Major parties ink 11 point agreement

		KATHMANDU, March 14: Ending a 10-month long political impasse, leaders from the four major political forces have finally agreed to form an interim election government under the leadership of the sitting chief justice and hold Constituent Assembly (CA) elections by June 21, 2013. The leaders have decided that the 11-member interim government will set a new date for CA polls by December 15, 2013 if holding elections in June is not possible due to any technical or unavoidable circumstances. In such a situation, the election government will set a new date as per the agreement reached with a to-be-formed high-level political committee. UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala, CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and coordinator of the United Madhesi Democratic Front (UDMF) Bijay Gachchhadar signed the 11-point political agreement at the secretariat of the Special Committee at the International Convention Center, New Baneshwar Wednesday evening. The major political forces have termed the new government an interim election cabinet and its head is to be known as chairman instead of prime minister. Similarly, the ministers will be nominated from among former civil servants who have retired from positions of special class [secretary] level or above [chief secretary]. Leaders after signing deal. (Photo: Bhaswor Ojha) As per the agreement, the proposed head of the government will resume his function as chief justice after he accomplishes the task of holding the CA elections, which is described as the main responsibility of the election government. The agreement stated that the new CA will have 491 members. Of these, 240 members will be elected under the first-past-the-post electoral system and 240 will be elected under proportional representative quotas while another 11 members will be nominated by the cabinet on the basis of political agreement. The political agreement said that the interim cabinet will not be allowed to take any decision that may have a long-term impact on the country. This time however, the leaders did not fix the term of the to-be-elected CA. The dissolved CA´s original tenure was two years and it was later extended by altogether four years. The dissolved CA saw its demise without completing its task of promulgating a new constitution. One colonel, 2 lieutenant-colonels for ex-Maoists On determining the ranks of former Maoist combatants who have joined the Nepal Army (NA), the leaders have agreed to allow one colonel and two lieutenant colonels to the former Maoist combatants. "It is agreed to give one colonel and two lieutenant colonels," UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha told reporters while emerging from the meeting. However, the written agreement has only stated that the issue of determining the rank of former Maoist combatants would be decided as per political agreements reached in the past. Leaders signing deal. (Photo: Bhaswor Ojha) On the row over the key provision of the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the leaders have decided not to include any provision on general amnesty for those involved in human rights violations during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. The present government submitted an ordinance on the TRC to the president but the latter has shelved it, citing the objection of opposition parties. The opposition parties have strongly objected to the provision on blanket amnesty for those involved in serious human rights violations during the conflict period. On voters´ registration, the leaders decided to take the voters´ list used during the 2008 CA election as a major basis and run a citizenship distribution campaign with a view to cover those who couldn´t be registered due to lack of citizenship certificates. "If some people still cannot be included in the registration process, they will be included as per the election act," said Shrestha. The leaders have also committed themselves to holding elections for local bodies by mid-April 2014. The last poll for local bodies took place around 15 years ago. The agreement stated that the appointments to vacant posts in the constitutional bodies and for the posts of ambassadors will be based on political understanding. The leaders from the four major political forces decided to form an election government under the leadership of the sitting chief justice despite strong objections from within their parties and from other political parties. A meeting of 22 political parties on Wednesday announced protests against the CJ-led government. Similarly, a group of 17 central committee members of the NC submitted a memorandum to party President Koirala urging him to agree to a CJ-led government only after making the chief justice tender his resignation in advance as head of the judiciary. The party´s senior leaders including Gopal Man Shrestha, Kul Bahadur Gurung, Purna Bahadur Khadka, Arjun Narasing KC, Shekhar Koirala and Sujata Koirala are among the 17 central committee members. Also, the CPN-UML is sharply divided over the decision. Nepal Bar Association, civil society members and various other sections of society have stood against the decision, saying that appointing the head of the judiciary as prime minister would seriously jeopardize the basic democratic principle of separation of powers among the three branches of the state-- legislative, executive and judiciary. Cabinet endorses deal Following the deal between the major political parties, a cabinet meeting held at Singh Durbar on Wednesday endorsed a 25-point ordinance on removing constitutional difficulties and decided to forward it to the president for approval. The cabinet meeting also endorsed the 11-point deal struck between the major political parties. Earlier, a meeting of the special committee had also endorsed the agreement. Ministers from three fringe political parties boycotted the cabinet meeting expressing their reservations over the decision to form an election government led by the sitting chief justice. Regmi will take oath of office and secrecy as chairman of the interim election government at 9 am on Thursday. Though, he was supposed to be sworn in on Wednesday night, the oath taking function was postponed due to time constraints. Meanwhile, Nepal Bar Association (NBA), the umbrella organization of lawyers across the country, has condemned the decision to form an election government led by the chief justice. Talking to Republica, NBA Vice-president Tikaram Bhattarai termed Wednesday a ´black day´ in democratic history of the country. “NBA will continue its protest to safeguard democratic norms and values,” he added. Bhattarai stated that NBA will come up with its official view on the issue soon.
Published on 2013-03-14 00:44:01