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EU Urging Nepalese To Complete Peace Process And Constitution Writing
By KTM Metro Reporter
March 22, 2012: The visiting delegation of the European External Action Service (EEAS) has urged all the leaders of Nepalese political parties to intensify cooperation among them on completing the peace process and writing a new democratic and inclusive constitution following the deadline, ‘The Rising Nepal’ of March 21, 2012 writes.
The three-member-EU delegation led by Viorel Isticioaia-Budura: managing director of the EEAS arrived in Kathmandu on March 17, 2012 for political consultation, and held a press conference on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 to inform the public about the results of their four-day visit to Nepal, and made such an appeal to the Nepalese political leaders.
"As a friend and development partner, the EU is eager to see intense additional efforts among the parties in time to implement peace process related agreements and promulgate a democratic and inclusive constitution," ‘The Rising Nepal’ quotes Isticioaia-Budura.
Leader of the delegation Isticioaia-Budura has said all political leaders including President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai the delegation had met with had shown a high degree of confidence in the timely completion of the peace process and the constitution writing. He also has told the reporters that Chief of Army Staffs General Chhatra Man Singh Gurung was ready to ensure integration of Maoist former combatants.
In the press conference, Isticioaia-Budura has repeated the commitment of the EU to assist Nepal in its peace process and the constitution writing. He also has warned the political parties of a failure to complete a new constitution on time means a clear disregard for the Nepalese aspirations for a more prosperous, equitable, democratic and inclusive system. He has urged leaders of the political parties to be genuinely flexible and reach an agreement on the country’s political, economic and social development.
Concerning the integration and rehabilitation of the former Maoist combatants, Isticioaia-Budura: the head of the delegation has said that the EU realizes making the progress toward it is an important step taken to completing the peace process.
He has urged the government to expedite the passing of the bills on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission on Inquiry of Disappearances making these two laws compatible with the international law, to have extensive truth-seeking powers for ensuring a victim-centered approach. He also made it clear that any provision for the blanket amnesty made in these two laws would cause the serious concerns for the EU. He has shown the concern for the human rights violators going free with impunity in Nepal.
Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda have held a meeting at the Baluwatar official residence of the prime minister on Tuesday morning, March 20, 2012 and discussed the ways and the means of completing the peace process and the constitution writing according to the news of the state-run news agency called RSS posted on ‘The Rising Nepal, of March 21, 2012. They also discussed the ways of resolving the intra-party squabbling and the threat of the hardliner in the UCPN-Maoist taking the issue of resignation of the prime minister to the streets for forcing him to quit the office. The Maoist hardliners have been charging the prime minister with the inability of enforcing the decisions made by their party, consequently the prime minister has lost the legitimacy to remain in the office.
At the meeting with Chairman of Constructional Committee Nilambar Acharya on March 20, 2012, Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda, President of NC Sushil Koirala and Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal have agreed on calling a meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) and resolve the dispute over the army integration and the constitution writing. "We have agreed to call the CA meeting immediately. We also agreed to hold three-party meeting within two days and settled the disputed issues," ‘The Rising of Nepal’ quotes Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda. He also has said that the CA meeting is necessary for discussing various disputed issues including the report on the state restructuring prepared by the State Restructuring Commission.
Vice-president of NC Ram Chandra Poudel has told the reporters that in the meeting with the CA chair, they have agreed to sit again and settle the disputed issues; the disputed issues of the army integration would be resolved at the meeting of the Army Integration Special Committee to be held on Thursday, March 22, 2012. "The deadlock on the constitution writing will be broken if the combatants integration matter is settled," he said.
