KATHMANDU: Chief of the election government Khil Raj Regmi directed all the security organs chief to ensure fearless environment for holding the second Constituent Assembly elections.

Regmi issued such directive during a security review meeting held on Monday morning at his residence in Baluwatar. During the meeting, he directed them to perform their security jobs against all odds and create a conducive environment for voters to use their rights to vote any intimidation.

Regmi further urged the top security officials to stay alert and keep their attentions to the security management of the country until the election results are published.

The meeting also discussed the possible obstructions of the poll-opposing faction led by the CPN-Maoist and ways to respond to them, Regmi’s press coordinator Bimal Gautam said in a statement.

After the meeting, Regmi assured of effective security management in all voting centers and urged one and all to caste their votes without any fear.

Home Minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Chief of Army Staff Gaurab Shumser Rana, Home Secretary Janardan Nepal, Inspector General of Police Upendra Kanta Aryal, Inspector General of Armed Police Force Kosh Raj Onta and chief of National Investigation Department (NID) among others were present in the meeting.

Gam Bahadur Tamang a public servant at the District Post Office, Manang was contending the election under the FPTP category from Lamjung Constituency-2 as a candidate of Sanghiya Ganatantrik Samajwadi Party.

Election officer Abhikesher Pokhrel said that Lamjung district election office has been informed of the Tamang’s candidacy cancellation through a faced message.

EC has informed that the cancellation as per the Clause 19 of Election Code of Conduct that bars incumbent government staffs to field their candidacies in the elections. The election code even prevents people receiving government salary or allowance to engage in election publicity campaigns.

It is learnt that Tamang is associated with the government post office since 18 years. However, Tamang claimed that most of the time he was working there on contract basis.

Mohan Baidya and his party, CPN Maoist, led 33 political parties alliance has been on the streets to foil the government’s and the major political parties’ effort to hold Constituent Assembly member elections. The alliance has presently launched 10-day nationwide transportation strike and other agitation programs to disrupt the CA elections slated for Nov 19. Nepali Reporter’s Rishi Dhamala recently spoke to this man, who among others is credited for launching the decade long Maoist insurgency, on issues surrounding CA elections and his alliance’s future plans. Excerpts:

How do you apprise the success of your agitations? Is the nation moving towards confrontation?

The ‘set-up’ CA that the government intends to form without including us, a major part of the peace process, cannot deliver the constitution. This will intensify conflict rather than fostering peace.

We have been looking forward in a peaceful manner but the government has presented itself aggressively. Even though I made a call for talks to resolve political differences, the government and major political parties neglected it and resorted to suppression. There is still time to save the nation from going into confrontation. I request the civil society, journalist, political parties and the government to take initiatives for consensus. Current situation can be resolved only through political means and I would like to request all concerned to take measures from their end to resolve this situation.

Do you think there are chances for consensus at the threshold of CA elections?

Consensus is national necessity. It is the only means to conclude the peace process. Therefore I request for taking the road dialogues and consensus.

What will your alliance do if the CA elections are heeding to your demands?

Our concern is avert from holding CA elections without garnering consensus. Because such a CA cannot deliver constitution. However, if the government and political parties push it through, our future strategy will depend on how the government presents itself. It is certain that our strategy will be different, if our demands are trampled.

Your power show on transportation seems feeble?

The state, all political parties are all confronting us. The 33 party alliance is confronting the rest of them and this might be effect that gives the impression of feeble transportation strike call.

So are you going to pull out the strike?

I have reiterated it many times that strikes and agitation is a forced choice for us. We understand the troubles that the general public has face due to it, but we request to understand our compulsion. Our agitation will continue and become even intense unless the state responds to our demands. The ongoing transportation will continue.

Will a feeble protest like this fulfill your alliance’s demands?

We are looking plan to review the existing scenario and launch even stern agitation programs. We wont pull out unless our demands are addressed by the state.

But the government is hell bent on holding CA elections, even by detaining dissidents?

If the government is planning to arrest us, as rumored, than we welcome it open heartedly. We are ready for being arrested. But that is not the way to address the issue.

UCPN Maoist and other parties are looking forward to bring your alliance in CA by offering 26 seats. How do you take the plan?

We are agitating against the present process of holding CA elections. Expressions of giving 26 seats to us through the cabinet is an insult of our stance and revolution. It is definite that we wont be joining this process at any cost. If we are participate than it will be only after the change of the process.

Why do you think your demands and concerns were not addressed?

We have been kept out of the CA election process because all the three major political parties of loosing elections. UCPN Maoist thought that we would win it and Nepali Congress and CPN UML feared our re-union and consequent victory in the CA elections.

Amid your protest programs, Bomb blast incidents have increased?

We don’t have any information about these bomb blasts. We are in peaceful protests.

Then who is after these blasts?

Its obvious for agitated citizens and cadres to resort to vandalism and rebellion. The government and major parties invited all these and they should take the sole responsibility.

Prachanda thanked your protests programs?
Prachanda deceived the nation and its people. He has superseded the erstwhile reactionaries in deception. He now belongs to the reactionary brotherhood.

Foreigners interest in election and protest has soared up. How do you access it?

Foreigners don’t have the right to comment or criticize on Nepal’s internal affairs. We don’t need anyone’s advice or suggestions, we are capable to resolve our own problems.———————————————————

Interview Translated and Edited by Chitra Raj Bhandari. Read the Nepali Version of Mohan Baidya’s Interview here.

Mohan Baidya and his party, CPN Maoist, led 33 political parties alliance has been on the streets to foil the government’s and the major political parties’ effort to hold Constituent Assembly member elections. The alliance has presently launched 10-day nationwide transportation strike and other agitation programs to disrupt the CA elections slated for Nov 19. Nepali Reporter’s Rishi Dhamala recently spoke to this man, who among others is credited for launching the decade long Maoist insurgency, on issues surrounding CA elections and his alliance’s future plans. Excerpts:

How do you apprise the success of your agitations? Is the nation moving towards confrontation?

The ‘set-up’ CA that the government intends to form without including us, a major part of the peace process, cannot deliver the constitution. This will intensify conflict rather than fostering peace.

We have been looking forward in a peaceful manner but the government has presented itself aggressively. Even though I made a call for talks to resolve political differences, the government and major political parties neglected it and resorted to suppression. There is still time to save the nation from going into confrontation. I request the civil society, journalist, political parties and the government to take initiatives for consensus. Current situation can be resolved only through political means and I would like to request all concerned to take measures from their end to resolve this situation.

Do you think there are chances for consensus at the threshold of CA elections?

Consensus is national necessity. It is the only means to conclude the peace process. Therefore I request for taking the road dialogues and consensus.

What will your alliance do if the CA elections are heeding to your demands?

Our concern is avert from holding CA elections without garnering consensus. Because such a CA cannot deliver constitution. However, if the government and political parties push it through, our future strategy will depend on how the government presents itself. It is certain that our strategy will be different, if our demands are trampled.

Your power show on transportation seems feeble?

The state, all political parties are all confronting us. The 33 party alliance is confronting the rest of them and this might be effect that gives the impression of feeble transportation strike call.

So are you going to pull out the strike?

I have reiterated it many times that strikes and agitation is a forced choice for us. We understand the troubles that the general public has face due to it, but we request to understand our compulsion. Our agitation will continue and become even intense unless the state responds to our demands. The ongoing transportation will continue.

Will a feeble protest like this fulfill your alliance’s demands?

We are looking plan to review the existing scenario and launch even stern agitation programs. We wont pull out unless our demands are addressed by the state.

But the government is hell bent on holding CA elections, even by detaining dissidents?

If the government is planning to arrest us, as rumored, than we welcome it open heartedly. We are ready for being arrested. But that is not the way to address the issue.

UCPN Maoist and other parties are looking forward to bring your alliance in CA by offering 26 seats. What is your opinion?

We are agitating against the present process of holding CA elections. Expressions of giving 26 seats to us through the cabinet is an insult of our stance and revolution. It is definite that we wont be joining this process at any cost. If we are participate than it will be only after the change of the process.

Why do you think your demands and concerns were not addressed?

We have been kept out of the CA election process because all the three major political parties of loosing elections. UCPN Maoist thought that we would win it and Nepali Congress and CPN UML feared our re-union and consequent victory in the CA elections.

Amid your protest programs, Bomb blast incidents have increased?

We don’t have any information about these bomb blasts. We are in peaceful protests.

Then who is after these blasts?

Its obvious for agitated citizens and cadres to resort to vandalism and rebellion. The government and major parties invited all these and they should take the sole responsibility.

Prachanda thanked your protests programs?
Prachanda deceived the nation and its people. He has superseded the erstwhile reactionaries in deception. He now belongs to the reactionary brotherhood.

Foreigners interest in election and protest has soared up. How do you access it?

Foreigners dont have the right to comment or criticize on Nepal’s internal affairs. We don’t need anyone’s advice or suggestions, we are capable to resolve our own problems.

———————————————————

Interview Translated and Edited by Chitra Raj Bhandari. Read the Nepali Version of Mohan Baidya’s Interview here.

KATHMANDU: The Nepal band called by the 33 dissident political parties led by the CPN Maoist started bomb blasts, clashes with police and torching of vehicles across the nation on Sunday morning.

Cadres affiliated to member parties of the alliance took to roads to block the roads, vandalized vehicles and explosives were recovered from various places. The alliance had called today’s general strike to foil the upcoming Constituent Assembly member elections slated for November 19.

Here are the udpates from across the nation.

Bhaktapur– A public passenger bus ( Na 3 Kha 3711) vandalized and torched.

Pokhara: A taxi and motorcyle vandalized at Zero Kilometer.

Kavre: A bus ferrying passenger attacked with a petrol bomb. No human casualites, bus managed to get away.

Dolakha: Two stationary buses parked near district headquarters vandalized and torched.

Dharan: District Administration Office’s vehicle vandalized and torched.

Kathmandu: Nagarik Newspaper’s vehicle (Ba 4 Cha 4872) vandalized near Bhaat Bhateni store in Koteshwor.

Nepali Army has been mobilized in Kathmandu since morning to maintain peace and security.

Bombs reccovered from multiple places.

Kathmandu: Thapathali chowk, New Baneshwor Chowk, Balkhu, Dhapasi (two bombs), KMC-22 ward office,
Lalitpur- Lalitpur-22,
Sirah: Lahan,
Kailali: Geta based food factory
Nuwakot: Ratamate and UCPN Maoist’s district office.
Rasuwa: At Dhunche.
Mahottari: Laxminiya-3 based sub-health post’s premise.
Chitwan: Two bombs blast

Police continues to detain band enforcers:

18 detained in Kathmandu
14 detained in Lalitpur

Police recovers petrol bombs and khukuris from them.

Police forces public transport buses to ply on the street despite protests from owners.

FNCCI has also urged entrepreneurs to defy the call for band.

Though the 33 party alliance had called for ten day general shutdown initially, an emergency meeting of the alliance on Sunday had limited shutdown only to Monday and has announced to halt transportation from tomorrow onwards till November 20.

Though they have said press, human rights, and other emergency vehicles will be allowed to ply on the street, the alliance has denied permission to tourist vehicles for plying on the roads.

Kathmandu: CPN-Maoist has demanded the immediate postponement of the Constituent Assembly polls going to be held by putting them outside the process. The CPN-Maoist, which has vowed to disrupt the polls, has also urged government and four major political parties to seriously consider its demands and start a dialogue with them.
Issuing a press release today, CPN-Maoist chairperson Mohan Baidya has reiterated its demand of Round-Table-Conference (RTC) to give an outlet to the political impasse. “We make special request to the four major political parties and the government to postpone the election going to be held without national consensus and initiate result-oriented dialogues and the RTC as proposed by the alliance,” read the press release.
Likewise, Baidya has also made an appeal to other political parties, civil society and intellectuals to take an initiation on this regard.
Baidya-led CPN-Maoist has also condemned the crackdown, arrest and prosecution of its leaders and cadres across the nation while boycotting the election- ‘a practice of democratic rights.’ It has also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of its leaders and cadres, arrested while boycotting the CA polls.
Stating that the CA election, a major component of the peace process, Baidya has also claimed that there was no meaning and rationale of the CA polls without the participation of the CPN-Maoist, a major force involved in the ‘people’s war. He has also warned that the CA constituted without their participation could not produce a constitution but only invite further conflict.

KATHMANDU – Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has proposed a federal republican model with constitutional president and an executive prime minister elected from the House as its form of governance in its manifesto, made public on Monday.

Along with that the party has proposed a bicameral legislature parliament and has proposed that the federal model will have three levels of governance– central government, provincial government and the local government.

The manifesto has proposed for restructuring the nation into 7 federal provinces based on capacity, identity, geography and historical background of the states- two in Madhesh and five in hilly and mountain region. The demarcation of these states, the manifesto says, will be decided through discussions with other political parties.

The party has also pledge to ensure voting rights, regular election, mixed electoral system, complete press freedom and independent judiciary in the constitution to be drafted.

The document tagged as “commitment letter’ has proposed the concept of 11 federal states with ethnic identity that ensures the rights of all communities.

Along with that the party has proposed to hold direct elected presidential system as the form of governance.

Similarly, the party has proposed for holding referendum apropos to the issues of national significance.

The party has proposed to introduce the Women Commission, Dalit Commission, Muslim Commission, Indigenous and Janajati Commission, Commission on Differently abled and Worker-Peasant Commission as constitutional bodies.

The manifesto was made public by party chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal and was prepared by the special Manifesto Drafting Committee formed under the leadership of senior party leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai.

At a news conference organised by the CPN-UML Publicity Department, Morang, here on Wednesday, Gyawali blamed that an issue of roundtable conference raised by the CPN-Maoist was only a trick for disrupting the election process.

Gyawali, also Chief of the CPN-UML Publicity Department, claimed that date for CA election would not be postponed at any cost and added that boycotting of the election by the CPN-Maoist would only benefit the regressive forces.

He also expressed the belief that the Federal Socialist Party would participate in the election. The differences of opinion regarding the election process between the political parties would be through talks.

The UML leader claimed that the party would be the first party in the upcoming CA election and making a claim over 106 seats in the first-past-the-post election.

HLPC’s meeting held this morning at Maharajgunj-based residence of HLPC coordinator Sushil Koirala was attended by senior leaders of the five political parties that constitute it.

The meeting, though said to be informal, was attended by chiefs of five political forces associated with HLPC.
However the meeting reiterated its earlier stance of not to review the proposed CA election date, and concluded that the CA elections will be held even if the dissenting parties boycott it.

Earlier, the HLPC had concluded that the possibility of agreement with the 33-party alliance had ended as the latter stuck to the demand of postponement of the election date and dissolution of interim government and HLPC.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress is holding the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting today. The meeting is expected to dwell on the preparations of November 19 polls and the party’s election strategy.

UCPN-Maoist has also resumed its ongoing Central Committee (CC) meeting at party headquarters in Paris Danda this morning.

Started at 10 am this morning, the meeting has continued reporting from the constituencies.

KATHMANDU: President of Nepal Prajatantra Party, Kamal Thapa has said that the second Constituent Assembly election will drop down the agenda of republicanism.

Addressing his party’s political conclave in Kathmandu on Monday, Thapa said that the agenda of republicansim was part of the first constituent assembly and added that since the first CA failed to deliver its promises, the agenda should be dropped in the second one.

Elaborating on his party’s future plans, Thapa said that the party is now becoming a national force and warned other parties, whom he did not point out in particular, for not neglecting its presence in national politics.

Leaders of the party from across the nation presented their view on current political affairs and strategies that the parties should adopt in the upcoming CA elections.

The conclave will continue for three days before preparing a strategy for CA elections, sources near the party informed.