KATHMANDU, May 22: Caretaker Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has claimed that all partners in his government had given their consent for sacking Nepal Army (NA) Chief Rookmangud Katawal. [break]
In his address to the parliament on Friday, Prime Minister Dahal, who is also the chairman of Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), charged that the ruling coalition partners under pressure from domestic and foreign powers took a U-turn on the issue.
“Only Rajendra Mahato of Sadbhawana Party asked me to think ten times while dismissing the army chief. Maybe a remote control from somewhere caused them to change their earlier stance; some parties in the government turned 180 degree,” he said. Clearly hinting at India, Dahal further said, “This has proved how weak is our parties´ stance and how void is their commitment to Loktantra and civilian supremacy.”
He said how long the practice of surrendering to foreign forces and betrayal will continue in Nepal is a serious question.
He charged that the events following the government´s decision to sack the army chief reflected authoritarian regime and put the entire peace process into crisis.
“Those who encouraged the president to stay the government´s legitimate authority to sack the army chief, are not in favor of drafting a new constitution and are not committed to the peace process,” Dahal fumed.
While coming heavily against India, Dahal said his attempt to redefine the traditional relation between India and China led to his government´s fall.
“Right from Indians fight against British rule, abolition of Rana rule in Nepal, we have to think that basic ingredients of our relations with India have not yet been redefined. After I became the prime minister, I wanted to move in a different manner from traditional course whether it is the Olympic Games in China or other issues inside and outside the country. I deeply feel that the historical necessity to redefine the two countries´ relation has not yet been completed but the traditional concept of big brother and the smaller one continues,” he said.
While defending the government´s decision to sack the army chief, Dahal said Katawal´s remarks against army integration and against the Comprehensive Peace Accord considering his background were much suspicious. “However, my government tried to transform him and the entire army. But Katawal stood like a politician and the government had no option but to take action against him,” he said.
He termed the president´s move unconstitutional, undemocratic and unethical. He said the president created the dual regime and invited political encounter. “We sensed an imminent political encounter and I resigned to prevent the country from heading toward political crisis,” he said.
He also termed the current initiative of forming a majority government a dirty game. “The current game of forming a majority government has reflected the practice of horse-trading during the king´s rule. Our party strongly condemns the attempt to form a new government without correcting the unconstitutional move of the president,” he said.
Prime Minister Dahal repeatedly claimed that his party will never backtrack on the peace process and will remain committed to drafting a new constitution. He also appealed to neighboring countries and international community to cooperate for formulating a new constitution.
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