna Goit-led Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-G), an underground armed outfit active in the low-lying southern belt, was killed in what police describe as "retaliation" on Saturday night. The deceased JTMM-G cadre has been identified with his nom de guerre ‘Bombhola’ Yadav.

According to the District Police Office, Bombhola died during retaliation at Khajuri area, the eastern part of the district, while the police team was carrying out a routine patrol.

The dead body was brought to the Zonal Hospital in Janakpur for postmortem.

However, locals claim the police detained Yadav from Inarwa. The details of the incident are still sketchy.

Security personnel have stepped up security arrangement in both market and rural areas in Janakpur in the wake of recent crime wave.

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Sunday accused the UCPN (Maoist) of taking a U-turn on its commitment to abide by the past agreement.

The Maoists, who had committed to conclude the remaining issues of the peace process right after the prime minister’s resignation, have drifted away from their words, Nepal said.

Speaking at a function in Kirtipur, Kathmandu today, the caretaker prime minister remarked that it would backfire on the Maoists themselves if the parties raise questions on their words and actions.

"I vividly remember the Maoist leaders saying that they would take up the issue of forming a national consensus government only after concluding the remaining tasks of the peace process within few hours and days after the PM's resignation," said PM Nepal adding," But nowadays Maoists have been saying that the tasks of peace process are meant to be take ahead gradually. They have taken 180 degree turn from the past commitment and agreement."

While saying that he had some expectations from Maoist Vice Chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Nepal said he was left stunned at Dr. Bhattarai’s cheap and defensive statements in recent times.

"Dr. Bhattari has started saying that the government should be formed at earliest and the peaces process can be taken ahead slowly," said PM Nepal. "This has raised serious questions on the credibility and honesty of the Maoist. All the parties have raised question on them."

Remarking that the Maoists have not been able to rise above the rebellion and totalitarian mindset, the outgoing prime minister urged all the parties to form a national consensus government.

Nepal said that it is the responsibility of parties to form the government by showing a two-thirds majority as he had resigned from the prime minister's post for broader consensus even when his government had the support of a majority.

Fringe parties represented in the Constituent Assembly (CA) on Sunday said that they would not accept a national consensus government formed with the agreement of big three parties—UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML—alone.

A meeting of the fringe parties held at Singha Durbar in the capital concluded that the national consensus government should be formed on the consensus of all the CA parties.

“The consensus government in the name of major three parties would not be acceptable to the small parties,” said Chure Bhabar Rastriya Party Chairman Keshav Mainali, emerging from the meeting. “The next government should be formed with the consent of all 25 parties in the CA.”

The meeting also called for an immediate implementation of first point of the three-point agreement reached between the big three parties on May 28.

The meeting also concluded that both the consensus and majority government formed without the implementation of first point of the agreement would be meaningless.

According to Mainali, the fringe parties' meeting maintained that dilly-dallying in the name of consensus should not obstruct the peace process. He said no parties can claim the government leadership unless consensus is forged. “The leadership of the government cannot be had just by being the largest party,” said Mainali adding, “Whoever is capable of forging consensus can take the government leadership.”

Minister for Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Minendra Rijal said on Sunday that the national consensus government would not be formed due to the UCPN (Maoist)'s stubbornness.

He said the parties can get the president to extend the timeframe for the government formation if the chances of forming a national government come into vision.

There is still a possibility of the formation of a majority government, once again, due to the Maoists' self-righteous attitude, Rijal charged.

"If the political parties reach an understanding on national consensus, the president can extend the government-formation deadline by a day or two," said Rijal.

He was speaking at a press conference organised by Press Union, Morang today.

Minister Rijal, who is also the central member of the Nepali Congress (NC), claimed that his party will lead the new government. "The turn is ours as the Maoists and UML could not give a way out," said Rijal.

While saying that there is no dispute over the prime ministerial berth in the party, Rijal claimed that an agreement has already been reached on the leadership issue within the party.

Only yesterday Ram Chandra Poudel held discussion with Sher Bahadur Deuba and once the NC gets support from other political parties the party will float its candidate for the prime minister's post, Rijal said.

"The government which Dahal said would be toppled within two weeks lasted for 13 months and what would he do if the government he is challenging to topple within two months lasted till the end of his political career," sniped Rijal, who looked angered by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's recent statement of toppling government within two months if his party does not get the government leadership.

Rijal also ruled out the possibility of UML-led government. "The turn of UML chairman, who has worked hard to oust Madhav Kumar Nepal, may come some day and he must be tired, he should take rest for now as the turn is NC's."