As per the announcement that came in the government´s "Immediate Relief Package" unveiled on Friday amidst a press conference, the government will direct all local administrations to make the Maoists return seized properties to their rightful owners. [break]
Returning seized property is one of the components of the five-year-old peace process that began with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) in November 2006. Though the CPN (Maoist), as it then was, had committed itself to returning confiscated properties in the CPA and subsequently in two more agreements relating to the peace process, these commitments were never acted upon.
The government has committed itself to settling all problems related to return of seized properties within three months and forming a high-level commission for that purpose.
The opposition Nepali Congress and CPN-UML said they are waiting to see implementation of the commitment this time.
"Many commitments were made in the past. So, we will wait to see the implementation," NC leader Dr Minendra Rijal told Republica, adding, "If it is implemented, the move will certainly lessen the severity of the wounds from the conflict."
CPN-UML Spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali also commented in similar vein. "The party should formally declare that it disowns all seized property and ask the administrative offices to facilitate implementation of the decision if there is to be return of seized properties in actual practice."
Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai told a press conference after announcement of the relief package that this time the commitment will be implemented.
"My party will support in implementing it. Please dispel doubts on its implementation. It will be implemented as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement," the prime minister said when reminded of the past experience of non-implementation of similar commitments.
There is concern that the Mohan Baidya faction may protest the government´s plan much in the way it objected to the handover of the arms container keys.
Maoist party Secretary CP Gajurel, who is close to the Baidya faction, said, "Party policy is that we should return property seized in the conflict period after arranging alternatives [for those who have been using seized land]. I don´t know whether the government has arranged alternatives. If there are alternatives, the properties will be returned. Otherwise, the implementation will be in trouble."
This is the fourth commitment made to address the problem of seized property. Earlier, in the CPA in 2006, the then seven-party alliance and CPN (Maoist) had agreed to solve the problem and formulate scientific land reform policies. In December 2007, the Maoist party announced return of all private and public land seized during the conflict, within a month. A district-level mechanism under the chief district officer was supposed to be formed to implement the commitment.
The Maoists made a third commitment in June 2008: they agreed with other parties to return seized properties within 15 days. This agreement also empowered the local administration to take legal action against any obstruction in the process of implementing the decision.
A report of the Carter Center on monitoring of the commitments says that successive governments and the Maoists have partially fulfilled the land-return commitments. There has been no change in the situation since the report was prepared in June 2010.
According to Nepali Congress lawmaker Jagadish Narsing KC, who was member of a parliamentary committee formed in 2009 to oversee return of seized property, the Maoists are yet to return a significant amount of land seized during the conflict, despite repeated commitments.
The Cater Center says in its 2010 report that the Maoists have returned some land mostly in the eastern, central and western Tarai and the hills and mountains. But seized properties in the mid and far-western regions have not yet been returned.
There is no credible and impartial official inventory of seized properties. But KC, based on a report of his party, says that land belonging to approximately 2,200 families was captured by the Maoists.
According to the Carter Center report, most of the private properties seized by the Maoists during the conflict was in the Tarai. And the far and mid-western Tarai were the most affected in terms of number of cases.
In another peace process-related issue, the government has committed itself to take initiatives to get laws related to a transitional mechanism enacted by parliament within 15 days, and to constitute a much-awaited truth and reconciliation commission and a commission on enforced disappearances.
Similarly, the government has announced special relief programs before Dashain for those affected by the Maoist conflict, the Janandolan and the Madhesh, Janjati and Tharuhat movements.
In another component of the peace process, the government said it would start recruitment for the 10,000 posts created in the national army to represent the Madhesi community, in a bid to usher in democratization and inclusiveness in the army.
Good governance
The government has promised to bring in good governance by drafting a bill on inclusiveness and filling all the vacancies in constitutional bodies and the diplomatic service immediately. It also said a code of conduct for ministers will be enforces and austerity measures adopted. It further said it will adopt a ´zero tolerance´ policy toward corruption and set up quality circles at all the ministries to implement an anti-corruption plan of action.
Security
In the relief package, the government has promised to improve law and order in the country. It said arrangements will be made to make highway security effective with quick-response teams positioned every 50 kilometers.
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