Nepal: emergency extension has opposition

[Barry Stoller]

AFP. 25 January 2002. Nepal premier faces struggle to win vote on state
of emergency.

KATHMANDU -- Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba faces a tough task
in trying to win parliamentary approval for his state of emergency
imposed to combat a bloody Maoist insurgency, analysts say.

King Gyanendra Friday summoned parliament to begin its winter session on
February 10 during which the premier hopes to win approval for the state
of emergency and an extra budget to finance the fight against the
rebels, state-run radio reported.

Deuba requested the monarch to open parliament two weeks early as under
Nepal's constitution the state of emergency, declared on November 26,
has to be approved by lawmakers within three months of its imposition.

Deuba also wants to extend emergency rule for another three months.

He has to win at least a two-thirds majority in the 205-member lower
house of parliament but it is unlikely to be smooth sailing as the
opposition wants the state of emergency lifted, observers say.

Deuba's ruling Nepali Congress (NC) party has 113 seats in the house of
representatives, the main opposition Nepal Communist Party-United
Marxist and Leninist (NCP-UML) 68, the rightist National Democratic
Party (NDP) 11, with smaller parties taking the remainder.

Despite huge defence spending, the government has failed to achieve its
goal of stamping out the rebellion, analysts say.

"This has embarrassed the NC government and its popularity is waning,"
political observer H.C. Shrestha said.

The NCP-UML and NDP said it was not necessary to declare a state of
emergency in order to deploy the army against the Maoists.

Smaller parties such as the pro-India Nepal Sadbhabana Party and eight
communist splinter factions have accused the government of abusing the
emergency to strike against its opponents.

"Deuba is hoping against hope to win the support for his government from
the opposition to endorse and extend the emergency," political observer
Sharda M. Baidya said.

The state of emergency was declared after the Maoists, who are fighting
to topple Nepal's constitutional monarchy, ended a four-month truce with
the government in late November.

The government swiftly imposed emergency rule and for the first time
deployed its army against the rebels.

Deuba also hopes to win parliamentary backing for an anti-terrorism law
and raise two billion rupees (26.2 million dollars) to meet additional
defence expenditure.

The extra budget has come under fire from the business sector which says
it would add to the burden of tax-payers already reeling under high
taxes due to the imposition of value added tax for the past couple of
years.

The diversion of the state budget to finance the army operation against
the Maoists has also substantially affected various development
programmes, opponents say.

"Similarly, hiking of other taxes has made the life of the people quite
difficult," leftwing lawmaker and economist Dilli Raj Khanal said.

Deuba also faces opposition from rebel MPs within his own party who want
to topple his administration.

Party president and former premier Girija Prasad Koirala's idea of
forming an all-party Broader Democratic Alliance was glaring proof of
the party's hostility to Deuba's government, Shrestha said.

"Considering these facts, it will be difficult for Deuba to steer clear
of his problems when he faces the next parliamentary session," Shrestha
said.


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Barry Stoller
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews