KATHMANDU, July 9: Constitution drafting, state restructuring, ending feudalism and achieving rapid economic growth are the top priorities of the government, said President Dr Ram Baran Yadav on Thursday.
Presenting the government´s annual programs and policies in the legislature-parliament, the president called for consensus among the political parties to attain these goals. [break]
“National consensus among the political parties is extremely important to attain the epoch-making transformations sought by the people,” said Dr Yadav, reading out the government´s programs and policies.
He told the lawmakers that promulgation of a new constitution on time, restructuring of the state, ending feudalism and achieving rapid economic development together with socio-economic transformation are the main priorities of the government.
“We have succeeded in resolving the differences that had obstructed the legislative-parliament. It is self evident that the challenges ahead can also be tackled on the basis of dialogue, consensus and cooperation,” he said.
He said the government plans to conduct supervision, integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants prior to the completion of the task of writing the new constitution.
In its programs and policies, the government, according to the president, plans to develop a special mechanism to stop the acts of obstructing major roads and essential services in the name of banda. A system of third-party insurance will be implemented to end road obstructions owing to traffic accidents and road obstructions will be cleared by rapid deployment of security forces.
The government will provide relief to the families of those who were killed or disappeared or displaced during the conflict.
Those whose property has been forcibly seized as well as those whose property has been damaged will receive compensation. A special fund will be established for the rescue, relief, rehabilitation and assistance to those who have been affected by violence and conflict and are displaced.
The government plans to set up low cost “People´s Residences” for the highly backward community, poor dalits, endangered ethnic groups and marginalized communities. To provide social security to the elderly people, old-age homes will be constructed immediately in five development regions.
The government will emphasize public, cooperative and private sector partnership and make the economy socialism- and people-oriented.
The president said the government will initiate distribution of ´State-Privileged Identity Cards´ in order to raise the living standards of families living below the poverty line, and priority will be given to ID card holders while providing services by government authorities including education, health, food, employment etc.
Maoists´ symbolic protest
As a symbolic protest against what they call the extra-constitutional move by President Ram Baran Yadav to reinstate Army Chief Rookmangud Katawal, the main opposition UCPN (Maoist) sent only two lawmakers to the parliament on Thursday. They were Posta Bahadur Bogati and Narayankaji Shrestha. Maoist-nominated Bijchhu Ananda was also present in the hall. Lawmakers from Madhesi People´s Rights Forum were divided in opposition and ruling benches.
When asked to make a comment on the government´s programs and policies, senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai said, "We didn´t expect better programs from an illegitimate government because this government itself is formed on a wrong foundation.”
“They tried to make it look good by incorporating some of our popular programs," he said.
Ruling NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Poudel said that the programs and policies looked as if they were prepared by the UML in the name of a coalition government. “We will have to discuss it with the UML," he said.
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