*Nepal Updates: Parliament Session Resumes: Maoists End Obstruction* I/II. http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/1-top-story/328-house-resumes-maoist-chairman-vents-ire-at-ruling-coalition.html
House resumes; Maoist chairman vents ire at ruling coalition Monday, 06 July 2009 11:44 The normal session of the legislature parliament resumed Monday evening following an agreement between the ruling CPN (UML) and the main opposition Unified CPN (Maoist). The House has resumed after two months of obstruction. As per the agreement reached at a meeting of the senior leaders of the two parties, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal will address the parliament today on the Maoist demands. He has also agreed to define the powers of the President and the Prime Minister within one month. The House session was to begin at 3 pm but was delayed by hours as the leaders of the major parties were busy in internal discussions. Earlier today, a brief meeting of the central secretariat of the Unified CPN (Maoist) held decided to allow the legislature parliament to resume its regular proceedings. Meanwhile, speaking at the start of the session, Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal accused the Prime Minister of being ‘remote controlled’ from outsiders and that the new government was established against the spirit of the people's mandate expressed through the CA election. He said his party is now fighting for civilian supremacy and is fully committed to peace process and constitution-drafting process. He said his party has decided to allow the House proceedings as a reply to those who are trying to subvert the very essence of the parliament. Dahal also said he resigned as the Prime Minister to avert a major confrontation and keep in tact the peace process and constitution-drafting process. Prime Minister Nepal is to address today's session. II. http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=202855 *Maoists still in shock, PM Nepal says before House * Kantipur ReportKATHMANDU, July 6 - After months of obstruction, the Legislature-Parliament of the Constituent Assembly (CA) has resumed on Monday. The session commenced at around 6.45 pm. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Unified CPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal addressed the House tonight. In what seemed like a comeback to the Maoist chairman’s remarks, Prime Minister Nepal said it is obvious that the Maoists are still in “shock” having left the power, thus the animosity. “We can understand how it hurts when one has to leave power. These things are obvious,” he opined. He added, “But it is now time to take it easy. You should not insult somebody because of this shock.” Referring to the Maoists’ remarks about the current government being formed by a “remote control”, the Prime Minister said that the 359 members of the 601-seat CA elected him. “Now how can 242 members say that I am running from a remote control?” he asked. Prime Minister Nepal said an understanding among the parties will be sought within one month on the “civilian supremacy” issue raised by the Maoists. He said, “I am ready to be very flexible for consensus and understanding.” *“Presidential position was used”* During his nearly one and a half our long address, Maoist chairman Dahal clarified his government’s move to bring about a democratic change in the Nepal Army (NA), which he claimed the reason why the Maoist party had to step down from the government. He said the then Maoist-led government tried to change the mechanism of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, NA and the employees as per the people’s aspirations. “The security mechanism especially the army had to be democratised as per the people’s aspiration… But that did not happen. The feudal totalitarianism continued to stay in it. .. But things went wrong when attempts were made to democratise the army.” “We should not forget the historical necessity of that time just because we had some power for some time… What I felt was I had to address this since we have become republic,” he added. Dahal said, “I tried to address the problem in that mechanism and others as per the republic aspiration, staying within the limitations of the Interim Constitution, coalition government and the understanding between the political parties.” On the context of Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangad Katawal, he said that the Army Chief was not willing to accept the new change, instead he insulted the elected-government and disobeyed its orders. The Maoist Chairman further went on to say that an “earthquake” hit the regressive forces and the status quoits as soon as he began the process to take action against the CoAS. “The President was brought forward and a state of constitutional coup was created by directly violating the people’s mandate,” he reiterated. The Maoists had stepped down from the government on May 4 after the President reinstated CoAS Katawal who was sacked by the Maoist cabinet. *Full House resumption still unsure* Marathons of meetings held among the major parties CPN-UML, Nepali Congress and the UCPN (Maoist) have finally concluded to let the House resume temporarily for tabling the advance expenditure bill. Understanding is yet to be reached on fully resuming the House. The Maoists have been demanding to correct the President’s move, but the NC and the UML are hung on not using a specific outline on the issue. Only last month, the UML cabinet overturned the decision taken by the former Maoist government. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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