Maoists continue House obstruction

(Updated)



KATHMANDU, Oct 7: The Maoist lawmakers on Wednesday disrupted parliamentary proceedings yet again. Speaker Subas Nembang adjourned the House after the Maoist lawmakers began shouting slogans demanding "civilian supremacy".



The ruling Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML and the main opposition UCPN (Maoist) held several rounds of talks throughout the week, but have failed to strike a deal. With the hectic negotiations among the top political party leaders, it was expected that the House obstruction would end on Wednesday.



The political parties agreed to register a joint resolution in parliament, but held divergent views about its content. The Maoists have been obstructing the House ever since President Dr Ram Baran Yadav reinstated the then army chief Rookmangud Katawal on May 4 against the Maoist-led government´s decision to sack him. The Maoists claim that the president´s move violated the constitution and have been demanding that it should be debated in parliament.



The Maoists rejected the draft of the resolution prepared by the NC and UML, saying it conveyed the sense that the Maoist-led government had committed a mistake in deciding to sack the then army chief and the president had to reinstate him to correct that decision. The draft of the resolution prepared by the NC and the UML refers to the president´s move in its background, but the Maoists have demanded that it be mentioned in the resolution proper. The Maoists said that have also prepared a draft of the resolution motion and are ready to discuss it with other political parties.

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