KATHMANDU, April 20: The parties in the ruling coalition did not discuss the issue of giving early retirement to army chief General Rookmangud Katawal contrary to some media reports, said a senior leader who participated in the meeting Monday morning, according to our correspondent Yuvraj Acharya. [break]
“We have not been formally informed of the clarification sought by the government from army chief,” Ishwar Pokharel, general secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) told journalists.
Coming out of the hour-long meeting of the ruling parties’ high-level mechanism at the prime minister’s official residence at Baluwatar on Monday, Pokharel said, “The issue was not taken up in today’s meeting.”
When he was pressed to respond to media reports that Katawal would be asked to quit if his reply to the “show cause” notice was not “satisfactory”, Pokharel quipped, “The issue did not enter the agenda at all.”
Pokharel, however, added that since the national army is under the government, it naturally has to obey the government’s orders without any preconditions.
Nepal Army, particularly, its chief, has been at loggerheads with Maoist Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa over recruitment in the army, reinstatement of retired brigadier generals and partial pull-out from the National Games. Some Maoist leaders have accused Katawal of disobeying the authority of the government.
Ruling parties united to pass ordinances
Despite their serious objections when ordinances were issued a couple of months ago, all the five ruling parties have decided to vote in favor of the three ordinances tabled by the government in the parliament to get them approved.
“We had protested against the way the ordinances were issued but as the ruling party we have to support them when they are tabled for House’s approval,” said Pokharel. “We will table separate amendment proposal to make the ordinances perfect when the government tables bills to replace the ordinances.”
As per the constitution, the ordinances will be annulled if the parliament rejects them. The ordinances need endorsement by a simple majority of the House for their continuation.
Cabinet to table Bill to address Tharus’ demands
Pokharel added that the cabinet would approve the Bill that addresses the demands of the Tharu community and register it at the Parliament Secretariat. “Probably, the government will register the bill incorporating the agreements made with Tharu communities recently,” said Pokharel.
Tharus have already announced fresh round of stir alleging that the government failed to address their demand and did not incorporate the agreements in the bill. As per the agreement, the government is to abrogate the ordinances and table separate bills, one of them seeking amendment in the constitution. The amendment is to replace the term ‘Madhes’ with ‘Tarai Madhes’, and recognize Tharus and other communities as indigenous groups inside the Tarai through another bill (to make public services inclusive).
Rs 1.5 billion for flood victims
Leaders of five ruling parties have decided to provide Rs 1.5 billion as compensation to the victims of Koshi embankment breach. “The cabinet, possibly, will take a decision to this effect today,” said Anil Jha, a leader of Sadbhavana Party who was participant in the meeting. The amount was fixed by the ruling party leaders after consultation with Chief Secretary Bhoj Raj Ghimire and Finance Secretary Rameshwar Khanal.
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