An armed group killed a 10-year-old schoolboy in an indiscriminate firing incident in Kavre on Wednesday. Santosh Karki, a quite second grader, was on his way home from school when he was shot dead. Kantipur reports that the armed group was called by a local Maoist party worker who was facing minor disputes with his neighbours:
Maoist’s Kavre district advisor Ratna Lama called in 10 armed men after locals complained about the building materials he had left on the road meant for the construction of his house.
According to eyewitnesses, locals complained that the building materials piled near a tempo stop had obstructed transport. There had been a minor dispute when locals had gone to the Lama family with a request to remove the materials.
Kavre district in-charge of Kavre district, Dinanath Gautam, admitted that Lama was a close advisor of the party. “If found of wrongdoing, we will hand him to the authorities,” he said.
In Kathmandu, Maoists are challenging the government to fire Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari after she said that her ministry and Nepal Army would not accept decisions made by the Special Committee on Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist combatants. Kantipur writes:
Saying the ministers have adopted the Indian Army Chief Deepak Kapoor’s language, Maoist Chairman asked Nepal Army soldiers to rise in protest against ‘foreign agents’.
Dahal claimed that Delhi has replaced Narayanhiti’s role in the army command. “I have asked the army whether they want to be slaves to foreigners or sons of a free Nepal.”
Meanwhile, the cabinet has detached itself from Bhandari saying her views are personal and does not reflect the views of the government. Information Minister Shankar Pokharel released a statement on Wednesday saying:
“We are fully committed to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and fully support the implementation of all decisions made by the Special Committee.”
More disagreements are likely to flare up now that the Constituent Assembly Committee on State Restructuring and Distribution of State Powers (yes that’s the name of the committee) approved a 14-state federal model with special political preference to ethnic groups with large population. From Republica:
This provision means that only members of the largest community in the province will be given special preference for important posts like chief minister, for two terms. The other communities will be deprived of this right and they will not be allowed to get such posts even by free competition.
Twenty-one members of the 43-member committee voted in favor of the provision. Nepali Congress (NC) and other lawmakers objected to the decision saying that 21 votes were not sufficient to constitute a majority of the committee as 42 members — other than Narayan Man Bijukchhe of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) — were present at the meeting. But committee Chairman Lokendra Bista Magar claimed the number was a majority as Pratibha Rana of Rastriya Prajatantra Party left the meeting just before the voting on the issue. According to CA regulations, provisions need to be endorsed by a two-thirds majority of CA members present during voting.
Yeah. We said so.
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So, now it is the Maoist party that decides whether murders committed by its members is a criminal offence or not. Having accepted that Maoist murder loot and extortion was and is a revolutionary act fully justified in bringing change to Nepali society we are now paying the price. NT being one of those who were more than willing to justify Maoist violence has a great responsibility for this situation. Will be interesting to see how NT reacts to this. My guess is that there will be more hand wringing and high principled words but at the end of the day it is back to giving the Maoists what thy want. They will of course claim that they were duped by the Maoists again….and again…..and again..
Executive political power within the states only for the majority is, well, preferential treatment, slightly undemocratic, and, er, not strategic. Special political rights for the majority will cause anxiety and discontent in the minority which may lead to more violence. The state restructuring committee should come up with other alternatives to ensure equality rather than this ill-thought idea.
Also, I have certain questions if anyone can answer: What will the composition of state governments be like? I mean the whole legislative vs. executive checks and balances thingamajig. Will state legislatures be bicameral or unicameral? How will chief ministers be chosen? Direct elections or selected through the legislature?How will state justices be chosen? Also, how will the various states send their representatives to the center? How will the balance of power in the center’s governance structure look like? Any resource that can answer these and other questions?
Battisputali- No need to ask any questions. Just sign on the dotted line on the paper presented by India aand all questions will be answerd. Just like with the 12 point agreement.
Don’t you think India presents us with the provervial ‘dotted line’ because we are not in a position to negotiate their security interests with them? Don’t you think that by first asking then answering questions about domestic political structure, we can create a sembalance of stability that will compel India to negotiate with us rather than dictate to us? I don’t really know much about politics, but isn’t the citizen that asks questions of its leaders and pushes them towards a more equal, and just society at the core of a functioning democracy?