Pressure mounts on Maoists to withdraw action

17 parties unite against govt action, ruling UML too backs opposition

House adjourned over t govt action against Katawal

KATHMANDU, April 21: The government seems to have relented to the intense domestic and international pressure to withdraw the action initiated against Army Chief, Rookmangud Katawal. [break]

Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, postponed the cabinet meeting scheduled at 5 pm, which was supposed to take final decision on Katawal’s future.

The deferral came after most of the opposition and two ruling parties opposed the government action, terming it as “politically motivated”. Of the 24 political parties represented in the Constituent Assembly, 16 opposed the government action.

According to highly placed sources, India and the United States also put intense pressure on the government not to sack the army chief. Indian Ambassador, Rakesh Sood, met Prime Minister Dahal for the second time in as many days and appraised him of the Indian government’s view. US Ambassador, Nancy J Powell, also called on Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam and informed her country’s reservation against the government action.

A Maoist leader, however, claimed that the decision to sack the army chief was put on hold only for a day. “Government can take the decision tomorrow,” he said.

The cabinet meeting is scheduled for Wednesday morning, according to a cabinet source.

Earlier in the morning the Maoist secretariat meeting had given a go ahead to the prime minister.

Finance Ministers, Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai and Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa had also advised the Prime Minister to dismiss the army chief.

Cabinet’s controversial decision to initiate action against Katawal has sharply polarized political parties, both in the ruling and opposition camps. Except the ruling Maoists, Madhesi People’s Rights Forum, Sadbhavana Party and opposition Dalit Janajati Party, Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch and National People’s Front, all the parties have stood united against the government move.

Ruling party CPN-UML came up openly with protests against the decision in a meeting of 17 parties initiated by Nepali Congress. Party Vice-Chairperson Bidya Bhandari termed the Maoist move as ´motivated by ill intention´ and said her party was against all the attempts aimed at inviting instability and imposing single party authoritarianism by demoralizing judiciary, press and national security agencies.

"Although our party believed that the government can seek clarification from army chief, the current one is motivated by ill-intention," Bhandari said. "The government decision is strongly against peace process, independent judiciary and our party strongly opposes it.” Another UML leader KP Sharma Oli also warned of serious consequence if action is taken against Katawal.

All the 16 parties knocked at President’s doors immediately after an all-party meeting, urging the constitutional head of state for his initiatives to stop the government from taking further action against the army chief.

They claimed the action would seriously affect the ongoing peace and constitution-making process and was blatant violation of the Comprehensive Peace Accord. Nepali Congress also separately met with the president.

The Maoists’ secretariat meeting, however, backed the government action. “If his [Katawal’s] reply is not convincing, he should be removed,” said," Secretariat member Barsha Man Pun.

House meeting disrupted

Meeting of the Legislature-parliament was postponed till Thursday after opposition party members picketed Speaker’s rostrum against the government’s action initiated against Army Chief Rookmangud Katawal.

As ruling CPN-UML members, too, joined the main opposition to protest against the government decision, speaker Subas Nembang announced adjournment of the meeting till Thursday afternoon. When opposition lawmakers picketed the rostrum ruling Unified CPN (Maoist) members marched to the rostrum demanding smooth running of the House meeting.

To stop the situation from turning tensed, Nembang adjourned the meeting without entering into formal agenda. It is eighth adjournment of the House without entering agenda.

Earlier, senior leader of Nepali Congress Sher Bahaddur Deuba accused the Maoist-led government of making planned attack on judiciary, press and the national security agencies with an intention to control them. He claimed all the three points on which Katawal has been asked to clarify on don’t have showed the Maoists intended to sack Katawal at any pretext.

"Since the issue of reinstating the retired army generals is a sub judice case, there is no point in seeking clarification with the army chief over the issue," said Deuba. "The PLA combatants must remain in UN-monitored camps until integration. But the prime minister allowed them participation in National Games violating the past agreement.”

Ruling CPN-UML lawmaker Pradip Gyawali also protested against the way the government initiated action against Katawal. Gyawali said Nepal Army has already become fully democratic with the transformation of political system. Charging that the Defense ministry could never act as a guardian of Nepal Army, Gyawali asked the Maoist to immediately stop the process of seeking clarification from army chief Katawal.

“Defense Ministry is acting like a guardian of YCL and PLA,” he said.

Maoist lawmaker CP Gajurel said the NA stood against the people’s supremacy by ignoring the directives of elected government. Stating that the government will not withdraw its decision of seeking clarification from the army chief, Gajurel, who is also the Maoist Foreign bureau chief, asked other political parties not to play politics under the support of army.

“It (NA) is still not a democratic force,” he said.

During the meeting, lawmaker from Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Lokendra Bahadur Chand warned that the country may plunge into chaos due to the recent row between the Maoist and the army.

He said the Maoist-led government, which was formed under interim constitution, has no legitimate right to take decision of long-term significance.

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