By REUTERS
Parliament voted overwhelmingly to set in motion the abolishment of the country’s nearly 240-year-old monarchy, which has already been stripped of all but symbolic power. The decision to make Nepal a republic will take effect only after the first meeting of a constituent assembly, which will be obliged to endorse it and will not have the power to amend or reject it. The national election to choose a constituent assembly is expected to be held by mid-April, but that election has already been postponed three times since June.
Source: New York Times
Monday, December 31, 2007
Nepal's god king loses his power, prestige and palace
Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor
King Gyanendra of Nepal was stripped of his powers last night after the country's provisional parliament voted to abolish the 239-year-old monarchy. He will remain in his palace until early next year, when the decision will be rubber-stamped by a newly elected assembly that will establish Nepal as a democratic federal republic. After that the King will be forced to move to his private residence to live as a private citizen — the culmination of six years of self-destruction by the Nepalese monarchy. “If the King creates serious hurdles in the elections he can be removed by a two-third majority of the interim parliament before the polls,” the parliamentary resolution states. It was passed by a majority of 270 votes to three, with 56 abstentions or absences in a parliament that includes leaders of a Maoist insurgency that has waged war on the Government since 1996. More than 13,000 people were killed before a ceasefire last year and the beginnings of negotiations with the Maoists, who made abolition of the monarchy a condition of their participation in the peace process. “We have supported the motion because it meets one of our demands for a republic and to clear the way for the elections,” Dev Gurung, the Maoists' parliamentary deputy leader, said yesterday. “We will raise our other demands gradually.”
Apart from the pressure of the insurgency, the crisis in Nepal's monarchy exploded on June 1, 2001, when Crown Prince Dipendra embarked on a drunken shooting spree inside the royal palace in which he killed his closest relatives and finally himself. The motives and the precise sequence of events remain unclear. Altogether the Crown Prince killed ten members of the royal family, including his father, King Birendra, his mother, Queen Aiswarya, his brother, Prince Nirajan, and his sister, Princess Shruti. Into the void left by the massacre stepped Gyanendra, uncle to the killer and brother of the murdered king — leading to speculation, without clear grounds, that he had some role in encouraging the Crown Prince's aggression against his family.
In 2005, as attacks by the Maoists worsened, King Gyanendra dismissed parliament and assumed absolute power. His unpopularity increased as he suppressed critics and opponents in politics, the media and the army, amid a failing economy. After an uprising in April last year, he restored parliament, which stripped him of his powers step by step. The Nepalese monarchy dates from 1769, after the unification of the Kathmandu valley by the Gurkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah and the establishment of his dynasty. He also founded Kathmandu, the capital. The kings who succeeded him were said to be reincarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu. It is the last remaining Hindu monarchy. “Before kings were part of people's heart,” Mata Pasad Risal, a retired government official, said. “Now people have turned against him. The King has lost his position and popularity; it will be best for him to leave the palace.” It is still unclear whether planned elections will be held given the levels of violence in parts of the country.
Source: Times Online
King Gyanendra of Nepal was stripped of his powers last night after the country's provisional parliament voted to abolish the 239-year-old monarchy. He will remain in his palace until early next year, when the decision will be rubber-stamped by a newly elected assembly that will establish Nepal as a democratic federal republic. After that the King will be forced to move to his private residence to live as a private citizen — the culmination of six years of self-destruction by the Nepalese monarchy. “If the King creates serious hurdles in the elections he can be removed by a two-third majority of the interim parliament before the polls,” the parliamentary resolution states. It was passed by a majority of 270 votes to three, with 56 abstentions or absences in a parliament that includes leaders of a Maoist insurgency that has waged war on the Government since 1996. More than 13,000 people were killed before a ceasefire last year and the beginnings of negotiations with the Maoists, who made abolition of the monarchy a condition of their participation in the peace process. “We have supported the motion because it meets one of our demands for a republic and to clear the way for the elections,” Dev Gurung, the Maoists' parliamentary deputy leader, said yesterday. “We will raise our other demands gradually.”
Apart from the pressure of the insurgency, the crisis in Nepal's monarchy exploded on June 1, 2001, when Crown Prince Dipendra embarked on a drunken shooting spree inside the royal palace in which he killed his closest relatives and finally himself. The motives and the precise sequence of events remain unclear. Altogether the Crown Prince killed ten members of the royal family, including his father, King Birendra, his mother, Queen Aiswarya, his brother, Prince Nirajan, and his sister, Princess Shruti. Into the void left by the massacre stepped Gyanendra, uncle to the killer and brother of the murdered king — leading to speculation, without clear grounds, that he had some role in encouraging the Crown Prince's aggression against his family.
In 2005, as attacks by the Maoists worsened, King Gyanendra dismissed parliament and assumed absolute power. His unpopularity increased as he suppressed critics and opponents in politics, the media and the army, amid a failing economy. After an uprising in April last year, he restored parliament, which stripped him of his powers step by step. The Nepalese monarchy dates from 1769, after the unification of the Kathmandu valley by the Gurkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah and the establishment of his dynasty. He also founded Kathmandu, the capital. The kings who succeeded him were said to be reincarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu. It is the last remaining Hindu monarchy. “Before kings were part of people's heart,” Mata Pasad Risal, a retired government official, said. “Now people have turned against him. The King has lost his position and popularity; it will be best for him to leave the palace.” It is still unclear whether planned elections will be held given the levels of violence in parts of the country.
Source: Times Online
Violence in Nepal stabilizes
Group of Protestant churches said celebrations this year would not be very different from in recent years
Christians in Nepal are set for a more festive and trouble-free Christmas this year, hoping the peace will hold after 10 years of a Maoist insurgency.Bishop Anthony Sharma, apostolic vicar of Nepal, told UCA News expectations are high that this Christmas will be celebrated in a "better" environment, given the lull in fighting and violence, at least in Kathmandu. "People can now have Christmas fun until late in the night, without fear of violence or intimidation," he said. A semblance of normalcy has returned to the capital, with tourists returning, and shops and hotels decorated for Christmas, a time of celebration for majority Hindus and minority Christians alike. The bishop noted the government might declare a "section holiday" only for Christians in the country. It had made a commitment to designate Christmas a holiday after it declared this former Hindu kingdom secular in May 2006. Mass democracy protests in April that year forced King Gyanendra Shah to give up absolute power and restore parliament, which he had dissolved earlier.Nonetheless, Bishop Sharma clarified that caution remains necessary amid the still-precarious political situation in the country. Twice since October the government has postponed the election for a constituent assembly that would write a new constitution for Nepal. "We must pray that the peace holds," Bishop Sharma said.
Apart from the election issue, Nepal this year has witnessed rioting between Madhesis, the dark-skinned people of the southern flatlands, and Pahadis, the light-skinned hill people. Madhesis and a number of other ethnic groups are demanding more representation in parliament and restructuring of the country to ensure their rights. Media reports say communal unrest this year in southern Nepal has left more than 100 dead.Voicing concern over the crises plaguing Nepal, K.B. Rokaya, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Nepal (NCCN), a grouping of Protestant churches, told UCA News Christmas celebrations this year would not be very different from in recent years. "We will certainly be celebrating this Christmas in a much better environment, but more needs to be done, and we Christians should utilize this occasion to mull over ways in which we can make a difference in the peace process," he added. On the Christmas holiday issue, Rokaya, who is also a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said he would do his best to pressure the government on the matter. In September, the government named Rokaya to the national rights body, the highest official appointment any Christian has received in Nepal.According to the Christian leader, Protestant groups along with some Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim groups in Nepalgunj, about 530 kilometers from Kathmandu, submitted a memorandum to the local NHRC office in mid-December demanding that Christmas be declared a national holiday. "I will see to it that other NHRC members and the government treat this memorandum seriously," Rokaya pledged. "And hopefully, next Christmas will be different with a public holiday in place," he added.
Meanwhile, Christians and Hindus alike are gearing up to make the most of the festive season.Sujata Rai, who heads the Nepal chapter of Couples for Christ (CFC), is excited about this Christmas. "We'll be launching a church clean-up drive soon and have requested all our members to lend a hand," she told UCA News.Assumption parish has planned a "parish family day" on Dec. 29 in Lubhu, on the southern outskirts of Kathmandu, where Congregation of Jesus sisters are based. Rai said CFC is coordinating the event. Saturday is the weekly holiday in Nepal. The Protestant community, which comprises the bulk of the estimated 1 million Christians in Nepal, has been organizing religious concerts and public meetings to spread the message of Christmas among people of other religions.Simon Gurung, a Protestant pastor and president of NCCN, told UCA News, "Every Friday and Saturday in December, we hold public meetings and spread the message of Christmas among our non-Christian brothers and sisters." Gurung said leaders of his community were visiting schools and asking the management to close on Christmas and postpone year-end exams scheduled for that day, so Christian students could stay home and celebrate the occasion.
Source: UCA News
Christians in Nepal are set for a more festive and trouble-free Christmas this year, hoping the peace will hold after 10 years of a Maoist insurgency.Bishop Anthony Sharma, apostolic vicar of Nepal, told UCA News expectations are high that this Christmas will be celebrated in a "better" environment, given the lull in fighting and violence, at least in Kathmandu. "People can now have Christmas fun until late in the night, without fear of violence or intimidation," he said. A semblance of normalcy has returned to the capital, with tourists returning, and shops and hotels decorated for Christmas, a time of celebration for majority Hindus and minority Christians alike. The bishop noted the government might declare a "section holiday" only for Christians in the country. It had made a commitment to designate Christmas a holiday after it declared this former Hindu kingdom secular in May 2006. Mass democracy protests in April that year forced King Gyanendra Shah to give up absolute power and restore parliament, which he had dissolved earlier.Nonetheless, Bishop Sharma clarified that caution remains necessary amid the still-precarious political situation in the country. Twice since October the government has postponed the election for a constituent assembly that would write a new constitution for Nepal. "We must pray that the peace holds," Bishop Sharma said.
Apart from the election issue, Nepal this year has witnessed rioting between Madhesis, the dark-skinned people of the southern flatlands, and Pahadis, the light-skinned hill people. Madhesis and a number of other ethnic groups are demanding more representation in parliament and restructuring of the country to ensure their rights. Media reports say communal unrest this year in southern Nepal has left more than 100 dead.Voicing concern over the crises plaguing Nepal, K.B. Rokaya, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Nepal (NCCN), a grouping of Protestant churches, told UCA News Christmas celebrations this year would not be very different from in recent years. "We will certainly be celebrating this Christmas in a much better environment, but more needs to be done, and we Christians should utilize this occasion to mull over ways in which we can make a difference in the peace process," he added. On the Christmas holiday issue, Rokaya, who is also a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said he would do his best to pressure the government on the matter. In September, the government named Rokaya to the national rights body, the highest official appointment any Christian has received in Nepal.According to the Christian leader, Protestant groups along with some Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim groups in Nepalgunj, about 530 kilometers from Kathmandu, submitted a memorandum to the local NHRC office in mid-December demanding that Christmas be declared a national holiday. "I will see to it that other NHRC members and the government treat this memorandum seriously," Rokaya pledged. "And hopefully, next Christmas will be different with a public holiday in place," he added.
Meanwhile, Christians and Hindus alike are gearing up to make the most of the festive season.Sujata Rai, who heads the Nepal chapter of Couples for Christ (CFC), is excited about this Christmas. "We'll be launching a church clean-up drive soon and have requested all our members to lend a hand," she told UCA News.Assumption parish has planned a "parish family day" on Dec. 29 in Lubhu, on the southern outskirts of Kathmandu, where Congregation of Jesus sisters are based. Rai said CFC is coordinating the event. Saturday is the weekly holiday in Nepal. The Protestant community, which comprises the bulk of the estimated 1 million Christians in Nepal, has been organizing religious concerts and public meetings to spread the message of Christmas among people of other religions.Simon Gurung, a Protestant pastor and president of NCCN, told UCA News, "Every Friday and Saturday in December, we hold public meetings and spread the message of Christmas among our non-Christian brothers and sisters." Gurung said leaders of his community were visiting schools and asking the management to close on Christmas and postpone year-end exams scheduled for that day, so Christian students could stay home and celebrate the occasion.
Source: UCA News
Statute Amendment a Milestone in Nepal's History: Prachanda
Statute Amendment a Milestone in Nepal's History: Prachanda
Kathmandu, December 29, 2007
Maoist chairman Prachanda today termed that the third amendment in the interim constitution declaring the country a republic by the interim parliament on Friday was a "milestone" in Nepal's political history. "Though there may be some challenges ahead, it has, indeed, heralded a new era in the country's political course. Monarchy would not stage a come back again," Prachanda told the media persons after addressing a function organised by Kathmandu Deaf Association. He said objective of the decade-old People's War and repeated people's movements was fulfilled following the parliament's decision to declare the country a republic on Friday. "Now onwards, people can be assured of the fact that the constituent assembly election will be held in mid-April," he said, adding that various commissions proposed by the comprehensive peace accord would also be formed soon following the seven-party alliance's meeting in a day or two.
He said there would be no problem in holding election even in Madhes as most of their demands had been addressed. He said they would soon form a mechanism to effectively run the interim government and decide on venues and dates of holding joint rallies in seven places across the country as per the 23-point agreement. On his party joining the government, Prachanda said he met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala this morning and gave a name list of Maoist leaders to be included in the interim cabinet. He said they also asked the PM to appoint one state minister from his party in the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction to run it impartially. According to him, Krishna Bahadur Mahara would lead the Maoist party in the interim cabinet. Other ministers include Dev Gurung as Local Development Minister, Hishila Yami as Minister for Physical Planning and Works, Matrika Prasad Yadav as Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation and Pampha Bhusal as Minister for Woman, Children and Social Welfare. Bhusal was earlier recommended for an ambassadorship to France but she is learnt to have been rejected by the host country. Prachanda has also recommended names of Padam Rai and Nabin BK to the PM as state ministers for Local Development and Woman, Children and Social Welfare respectively.
Source: THT Online
Kathmandu, December 29, 2007
Maoist chairman Prachanda today termed that the third amendment in the interim constitution declaring the country a republic by the interim parliament on Friday was a "milestone" in Nepal's political history. "Though there may be some challenges ahead, it has, indeed, heralded a new era in the country's political course. Monarchy would not stage a come back again," Prachanda told the media persons after addressing a function organised by Kathmandu Deaf Association. He said objective of the decade-old People's War and repeated people's movements was fulfilled following the parliament's decision to declare the country a republic on Friday. "Now onwards, people can be assured of the fact that the constituent assembly election will be held in mid-April," he said, adding that various commissions proposed by the comprehensive peace accord would also be formed soon following the seven-party alliance's meeting in a day or two.
He said there would be no problem in holding election even in Madhes as most of their demands had been addressed. He said they would soon form a mechanism to effectively run the interim government and decide on venues and dates of holding joint rallies in seven places across the country as per the 23-point agreement. On his party joining the government, Prachanda said he met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala this morning and gave a name list of Maoist leaders to be included in the interim cabinet. He said they also asked the PM to appoint one state minister from his party in the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction to run it impartially. According to him, Krishna Bahadur Mahara would lead the Maoist party in the interim cabinet. Other ministers include Dev Gurung as Local Development Minister, Hishila Yami as Minister for Physical Planning and Works, Matrika Prasad Yadav as Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation and Pampha Bhusal as Minister for Woman, Children and Social Welfare. Bhusal was earlier recommended for an ambassadorship to France but she is learnt to have been rejected by the host country. Prachanda has also recommended names of Padam Rai and Nabin BK to the PM as state ministers for Local Development and Woman, Children and Social Welfare respectively.
Source: THT Online
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