Maoists issue 48-hour ultimatum to Koirala

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Maoists_issue_48-hour_ultimatum_to_Koirala/articleshow/2620943.cms
14 Dec 2007, 0000 hrs IST,TNN

KATHMANDU: Angered by the government's refusal to jettison Gyanendra and change the election system, the Maoists on Thursday gave a 48-hour ultimatum to PM Girija Prasad Koirala, saying they would start a new movement from Sunday and seek to reshuffle the cabinet if their demands were not met.

When parliament convenes on Saturday afternoon, the former outlaws want the government to move a proposal for amending the new constitution, giving the final blow to the 238-year-old monarchy, which has remained suspended since mid-January.

Prachanda, chairman of the Maoist party and the supreme commander of their guerrilla army, sounded the warning in Simra airport in south Nepal on Thursday while returning to Kathmandu from Janakpur town, where he had been attending a programme of the Rastriya Madhesi Mukti Morcha, the Terai wing of the party.

The visit was significant, coming at a time the prime minister too remained closeted with the Terai MPs from his party and the other major party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, saw its chief Madhav Kumar Nepal parleying with his Terai MPs.

The new consultations come after a senior minister from Koirala's Nepali Congress party, Mohanta Thakur, resigned as science, technology and environment minister as well as from the party. Three more Terai MPs from other parties also quit together to form a new regional party whose emergence is certain to lessen the already diminishing influence of the ruling parties as well as the Maoists in the southern plains.

The resignations dominated the house on Thursday as well with lawmakers expressing concern at the move. Maoist MP and former minister Dev Gurung held the state’s failure to abolish monarchy responsible for the exits.

"If the government doesn't address Madhes issues immediately, it could secede," Gurung said in parliament. "Not just Madhes, but other marginalised ethnic communities - like the Limbuwans and Kirants - are also likely to follow suit."

"For 250 years, the kings of Nepal oppressed and exploited Madhes" the once underground MP said. "Then the parties, with their monolithic and monopolistic character continued to ignore people's rights and dominate it. All decisions were made from Singh Durbar (the heart of the government in Kathmandu), no one consulted the people. If the government doesn’t initiate steps to reorganise the country into a federal democratic republic, there will be a moral, political and constitutional crisis."

From Sunday, Gurung said, his party would start a peaceful movement that would be directed both from parliament and the streets. It would also seek to change the government, he said.

A similar threat in October had caused the government to indefinitely put off the election, scheduled on 22 November.

A third warning came from the Chief Election Commissioner Bhojraj Pokhrel. Pokhrel, reminded the government that time was running out.

The election commission needs 110 days for poll arrangements after all necessary laws have been formulated. Though Pokhrel says he can hold the twice-deferred election in 90 days' time, the laws are yet to be enacted.

The government has to first amend the constitution that had decreed a November election. Since Nepal missed the date, the parties need to name a fresh date and amend the statute.

Also, if the government decides to give in to the Maoists and switch over to a fully proportional electoral system, it would require massive changes, both in the constitution and election laws.