Democracy For Nepal

The people have to take firm command of the army no matter what. It is because the people own the army. It is the people who pay the salaries of the soldiers of the Nepal Army. The people are boss. The people exercise that authority through the parliament. The parliament exercises that authority through the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is boss on behalf of the people.

The army is not an autonomous institution. The army is a subset of the Defense Ministry. The army is an organ of the Defense Ministry. The Prime Minister appoints the Denfese Minister.

The Prime Minister can order any soldier in the Nepal Army directly. He does not have to go through the Army Chief.

The Prime Minister is boss. He can fire, promote, demote any soldier in the army. Any such fired soldier will have the option to go to the courts if they feel they have been unduly fired. If the grievance be valid, the fired soldier will be duly reinstated. In that the army is just another bureaucracy.

There are those who say the seven party alliance might have to fight a war with the Maoists, and so it is not a good idea to make the army unhappy in any way. To them I say if there is a possibility the seven party alliance might have to fight a war with the Maoists down the line, that is a huge big reason why the seven party alliance has to bring the Nepal Army under its firm control. On the other hand, if it is not war we are looking at but a peace process, that is another big reason to bring the Nepal Army under firm control of the parliament. Or if war is not there down the line, and the peace process will be smooth and painless, that is still a big reason to bring the Nepal Army under firm control of the parliament. It is because the people own the palirament. It is a sovereignty issue.

"According to the model proposed by the UN, weapons of scattered barracks of the Nepali Army would be placed in a unified camp with a similar arrangement for the rebels."

The best option for the peace process is that the two armies be confined to barracks and all their weapons be collected at one barrack each. This government is going to have to order the Nepal Army to do so. And for that it is important the parliament has firm control of the army. And one way to show that you do is by firing some generals.

Some people say one has to be careful. One has to treat the army generals like they were wounded tigers. They say we should not tease them too much or they might stage a coup.

Anyone who might make the slightest attempt at a coup goes to jail for life. It is because the people took over the country in April. If you want to rule, get elected by the people. That ground rule is now irreversible in Nepal.

Any attempt at a coup will fail. It will be worse than the Russian attempted coup in 1991. The associated generals are going to turn themselves into one big joke. And then they are going to go to jail, for life.

I don't know what is up in the cards for them right now. Quite a few should lose their jobs. None might. I don't know. They might lose more than their jobs. I don't know. They might lose the money they have looted over the years. The army finances of the past years have to be audited big time. They will certainly lose their sense that the army top ranks are reserved for a few interconnected families.

I don't know what they will lose. For that we have rule of law. We have the Raymajhi Commission. I am not about to second guess the commission. Frankly, I don't know enough to be able to say what exactly it is that the commission will do. But they do have a people to answer to. The commission is on the people's payroll. They have a mandate from the people. They should act professional, as they have. And they should plain do their work.

I do agree with the MPs that their work of interrogation has to be nationally televised. The people want to know. They have a right to know.

If I were the guilty generals, I would own up to all I did, and simply resign. That "guilty plea" option is their best option. That is what you do to reduce your sentencing. Every other option looks worse.

On the other hand, if the generals engage in clever talk of deception and denial, the commission has the authority to summon any soldier in the army regardless of rank to cross-examine and corroborate.

It is because in April the people decided that they own the country.

Interim Monarchy, Interim Army, Interim Parliament

The Law And Order Situation

The Home Minister similarly has to have a firm control of the Home Ministry and the Nepal Police. He can fire people who might disobey. He can penetrate the bureaucracy and go directly to the sources of problems and acts of disobeyance.

But the best way to enhance the law and order situation is to have a clean, fast peace process. As soon as there will be eight party parliament, interim government, and local governments, I expect the law and order situation to improve dramatically.

In The News

Govt. amends law on heir to the throne NepalNews has provision to make the first child- irrespective of the sex - of the King as heir to the throne. Earlier, only the eldest son of the King would be entitled to the throne. ...... also decided to scrap the allowances given to the relatives of the King ...... Now on, allowances will be provided only to the king, queen, crown prince, crown princess and queen mother. ..... The government in the annual budget downsized the yearly expenditure of the royal palace by 45.8 percent, limiting it to Rs 219.6 million from Rs 405 million last year.
Senior army officials defy probe commission’s summon orders Lt Gen Rukmangad Katuwal, who is the second in command of the Nepali Army, and former chief of the Valley Division, Major Gen Deepak Birakm Rana - who were summoned for interrogation today [Monday] in connection with their alleged role in suppressing the people’s movement - failed appear before the commission..... they will record their statement at the commission only after the interrogation of the Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Pyar Jung Thapa. CoAS Thapa deferred his interrogation scheduled on Sunday, citing his prescheduled visit to the western region....... Major Gen Kul Bahadur Khadka, Major Gen Kiran Shumsher Thapa, Major Gen Gajendra Limbu and Colonel Suresh Kumar Karki were summoned for interrogation on Tuesday....... then Home Minister Kamal Thapa used to give directions to security officials from the army headquarters to suppress the movement.
Maoists to join interim govt. only after `decommissioning of arms': PM Koirala the UN assistance to Nepal after getting clear view from both the sides. ..... The UN team had asked the government and the Maoists to reach a consensus on the issue of arms management.
UN mission gives deadline to government, Maoist to find consensus on arms management we have only three-and-a-half days left ...... de Mistura added that the “eight-point agreement” between the SPA and Maoists could be the “starting point” to reach a consensus on any issue, including arms management. ..... According to the model proposed by the UN, weapons of scattered barracks of the Nepali Army would be placed in a unified camp with a similar arrangement for the rebels. .......
Govt. appoints chief secy., chiefs of corporations Bhojraj Ghimire as the chief secretary of the government of Nepal...... government is yet to take any decision to fill the vacant posts of 11 secretaries. ..... appointed editor of Himal Khabarpatrika, senior journalist Rajendra Dahal, as chairman of the Nepal Press Council. ....... Benju Sharma as chairman of state run Nepal Television and Sailesh Ghimire as a chairman of Film Development Board. Additionally, Babu Raja Joshi has been appointed as a chairman of Law Reform Commission.......
Maoists threaten to stop office work in Nawalparasi Locals quoted Maoists as saying that they have banned transferring land ownership from one person to another, as per the new rule of the people’s government. ..... when asked if they are breaking the 12-point and 8-point understanding, the Maoist leader said that it applies only in Kathmandu, not in Nawalparasi....... quoted the Maoist leader as saying, everyone including Nepal government employees, should follow their directives irrespective of the existing laws of the country. ...... Chief at the Nawalparasi Land Revenue Office Mukund Dhakal told Nepalnews that though Maoists had asked them to stop office work, they are continuing it..... they are not forcing us to comply with their orders .....
Government serious to resolve citizenship issue: Home Minister the government is ready to adopt all necessary measures with consensus among all political parties to ensure citizenship for every Nepali. ..... Sitaula was responding to concerns raised by MPs about citizenship problems in the Terai belt of the country. A Nepali Congress MP had tabled a motion of urgent public importance, drawing the government's attention to the need to settle the problem before the nation opts for constituent assembly elections. ...... Dozens of lawmakers, mostly from Terai region, suggested that the government base its decision on past reports of Dhanapati Upadhyay Commission and Mahantha Thakur Commission.... They also demanded that the government set up teams to distribute citizenship papers in villages.
Maoists to launch campaign for republican set up from Chitwan Chitwan district committee of the Maoists has decided to launch a two-month-long republican campaign in the district from August 5 to create public support for the constituent assembly polls. ...... from August 5 to 15 in Madi, from August 17 to September 5 in western Chitwan, from September 6 to 15 in city areas and from September 17 to October 6 in eastern Chitwan and will conclude in Narayangarh. ...... The Maoists have decided to launch the campaign from Madi, where 39 people, including security personnel, were killed when Maoists detonated a bomb in a passenger bus a year ago...... Maoists are going to that area with different programmes, including job opportunities for the relatives of the deceased and treatment facilities of the injured
CoAS Thapa visits security agencies of western Nepal Thapa visited the western divisional headquarters of the Nepal Army, Kandre army post, Syanjha barracks and Gorkha barracks on Sunday. ..... also went to Dangsingh to observe the two-week old landslide that had killed 21 people. .....

Maoist atrocities unabated, double ‘road tax’ in Sarlahi Kantipur Publications Maoists on Sunday abducted a CPN-UML cadre in Morang while they have kept an elderly in their labor camp. The rebels also doubled the "road tax" that they have been illegally collecting from vehicles plying along the East-West highway in Sarlahi, since last week....... abducted Jageshwor Mandal, member of UML village committee, from his house at Aamgachhi-9 in Morang, on Sunday afternoon. Denouncing the abduction, CPN-UML Morang, urged the Maoists to release him promptly......... abducted Rajendra Karki, resident of Hoklabari-2 in Morang, from Ghoghapul in Biratnagar ..... Karki was on his way to Bolbam pilgrimage. "The Maoists didn't leave him even as we requested them to let him make the pilgrimage and promised to come to them after it" ....... Maoists seized Ram Bahadur Tamang of Khanar-7 in Sunsari, and kept him in their "labor detention camp" for the last nine days. ..... Tamang is made to work in the field of a Maoist cadre Manohar Chaudhary for eight hours a day, as punishment for being involved in a "cultural crime" (illicit affair). ...... "I have been exploited here," said Tamang. ..... The rebels had been charging 10 rupees per vehicle a week ago, as looting of vehicles along the highway was continuing the past few weeks. The Maoists also claimed to have begun such highway patrols to provide security to vehicles as security forces failed to do so. ...... "We increased the tax as we have to deploy over 50 militias for the purpose." ..... The rebels have also put up a check post in Laxminiya since Sunday while they had already established one at Ranigunj Chowk.
APF firing kills 1 in Tatopani A woman was killed and some two dozen others were injured when Armed Police Force (APF) men indiscriminately opened fire at a group of locals who protested claiming the Nepalese police had allowed the driver of a Chinese vehicle, who had hit two Nepalis, to go free without taking any action...... Police have arrested three dozen demonstrators...... The locals brought vehicular movement to a complete halt burning tires at Miteri Bridge...... According to police, the Chinese vehicle was released after police chief of Lhasha police office agreed to provide 200,000 rupees to each victim for treatment..... Police also claimed they resorted to firing to "take control of the situation" after locals "attacked" customs office, police post and other government establishments.
Girl spending childhood in prison She had not committed any crime, but staying with her convicted mother, as there is no one back home to look after her. ..... Ram Kumari Pariyar, 12, of Kajeri VDC - 9 is spending her childhood in the prison for the past seven years along with her mother, who was imprisoned on charge of murder. .... is allowed to come out of the prison only for her school hours. .... "We even tried to rescue her through child rights organization in a bid to send her out of the jail but her mother didn't allow"
Govt committee, Military Court to investigate Durbarmarg incident a five-member committee headed by a joint secretary at the Defense Ministry ......
सेनाद्वारा छानबिन छल्ने प्रयास बयानका लागि बोलाएकै दिन आइतबार प्रधानसेनापति प्यारजंग थापा आयोगमा अनुपस्थित रहे । छानबिन दायरामा परेका अन्य वरिष्ठ सैन्य अधिकृतहरू प्रधानसेनापतिले बयान नदिई नजाने भएका छन् । आयोग अध्यक्ष्ा कृष्णजंग रायमाझीले भने छानबिनमा असहयोग भए त्यसको जिम्मेवारी सरकारले लिनुपर्ने बताएका छन् । सेना बयानका लागि नआए आफूहरू चुप लागेर नबस्ने चेतावनी पनि उनले दिए । 'हामीलाई मुकाबिला गर्न बाध्य नपारियोस्,' उनले कान्तिपुरसँग भने- 'हामी चुप लागेर बस्दैनौं । आत्मसमर्पण गर्दैनौं ।' 'सरकारकै मिलेमतोमा आयोगलाई असहयोग भयो भने,' निडर स्वभावका पूर्वन्यायाधीश रायमाझीले भने- 'हामी सबै कुरा सार्वजनिक गर्छाैं र जनतासँग जान्छौं ।' थापामाथि जनआन्दोलन दमन र नागरिक अधिकारविरुद्घ सेना परिचालन तथा राजालाई सक्रिय हुन उक्साएको आरोप छ । ..... पोखरा, १४ साउन -कास)- प्रधानसेनापति प्यारजंग थापा आइतबार पोखरा आउने पूर्वनिर्धारित कार्यक्रम नभएको सुरक्षा स्रोतले जनाएको छ । यहाँस्थित सैनिक स्रोतले उनको भ्रमण अचानक भएको बतायो । ...... स्रोतका अनुसार उनले करिब सात मिनेटको सम्बोधन गरेका थिए । 'हामी पनि नेपाली जनताकै सेना हौं, हामीलाई कुनै पनि सरकारले परिचालन गरेमा परिचालित हुनुपर्छ,' उनको सम्बोधन उद्धृत गर्दै स्रोतले भन्यो- 'त्यसबाहेक महत्त्वपूर्ण अन्य कुनै निर्देशन जारी भएन ।' .... थापाले सम्बोधनको अन्त्यमा राजारानीको जयजयकार गरेपछि सबैले त्यसैको अनुकरण गरेका थिए । पृतनाको प्रवेशद्वारमा राजारानीको जयजयकार अंकित बोर्ड सजाइएको थियो । सेनापतिले प्रधानमन्त्री एवं रक्षामन्त्रीको सन्देश पनि सुनाएका थिए । प्रधानमन्त्रीले 'हौसला र मनोबललाई उच्च राख्दै आफ्नो कार्यक्षेत्रमा प्रतिबद्ध रहन निर्देशन' दिएको उनले सुनाए । ...... थापा काठमाडौं र्फकने क्रममा गोरखा पृथ्वीनारायण नगरपालिका- ८ स्थित दि फेमोस महेन्द्र दल गणमा तीन बजे पुगेका थिए । गोरखास्थित कान्तिपुर समाचारदाताका अनुसार करिब एक घन्टा बसेपछि उनी काठमाडौं फर्किए । 'काठमाडौं जाने क्रममा बाटोमा परेकाले पसेको हुँ,' प्रधानसेनापतिलाई उद्धृत गर्दै स्रोतले भन्यो- 'खासै केही भएन, सुरक्ष्ाास्थितिबारे 'बि्रफिङ' मात्रै भयो ।' थापाको पोखरा भ्रमणबारे स्थानीय प्रशासन र प्रहरीमा जानकारी गराइएको थिएन ।
पुनर्संरचनाको खाँचो
अन्तरिम संविधानमा एमाले
संविधानसभा चुनावका चुनौती

Saturday ‘Anarchy’ Boosts Call For Reforms In Army Himalayan Times "There is a need to rewrite military laws so that the institution can be democratised and fundamental rights of army personnel secured," Chitra Bahadur Gurung, a retired Lt Gen of the Nepali Army said. Gurung said it was too early to judge the role of the Nepali Army in protecting the constitution, public freedom and nationality in the changed context. ....... Shambhu Thapa, chairman of the Nepal Bar Association, termed the off-duty captain's act of cordoning off a police station an act of "sedition" since the Nepali Army doesn't have the right to arrest people or interrogate them. Thapa opined that provisions should be made in such a way that crimes by military personnel could also be dealt under Civil Courts....... Indrajit Rai questioned whether a commander of any company or battalion could use his team for vested interests. "There is a need to change overall culture of the army, especially its treatment of and behaviour with people," he added....... "This is the permanent character of those army personnel who joined Nepali Army on the quota of the royal palace," he said. He warned that the constituent assembly would not materialise if the situation persists in the country.
Goons in army won’t be tolerated: Sitaula The incident in which the drunk armymen from the Bhairavnath battalion whisked away policemen on duty in gangster-style is a serious offence .... The probe team comprises joint-secretary at the Ministry of Defence Kashi Nath Sharma, joint-secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Baman Prasad Neupane, joint government’s Attorney General, Raj Narayan Pathak, Colonel Nirendra Aryal and SSP Krishna Shrestha........ “The Nepali Army is under parliament and action would be taken against any indisciplined army officer or soldiers,” Sitaula said....... Mother of army personnel Bikendra Singh Bista, aide of the army captain Robin Bikram Rana, reached the KDPO to file a complaint demanding action against the police men, alleging that her son was beaten up. However, police didn’t register the complaint and sent her back. “We asked her to bring her son to the police office and we will register the complaint,” a police official said. ..... Sitaula’s assurance of punishing the guilty did not pacify the MPs. They asked the Defence Minister, ‘not the Home Minister’ to answer on matters of the Army. ....... MP Mahendra Pandey said only the name of the Army has changed. “If the Army can treat fellow policemen that way, what would happen to civilians?” asked Pandey. He asked the Defence Minister to respond to the incident in which 49 people were disappeared in the infamous Bhairavnath battalion. MP Aanand Prasad Dhungana said that not only civilians but the police also are not safe from the army. MP Hom Nath Dahal asked the Chief of the Army Staff to take responsibility.

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