Sushil-led Government-16

Siddhi B Ranjitkar

Obviously, the CA has been making progress in crafting a new constitution. Sub-committees and committees have been working seriously to build a consensus on the contentious issues. The CA has been smoothly working on crafting a new constitution. Democratic Icon of Burma Aung San Suu Kyi visited Nepal to participate in marking the birth centenary of BP Koirala. The ethnic people have started off their movement for the ethnic-based federalism. The Indian border force has reported the central government of India that the Chinese Learning Centers have increased dramatically in the Nepalese villages on the border between Nepal and India.

Constitution Writing

Kathmandu, May 29, 2014: Chairman of the Constitutional Records Study and Determination Committee (CRSDC) Bishnu Prasad Poudel tabled a supplementary report to the report presented by the High-level Commission on State Restructuring formed under the State Restructuring and State Powers Allocation Committee of the erstwhile CA at the CA meeting on May 29, 2014.

Following the tabling of the report, the CA began deliberations on the report on the determination of the points of agreement contained in the preliminary draft of the then State Restructuring and State Power Allocation Committee, and the report on the points of disagreement contained in the same preliminary draft report.

Making a statement after tabling the report at the CA meeting, chairman Poudel said that it was this very day six years ago that the Parliament: the sovereign body of the people abolished the feudalist monarchy and established the republic in the country, thereby, paving the way to take the country forward on the path of social and economic revolution.

Stating the agreement on state restructuring could not be reached due to the failure of the erstwhile CA, he said, “there is no alternative to moving forward transforming the points of disagreement into agreements”.

Chairman Poudel said that the different committees formed by the CA had been expediting their work following the work plan on drafting a new constitution as scheduled, and the CRSDC did its job within the set time, and submitted the report to the CA. (Source: Gorkhapatraonline.com, May 30, 2014)

Kathmandu, May 29, 2014: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav today attended a special function held by the Republic Day Celebration Main Committee at the Army Pavilion (Tundikhel) to celebrate the Republic Day of 2014.

The Vice President, the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly, the Chief Justice and other distinguished persons also attended the function.

Addressing the function, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala also the chairman of the Republic Day Celebration Main Committee said that the need of the hour was to complete the political transition at the earliest crafting a constitution as scheduled.

He also said that the efforts made on development would be meaningful only if the common people en mass participated in the programs aimed at making the future of the youth secure, and in meeting the basic needs and in addressing the problems of the people.

The Prime Minister said that an attention would be focused on making all the state agencies accountable to the people for the country's stability and goodwill. He also said that challenges have to face in course of the nation building and maintaining a lasting peace, and in opening the opportunities of the economic and social prosperity.

PM Koirala recalled May 28, 2008: the day on which Nepal was declared a federal democratic republic, the day when the monarchy was abolished and the foundation of a modern Nepal was laid.

On the occasion, Nepal Army showered flowers and displayed a large banner with 'Republic Day, 2014' written on it, from two helicopters. Other special highlights of the Republic Day function were the army's parade and the march-pass of the Police band, the Armed Police Force’s demonstration of various skills, and cultural pageantry. (Source: Gorkhapatraonline.com, May 30, 2014)

Kathmandu, May 30, 2014: The Constitution Drafting Committee approved the proposal for setting up five sub-committees to prepare the proposed draft of a new constitution.

All the members at the meeting of the committee held at the Legislature-Parliament Building, Singhadurbar on May 31, 2014 supported the proposal for setting up constitution drafting sub-committees.

At the meeting, the Committee proposed to set up five sub-committees to prepare the draft report on a new constitution.

The sub-committee on preamble and definition would prepare a draft report on the subjects such as preamble, introduction, citizenship, national security, political parties, emergency power, constitution amendment, transitory system, miscellaneous, definition, and explanation and concise name, commencement and abrogation.

Similarly, the sub-committee on fundamental rights, commissions and the directive principles of the state would make a draft report on the provisions for the fundamental rights and duties, the directive principles of the state, the state policy and responsibility, and the formation of the Public Service Commission, the Election Commission, the Commission on Investigation into Abuse of Authority among others.

The sub-committee on judiciary will prepare a draft report on the structure of the judiciary and the Office of the attorney general as well as the schedules of the constitution.

The Sub-committee on legislative would formulate a draft report on the form of the state and the distribution of state powers, the federal legislature, federation management methodology, provinces, the financial system, local legislature, local management methodology and the local economic system.

The committee concluded that it would be appropriate for the Executive Sub-committee to prepare the draft of a new constitution on the federal executive, the provincial executive, the local executive, special structure and the federation, province, and the interrelations between the local level and special structure.

The sub-committees have a maximum of 15 members and they would be responsible for preparing the preliminary draft of the constitution on topics under their jurisdiction by studying as per the proposal passed by the CA and for presenting the contents of a new constitution at the full meeting of the committee.

Likewise, the sub-committees shall select the coordinators from among the sub-committee members and themselves determine their work procedures. However, the names of the members on the sub-committees would be chosen at the meeting of the committee scheduled for this afternoon. (Source: RSS news on Gorkhapatraonline.com, May 31, 2014)

Chitwan, June 3, 2014: Ambassador of Norway to Nepal Kjell Tormod Pettersen has said writing a constitution on time and setting up a lasting peace are the current needs of Nepal. Speaking at a program held by the Peace Committee of Chitwan in Bharatpur on June 3, 2014, Ambassador has shown his concern for the constitution writing process not being expedited as anticipated.

Appreciating the peace prevailed following the end of the armed conflict in the country Ambassador Pettersen said that peace would not last just for meeting somebody's wish.

He appreciated the local peace committees set up in different districts playing a role in keeping peace and harmony. He also said that with the peace, the development activities would be expedited in the country. Ambassador Pettersen committed that the Government of Norway would provide possible support for maintaining peace in Nepal.

On the same platform, Coordinator of the dissolved Army Integration Committee Balananda Sharma said that the integration of the Maoist combatants was exemplary and he hoped that there would be a lasting peace in the country then. (Source: RSS on Gorkhapatraonline.com, June 4, 2014)

Kathmandu, June 8, 2014: at the meeting held on Sunday, June 8, 2014, the sub-committee of the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (CPDCC) decided to hold talks with Madhesi political parties represented in the CA on Monday afternoon. Top leaders of the main three parties and Home Minister, Minister for Peace and Reconstruction were present at the meeting.

Lawmaker Annanda Prasad Dhungana led the sub-committee. It was formed to hold initial talks with the various political parties and groups both in and outside of the CA concerning the content of a new constitution. (Source: myrepublica.com, June 8, 2014)

Kathmandu, June 13, 2014: The Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee has turned one of the contentious issues of a new constitution: whether every citizen completing 18 years of age should take compulsory military training or not into one of consensuses. This issue had become a topic of hot and long debate at the committee meetings among the sharply divided CA members. The parties were differed whether to include or not this provision for conscription under the section 'duties of citizen' in a new constitution the CA has been crafting.

This issue also was extensively debated at the full meeting of the previous CA after it was included in the draft reports of the Committee on Protection of National Interests and the Committee on Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of the previous CA. However, the political parties arrived at some sorts of an agreement on this issue later on.

The current Records Study and Determination Committee picked it up as a contentious issue and forwarded it to the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee for settling it.

After much deliberations, the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee unanimously agreed on including the provision such as ‘it would be the duty of a citizen to provide compulsory military service when required by the State', instead of the provision for the mandatory military training to the Nepalese completing 18 years of age.

Intensive discussions were held on this topic among the committee members speaking for or against it. A few parties including the UCPN-Maoist wanted to rally other parties in favor of the mandatory military training whereas many political parties including the NC and the CPN-UML were against it.

Vice-president of NC also committee member Ram Chandra Poudel said after the conclusion of the meeting that the report of the then Committee on Protection of National Interests was unanimously endorsed by the committee.

"Today's meeting of the committee endorsing the report unanimously has set an example that the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee has the capacity to settle the contentious issues from the past. This has demonstrated good signs and message to move ahead the constitution drafting process," he said.

UCPN-Maoist leader Shakti Basnet said that although the provision for compulsory military service might be interpreted differently, the committee agreed on including the provision in a new constitution for the citizens providing compulsory military service as and when required by the State.

Spokesman for the Constituent Assembly and Legislature-Parliament Secretariat Mukunda Sharma also said that the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee at its meeting held on June 13, 2014 agreed on the issue of citizens providing military service when required by the State. (Source: Gorkhapatraonline.com, June 14, 2014)

Visit Of Democratic Leader of Burma Aung San Suu Kyi

Kathmandu, June 13, 2014: Leader of democracy movement of Myanmar also Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in Kathmandu on June 13, 2014 for a three-day visit to Nepal. She came Nepal to attend the international conference titled 'The Future of Democratic Socialism' held by the BP Thought Academy in Kathmandu.

On behalf of the Government of Nepal, Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation Mahesh Acharya welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi at the International Airport in Kathmandu. Academy chair Haribol Bhattarai, NC leader Dr Sashank Koirala and Academy general secretary Devendra Prakash Poudel among other officials also were at the airport to receive Ms Suu Kyi.

The Nobel laureate Suu Kyi is the keynote speaker at the international conference to be held on Saturday, June 14, 2014. The Academy is holding the conference to mark the birth centenary of the popular late leader BP Koirala.

During her stay in Nepal, Ms Suu Kyi would pay a courtesy call on President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and meet with leaders of political parties. She also would receive a civic reception from the Nepalese people.

In course of participating in the BIMSTEC summit held in Myanmar in March 2014, Prime Minister Koirala had invited Suu Kyi to visit Nepal. The government has decided to make it as an official visit.

Since her father's time, Burma has been supporting the Nepal's democracy movement. The late BP Koirala had asked for the support from Burma for the supply of arms for the Democracy Movement of 1951. The NC had led it. Burma had provided that support.

She also would visit Lumbini: the birthplace of Lord Buddha in Southern Nepal, and the BP Koirala Memorial Museum at Sundarijal in Kathmandu.

Indigenous People For Ethnic-based Federalism

Also attending the conference are General Secretary of Socialist International Luis Ayala, Prof. Ananda Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof. Thomas Meyar of Germany and Prof. Dr Jullian Bou of Belgium among others, according to the Academy. (Source: Gorkhapatraonline.com, June 14, 2014)

Kathmandu, June 13, 2014: Indigenous nationalities held a protest rally at Nayabaneswore in Kathmandu for four hours on June 13, 2014 to put the pressure on the CA to adopt identity-based federalism.

Members of several ethnic organizations and prominent leaders lobbying for identity-based federalism were present at the protest rally led by the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN): the umbrella organization of indigenous nationalities in the country.

President of NEFIN Nagendra Kumal said that the protest rally was a warning call to the CA members that the indigenous nationalities would not accept federalism on any other basis except for the identity. “We will begin stern movement if the second CA fails to endorse identity-based federalism,” he said.

According to indigenous leaders, the major parties had intentionally killed the first CA to quash the agendas of indigenous nationalities holding the elections to the second CA causing a less number of pro-federalism leaders on the CA.

Police had stopped the protesters from reaching the front gate of the CA building. Hundreds of indigenous women and youths in their traditional attires participated in the protest rally. (Source: thehimalayantimes.com, June 14, 2014)

Chinese Activities On the Border between Nepal and India

Lucknow, India, June 14, 2014: The Shashastra Seema Bal (SSB) working at the sensitive 550-km India-Nepal Border in the two states of India such as Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand has informed the central government of India about a rise in the number of Chinese Learning Centers (CLCs) operating in schools in the border villages of Nepal.

The SSB feels that the mushrooming CLCs linked to providing employment in major projects on highways, railways and airports undertaken by China in Nepal could be part of a larger Chinese plan to unleash the perception of a war against India.

SSB sources say that from a handful of CLCs in the past, the number has risen many times in the last three-four years. They say that they have learned a tendency of holding anti-India discussions on the private Nepalese FM channels on the UP side of the Indo-Nepal Border. The sources say that these CLCs are concentrated mainly in the Nepalese border districts such as Kanchepur, Kailali, Bardiya, Bankey, Dang and Kapilvastu rather than in the mainland Nepal.

"We have informed the Central government of India about probable Chinese designs and the repercussions of CLCs increasing across the border," SSB IGP Avinash Chandra tells TOI (The Times of India). He, however, refuses to disclose the number of CLCs operating at present.

Chandra says even border pillars along the border have got uprooted over the last few years. "The SSB has increased its border outposts to 176 and deployed more manpower. It is using new software for surveillance along the border," says Chandra.

"We have begun a counter-offensive by initiating confidence building measures," says an SSB official, not wanting to be named. (Source: The Times of India, China schools in Nepal a threat: SSB, Subhash Mishra,TNN | Jun 14, 2014)

June 14, 2014