PM Koirala

PRIME Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has assured visiting US Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Barry R. Lowenkron that there would not be a repeat of incidents of attacks on foreign diplomats and that they would be safe in Nepal. Prime Minister Koirala and the visiting US official were discussing the peace process in Nepal, which has received a significant boost following the eight-party consensus to hold the constituent assembly election by November this year. The eight parties have shown their commitment to the peace process while they are sorting out minor differences and disputes as the nation decidedly moves towards a new political beginning to be chalked out by the constituent assembly. There had been some lingering uncertainty over the new date of holding the constituent assembly election after the Election Commission demanded time beyond the earlier date scheduled for June 20 stipulated in the interim constitution. As per the new decision, the government will fix a suitable date for the election, which would not go beyond November 2007. The US official has welcomed the eight-party commitment.

There are several things that the government and the interim legislature parliament will have to accomplish before fixing the exact date for the polls. First of all, the interim constitution has to be amended. The government will need to introduce a proposal in the legislature-parliament for the amendment of the constitution, which it is set to do soon. Moreover, some election-related laws need to be formulated to enable the Election Commission to start preparing for the crucial polls. The eight-party meeting has asked and mandated the government to take these decisions on its own. Furthermore, election constituencies have to be delineated to address the demands of the various political groups, Janajatis and Madhesi people. The government had earlier formed the constituency delineation commission, which has already submitted its report. However, in light of the demands of some political parties and other groups, the eight parties have agreed to review the report. All these are important decisions because they allow for the election-related works to be carried out without further glitches. The mandate of Jana Andolan II is to take the country into a new era of full-fledged and inclusive democracy for which many important and historic agreements have already been made. The comprehensive peace treaty, that put behind a decade of armed insurgency by the Maoists, was a landmark achievement, which makes it possible to restructure the state to build a new Nepal. There are many issues waiting to be addressed. But the topmost is to maintain law and order and create an environment where the constituent assembly polls are held in a free, fair and inclusive manner. The support of foreign friends for this is vital, and Koirala?s pledge to ensure their safety counts a lot at this juncture.

Source: The Rising Nepal, June 4, 2007