Nullifying The CA - Spotlight Newsmagazine

http://www.nepalnews.com/contents/2007/englishweekly/spotlight/dec/dec28/national3.php

By A CORRESPONDENT - Just a few hours after signing the 23-points agreement among the seven political parties, one of the prominent leaders of Nepali Congress from Terai region Jaya Prakash Gupta resigned from the member of interim legislature charging that leaders are not serious about the problem in Terai.

Similarly, armed rebels shot dead Sunil Shrestha, a senior official of Nepal Bank, in Birgunj, the gateway to Nepal near Indian border. Two socket bombs were detonated in front of emergency ward of Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar in eastern border town.

At a time when leaders of seven parties are terming their 23-points agreement as historic to settle all of the country's problems including in terai, voices echoed by regional leaders like Gupta and violent acts committed by armed rebels in terai indicate otherwise.

The message from southern border is clear as they have told seven political parties that their 23-points new agreement has nothing to do with their demands. With the announcement of agitation beginning from December 30, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum led by Upendra Yadav and Nepal Sadbhavana Party led by former minister Rajendra Mahato have challenged that the government of seven party will be made defunct.

As news of people of hilly origin including Janajatis and Dalits getting displaced in thousands from plain areas have been coming up in media and amid threat by newly formed regional-based party to launch a new phase of agitation from next week, it shows that the accord including a point declaring Nepal as a federal republic is not a panacea for country's ills.

After signing the accord at night on December 23, 2007 at prime minister's residence in Baluwatar, leaders of seven parties declared that all the problems related to CA have been settled now and that they will hold the election for CA in mid April 2008.

"Twenty-three points agreement is another historic step in Nepal's political history. This will address all the problems including Terai," declared CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal. "Our focus should be now to hold the elections for Constituent Assembly."

The government tabled constitution amendment bill in legislative parliament as per the agreement on December 24. This will be passed by the parliament on 28 of December. Major aspects of constitution amendment bill are: to declare Nepal as a federal republic subject to implementation by first sitting of elected CA, hold an election for CA within mid April, 2008 and increase the number of CA members from 497 to 601.

Under the third Constitution Amendment Bill, the government proposes the amendment of Article 159 to replace the provisions regarding the King by provisions of the head of state. After approval of the bill, Nepal will be republic to be implemented by the first meet of the CA. But a two third majority of the existing members of the interim house can declare a republic even earlier if the King creates obstacles in holding the CA polls, it says.

The amendment has added provision whereby 240 members will be elected in first-past-the-post system. The bill also proposes 335 to be elected under the proportional system. The bill also proposes 26 members to be nominated by the cabinet.

Although leaders of seven political parties launched the joint agitation two years ago to make the people of Nepal sovereign by giving them opportunity to choose the forms of government and nature of state through the CA polls, by signing the 23-points agreement and declaring Nepal as a federal republic, seven party leaders have nullified the objective of CA.

Unfortunately, even after having sacrificed all the values and principles of democracy in the name of people, these party leaders have failed to bring normalcy in southern plain and woo the leaders of regional parties. This indicates that amendment of interim constitution and declaring Nepal as a federal republic cannot solve all the problems and neither can it create conducive atmosphere to hold the election.