|
Nepal
Parliament Dissolved
 |
|
Nepal Prime Minister
Deuba
|
By IOL South Asia Correspondent
New
Delhi, May 23 (IslamOnline) - Sharp differences about the extension of
emergency amongst the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) leaders ultimately
prompted the Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to recommend
the dissolution of the parliament to King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
Dev.
The
recommendation was accepted and late Wednesday, May 22, the state
radio and television announced that the King had dissolved the
205-member house of representatives at the recommendation of the prime
minister with immediate effect.
As
suggested by the prime minister, mid-term polls will be held on
November 13. Nepali media sources quoted a palace statement as saying
that the King has asked Deuba to continue till fresh elections are
held “peacefully.”
Earlier,
the ruling NC held a meeting of its working committee and passed a
resolution asking Deuba to withdraw the proposal to extend emergency
in the country. Notably, all along the entire rank and file of the
party had opposed the extension of the country-wide emergency, while
only prime minister Deuba supported the move.
A
state of emergency was announced on November 26 for three months to
fight the Maoist guerillas seeking to overthrow the monarchy in Nepal.
Later it was extended for another term of six months on February 21.
 |
|
Maoist rebels in
Nepal
|
An
NC press statement said after the stormy meeting: “There is no need
to continue the emergency rule at a time when the Anti-Terrorist Act
(Terrorist and Disruptive Activity Control and Punishment Act) has
already come into effect.”
Apparently
miffed over the party directive, Deuba recommended the dissolution of
the parliament. For quite some time his arch rival and party president
Girija Prasad Koirala, a former prime minister, was playing with
the idea of forming a committee to coordinate between the party and
the government, a move disliked by Deuba.
Meanwhile,
the U.S. State Department has said in its annual report on global
terrorism that the Nepali Maoists are in control of five districts in
the western part of the country. It says that the rebels have a
significant presence in 17 other districts, and some presence in
nearly all the remaining 53 districts of the country.
The
report said that Nepal is a staunch supporter of the U.S. efforts
against “terrorism” and that it even agreed to allow access to its
airports and airspace.
“Like
India,” the report remarked, “Nepal was more a target of terrorism
- primarily from indigenous Maoist revolutionaries - than a base for
terrorism against the United States.” Prospects for negotiations
between the Maoists and the government “are very dim,” the report
added.
The
Maoists have been demanding the abolition of Nepal's constitutional
monarchy. Since the declaration of the emergency their activities have
turned more violent.
Political analysts said
that the dissolution of the parliament would make Nepal more
vulnerable to attacks from Maoist insurgents. It will also delay the
political process and security agencies will have to continue
combating insurgency.
|
