Following Koirala’s demise, the political circle is abuzz with the questions how to move ahead with the peace process and constitution writing.
After a meeting with party members in Singha Darbar, Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel said his party would continue to lead the High Level Political Mechanism. Koirala was the designated co-ordinator of the mechanism. From the Himalayan Times:
Poudel, speaking to media persons after a meeting of NC Parliamentary Party in Singha Durbar, said, “Since former PM late Koirala was leading the HLPM on behalf of the party, it will lead the mechanism even after his death.”
“NC will lead the HLPM but some parties will also be included in the mechanism,” said Poudel.
CPN-UML also held a meeting to discuss the party’s strategy following Koirala’s demise. Nagarik reports:
The meeting was held to discuss the effect of Koirala’s passing away would have on the peace process and constitution writing.
It’s back to business for most others, including Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari left for China on Monday for a eight-day visit. Kantipur writes about the objective of the visit:
“I will seek assistance to increase the capacity of the army and the Defence Ministry,” Bhandari said. “We will also be discussing China’s role in our plan to raise the army’s standard to the level of South Asian army in ten years.”
Meanwhile, Nepal Army has issued a press release refuting allegations of rape and murder of three women, including a 12-year-old, in Bardiya National Park 12 days ago. Republica reports:
Issuing a press release about a court of inquiry that gave clean chit to armymen who shot dead the three villagers of Hariharpur in Surkhet district inside Bardiya National Park on March 10, the army accused the dead of carrying weapons. This contradicts a version of local army commander who had admitted that the soldiers had erred in shooting the women thinking them to be poachers.
The Court of Inquiry of the Nepal Army has given clean chit to its personnel involved in the Bardiya National Park shootout incident. It also labeled the women killed in the incident as ´poachers´.
The locals said the three were killed due to negligence of the army personnel. Another news report had also quoted commander of Jwala Dal Battalion, Prakash Deuja, as saying that army had made a mistake in opening fire on the women. He had admitted that the women were not members of a poachers´ gang which was being followed by the army that day.
The government has formed a three-member panel to investigate the incident and also pledged to provide Rs. 25000 to the victims’ family for the last rites.
The Women, Children and Social Welfare Committee of the Legislature Parliament has also formed a nine-member panel to investigate into the incident. The panel is supposed to present its report within 15 days.