Indian ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukherjee said today that India was committed to provide unconditional support to the Maoist led government.
In the final press meet of his tenure in Nepal, Mukherjee said India would not hesitate to work with the Maoist-led government, as they would be forming it in a legitimate way. He is leaving for New Delhi tomorrow.
Speaking at the Reporters' Club, he said India would support the decision of Nepali people on monarchy.
When asked about recent ban on exports of some goods including cement to Nepal, he clarified that the prohibition was not just aimed at Nepal but for all countries. "It was a step towards preventing growing inflation in India," he said. He further said India could rethink on this prohibition for Nepal.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Sugar coated bullet Politics - and dropping the "terrorist" tag
The activities of the United States Government its State Department and subversive agencies in Nepal from its very first attempts to sabotage the possibilities of an Election in Nepal should raise suspicions.
Its attempt to break the Seven Party Alliance with the Maoists and return the Seven Parties to the Kings fold should cause people to pause and think about any possible US change of policy and how real it is and how much is mere appearance.
From the activities of the previous US Ambassador Moriarty (well named after the master of perfidiousness of Sherlock Holmes fame) visiting Nepalese Army bases has if they were his own Feudal Fiefdom to the current incarnation Nancy J Powell the policy has been the same - public rhetoric about democracy but private subversion of it.We are entering into a period of sugar coated bullets.
Its attempt to break the Seven Party Alliance with the Maoists and return the Seven Parties to the Kings fold should cause people to pause and think about any possible US change of policy and how real it is and how much is mere appearance.
From the activities of the previous US Ambassador Moriarty (well named after the master of perfidiousness of Sherlock Holmes fame) visiting Nepalese Army bases has if they were his own Feudal Fiefdom to the current incarnation Nancy J Powell the policy has been the same - public rhetoric about democracy but private subversion of it.We are entering into a period of sugar coated bullets.
No change yet in Maoists' status as terrorist outfit: US official
No change yet in Maoists' status as terrorist outfit: US official
A senior US official has said that there has been no change yet in the status of Maoists as a terrorist outfit despite their winning the election. But the official has hinted that there could be review in their legal position.
"We have an organization being placed on the list of designated foreign terrorists organizations. (It) has legal requirements that are placed on us. We have to honour those legal requirements and we'll certainly do so in the case of Nepal," State Department's Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said.
Hinting of a possible review, he said, "You have an organization that moves away from violence and terror and participates in a political process and engages in those kinds of legitimate activities, that would certainly, I think, give people an opportunity to at least look again at that situation and that organisation," he said.
"But at this point, you know there's no change in their status and we'll follow the law as appropriate".
The United States had first put the former rebels on its list of terrorist organisations in 2003.
The US ambassador to Nepal Nancy Powell has already indicated that the US would continue helping in the economic development of Nepal in the coming days.
A senior US official has said that there has been no change yet in the status of Maoists as a terrorist outfit despite their winning the election. But the official has hinted that there could be review in their legal position.
"We have an organization being placed on the list of designated foreign terrorists organizations. (It) has legal requirements that are placed on us. We have to honour those legal requirements and we'll certainly do so in the case of Nepal," State Department's Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said.
Hinting of a possible review, he said, "You have an organization that moves away from violence and terror and participates in a political process and engages in those kinds of legitimate activities, that would certainly, I think, give people an opportunity to at least look again at that situation and that organisation," he said.
"But at this point, you know there's no change in their status and we'll follow the law as appropriate".
The United States had first put the former rebels on its list of terrorist organisations in 2003.
The US ambassador to Nepal Nancy Powell has already indicated that the US would continue helping in the economic development of Nepal in the coming days.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Maoists have won 120 out of the total 240 seats
The counting for the votes under the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) has been completed.According to the final tally, the Maoists have won 120 out of the total 240 seats under FPTP. It has fallen one short of commanding clear majority under FPTP.
Nepali Congress (NC) is a distant second with 37 seats followed by the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) with 33 seats.
The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) bagged 30 seats while Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) won 9 seats.
Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhavana Party has pocketed four seats. Two seats each have been won by Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), Peoples Front and independent candidates. Rastriya Janamorcha won one seat.
The counting of votes under Proportional Representation (PR) category, too, is nearing completion.
Nepal News Reports US to remove Maoists from terror watch list
US to remove Maoists from terror watch list
The United States is expected to remove CPN-Maoist from its terrorist Watch list with just a few ‘technicalities’ remaining for doing so, according to its representative in Kathmandu Ambassador Nancy J Powell.
The move, although not confirmed by the US government, comes at a time when the CPN-Maoist prepares to head the new government after its astounding victory in the Constituent Assembly elections held on April 10.
In a meeting with interim parliament speaker Subhash Nemwang in Singha Durbar Sunday, Ambassador Powell also said that the US would extend the same kind of assistance and support to the new government to be formed under the leadership of the Maoists as it had been providing to the previous governments.
During the meeting Ambassador Powell is learnt to have discussed the ongoing peace process, constitution drafting process and the latest political situation.
Even after coming to the peace process ending their decade-long insurgency two years ago and then becoming a part of the interim government the US had still placed the former rebels on its worldwide list of terrorist organisations.
The United States is expected to remove CPN-Maoist from its terrorist Watch list with just a few ‘technicalities’ remaining for doing so, according to its representative in Kathmandu Ambassador Nancy J Powell.
The move, although not confirmed by the US government, comes at a time when the CPN-Maoist prepares to head the new government after its astounding victory in the Constituent Assembly elections held on April 10.
In a meeting with interim parliament speaker Subhash Nemwang in Singha Durbar Sunday, Ambassador Powell also said that the US would extend the same kind of assistance and support to the new government to be formed under the leadership of the Maoists as it had been providing to the previous governments.
During the meeting Ambassador Powell is learnt to have discussed the ongoing peace process, constitution drafting process and the latest political situation.
Even after coming to the peace process ending their decade-long insurgency two years ago and then becoming a part of the interim government the US had still placed the former rebels on its worldwide list of terrorist organisations.
Barburam Bhattarai on the Army Integration Question - Interview with Reuters
"We have already decided that the two armies will be integrated and a new security force will be created," Baburam Bhattarai, seen as a potential prime minister, told Reuters in an interview in his Kathmandu office, under a collage of portraits of Stalin, Lenin, Mao Zedong, Marx and Engels.
"This is the essence of the whole (peace) agreement so far."
He warned the army not to question the elected political leadership and prepare to absorb Maoist fighters.
"The whole thing will be restructured," he said. "The whole state system within the army will be restructured.
"The army was used by the king earlier. Now monarchy is abolished," he said. "A new political leadership has come. The army should follow the political leadership."
But the army said it would only go by the official recruitment manual, a comment implying that it might not readily accept many of the Maoist fighters.
"The army is an apolitical organisation and this special characteristic has to be respected by all stake holders," Ramindra Chhetri, the army spokesman, told Reuters.
"This is the essence of the whole (peace) agreement so far."
He warned the army not to question the elected political leadership and prepare to absorb Maoist fighters.
"The whole thing will be restructured," he said. "The whole state system within the army will be restructured.
"The army was used by the king earlier. Now monarchy is abolished," he said. "A new political leadership has come. The army should follow the political leadership."
But the army said it would only go by the official recruitment manual, a comment implying that it might not readily accept many of the Maoist fighters.
"The army is an apolitical organisation and this special characteristic has to be respected by all stake holders," Ramindra Chhetri, the army spokesman, told Reuters.
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