| August 1 |
Three students were critically injured when a clash erupted between the students affiliated to ANNFSU, student wing of CPN-UML and students of ANNISU-Revolutionary, student wing of UCPN-Maoist at Musikot-based Khalnga Multiple Campus in Rukum District. Those injured in the clashes are ANNISU-Revolutionary, Rukum District member Sushil Bista, Campus Unit chairman Sundar Sharma and Campus Unit member Binod Oli. They have received deep cut on their heads.
The UCPN-Maoist has decided to start “serious talks” with the opposition parties for a package agreement on constitution, power sharing and election.
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| August 2 |
UCPN-M decided to form a 251-member national convention organizing committee, flouting its own statute which calls for a maximum of 175 members in such a committee. The party though had formed a 175-member committee earlier; it added 76 more members in the committee following pressure from state committees. When asked, party UCPN-M spokesman Dina Nath Sharma said, “Party spirit is more important than the number.” There are 31 women, 13 Madhesis and nine Dalits in the expanded general convention organizing committee.
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| August 3 |
The decision of UCPN-M to form a 251-member national convention organizing committee has received criticism from different factions in the party. Sources claimed that the cadres of Baburam Bhattarai had expressed dissatisfaction over the selection process through various means of communication. Some 11 leaders of Bhojpura State Committee including Rautahat District in-charge Devendra Patel, Bara District in-charge Hari Chaulagain ‘Lalkiran’, former MP Satya Narayan Bhagat, former minister, Jwala Kumari Sah and Uddhab Pokhrel were preparing to quit the party by organizing a press conference at Birgunj.
NC leader Bilamendra Nidhi said the next election should be for the CA as the constitution drafted by any other means would not be acceptable to all. Bilamendra Nidhi’s statement contradicts the opinion of majority of the district presidents of the NC, who had suggested the party leadership to go for parliamentary elections instead of CA elections.
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| August 4 |
UCPN-M decided to hold its general convention from January 27, 2013. A meeting of the general convention organising committee held at the party headquarters, Peris Danda, fixed the general convention date. However, the end date of the general convention was rather unclear. According to Dina Nath Sharma, who is now replaced by Agni Sapkota as party spokesperson, the general convention would conclude by February 12. Similarly, the party will conduct the conventions of its village, district and state committees by January 13, starting from October 2, 2011.
The meeting also changed the responsibilities of the central leaders according to which Dahal will command the entire affairs of the party at the centre while Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai will look after matters with the government. Likewise, Krishna Bahadur Mahara has been appointed head of the organisation department while Post Bahadur Bogati will oversee matters with the party headquarters. Dina Nath Sharma has been given the responsibility of intellectual department.
President Dr Ram Baran Yadav is scheduled to hold consultation with the top leaders of 27 political parties including opposition Nepali Congress and CPN-UML as a part of his initiation to end current political impasse of the country on August 5.
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| August 5 |
JTMM, a Terai-based armed group led by Bhagat Singh, has agreed to handover its weapons to the local authority following the talks with Government’s representatives in Pakali of Sunsari District. As a gesture of commitment to the agreement, the armed group handed over seven sets of pistols and a revolver to District Administration Office, Sunsari, after the talks. Signing a four-point agreement with the Government, the armed group has agreed to collect all of its weapons and hand over to the government within 20 days. As per the agreement, the Government will start the process of releasing the armed outfit’s cadres from various jails and will also withdraw the cases filed against its cadres.
The SC scrapped a writ seeking an order to the President Ram Baran Yadav to remove Baburam Bhattarai and initiate the process for the formation of new Council of Ministers. The Court scrapped the writ saying that there was no any reason to issue show cause notice on a complete political issue at a time when there is absence of Constituent Assembly and the Parliament.
Political leaders and activists argued that even though the proposal of forming a single party in Madhes is a welcome one, the idea will find it difficult to bear fruit. Sadbhawana Party General Secretary Manish Suman said the proposal of forming a single party was a positive move. However, he expressed doubts over how such a party would be able to accommodate leaders who are all “vying for power”. TMLP vice chairman Hridayesh Tripathy said formation of a single party in Madhes was necessary to ensure the identity and rights of Madhesi people. He clarified that his party was not claiming the leadership of such a party.
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| August 6 |
Normal life in three Districts of Kathmandu Valley have been affected due to achakkajam (vehicular shutdown) enforced by the CPN-UML aligned YAN for the second day on August 6.YAN, supported by 16 youth wings of various parties, is imposing the vehicular traffic from 6am to 10am in the Valley since August 5 demanding the resignation of caretaker PM Baburam Bhattarai at the earliest to make way for a new national consensus government.
The UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda has stepped up efforts to strike a “working alliance” with the Mohan Baidya led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist, Baidya). Leaders from both the parties claim such an alliance will prepare ground for party unity in the future.
Dahal is also planning to “re-strengthen” relations with Madheshi parties andJanajati constituencies, according to sources. Dahal also plans to enhance strategic alliance with the SLMM so that their power to bargain with the NC and the CPN-UML gets a boost.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that issues of nationalism and sovereignty are still a matter of challenge to Nepal. He also said that Nepal’s political parties were capable of handling these challenges if they come together. “We cannot always blame others for interfering in Nepal’s affairs. But we will never compromise with others on the issue of nationalism,” he stressed.
Nepal Police busted a FICN racket arresting three people, including two Pakistani nationals, and seized FICN with face value over INR 2.9 million from a hotel in Kathmandu. According to an official, the FICN were in INR 500 and INR 1,000 denominations. The arrested were identified as Muhammod Naee Mullah, 47, Sohail Mohamad Ismail, 40, both Pakistani nationals and Rehmat Basir Dhobi, 48, a resident of Bara District in southern Nepal.
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| August 7 |
Reacting to PM Baburam Bhattarai’s “foreign intervention” remark, CPN-UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal on August 6 asked the PM to clarify his remarks. On August 3, PM Bhattarai had spoken extensively about “foreign intervention”, indirectly admitting that intervention in the country’s internal affairs was growing of late. He had said that the “key to run the country is somewhere else”. “You already know about regional and international dynamics. It is not easy to get things done the way one would like,” Bhattarai had said.
Khanal said that his party would not accept ethnic federalism abandoning CPN-UML’s official line of multi-ethnic federalism. Instead, his party “is ready for fresh polls” after the formation of a national consensus government. Reiterating that the present government should quit, he said a consensus government is the only way out of the present political crisis. He warned that the government would be forcibly removed through protests if the UCPN-M did not come forward for consensus.
The UCPN-M said that there is no meaning in demanding resignation of the PM as the government has already turned into a caretaker. Hinting at the NC and the CPN-UML, the party also said that there is a “serious conspiracy” to impose the parliamentary system in the country, sabotaging the agenda of the CA. Newly appointed UCPN-M spokesperson Agni Sapkota said that the five-point agreement signed by the parties on May 3, 2012, was no longer relevant with the dissolution of the CA on May 27.
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| August 8 |
YAN, the youth wing of the CPN-UML, decided to allow the vehicles of educational institutions to ply on the roads during their chakkajam (vehicular strike) in the morning of August 8 (today). A meeting of the YAN leaders in the evening of August 7 decided not to restrict school and college buses. The YAN also reduced the four-hour chakkajam to three hours in Kathmandu valley, starting from 6 am. However, the duration of chakkajam outside the valley will be as it is, YAN vice president Jhapat Rawal said. The YAN has been enforcing chakkajam from August 5 to pressure the government to step down.
The CPN—UML leader Prithivi Subba Gurung said that Janajatis were left with no option but to form their own party as major political parties NC and the CPN-UML turned a blind eye to the issues concerning the indigenous nationalities. He said there was pressing need for a separate party of the indigenous nationalities to ensure their rights. A national gathering of NEFIN held in the first week of July had decided to form a new party on August 9. CPN-UML has already relieved Gurung and other senior Janajati leaders off crucial responsibilities inside the party to punish them for criticizing the party for its stand against identity-based federalism.
NWPP chairman Narayan Man Bijukchhe urged President Ram Baran Yadav to take a step to end political deadlock of the country. He said that President should not remain silent to prevent the country from further political crisis. President Yadav on August 5 had consulted leaders of 27 political parties, including NC and CPN-UML to find way outs to the current political impasse in the country.
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| August 9 |
Janajati (indigenous people) leaders and intellectuals announced the proposed name and the manifesto of the proposed party, the day the country marked the International Day of Indigenous People. The proposed ‘Social Democratic Pluri-National Party’ will aim to include people from all social, political and ethnic backgrounds, leaders said. The manifesto aims to form a “national alternative political force” that would accommodate people of every background, irrespective of caste, class, culture, location and creed. It has included a provision of group leadership so as to avoid a possible power tussle within the party. The group leadership will be rotated to give equal opportunity to all, leaders said.
Chaitanya said the new party will be finally formed within three months after they collate public opinion from across the country. A 101-member taskforce has been formed to collect public opinion. The leaders’ plan to announce the party formation was postponed at the behest of some influential leaders like CPN-UML vice chairman Ashok Rai. The leaders cited lack of groundwork in forming a new party.
The ruling parties— UCPN-M and SLMM—decided to form a separate alliance of pro-federalist forces. A meeting of the ruling and certain fringe parties decided to form a “broader alliance of federalist supporters. Altogether 21 political parties including the UCPN-Maoist, Madheshi parties aligned to SLMM and other fringe parties marked their presence at the meeting.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said he is ready to step down provided there’s ‘guarantee’ of identity-based constitution.
CPN-UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel as saying that his party has no greed to take the government leadership but is ready to take charge if NC backs out. He urged the NC leaders to solve their internal conflicts if they want to lead the government. Claiming that the Baburam Bhattarai-led government is degrading every day, Pokharel said that the President is becoming more active to compensate for the same.
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| August 10 |
The CPN-Maoist-Baidya announced an alliance with seven other fringe left parties to push its demand for leadership of the next Government. CPN-M-Baidya vice chairman CP Gajurel said at a press conference organised to inform about the formation of the Federal Republican Front. Gajurel heads the Front. He also said the CPN-M-Baidya was firm in its demand for a roundtable conference in order to find a way out of the current political crisis. The parties in the front include Revolutionary Communist Party of Nepal, CPN-Unified, Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Dal, Nepal Nagarik Party, Tharu Mukti Party and Jajamukti Party.
UCPN-M chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda said that formation of new alliance to press for identity-based federalism would not disrupt the environment for consensus among the political parties. Dahal said that the proposed alliance would help build trust instead.
Vice President Paramananda Jha said that reinstatement of the dissolved CA would be the best option to end current political deadlock of the country. He also suggested the political parties to revive the CA and endorse amended Interim Constitution through it to give outlet to the country. According to him, revival of the CA was compulsory to amend Interim Constitution to hold the election as well. “Only the political parties can resolve the current political crisis,” he added, “President is also making efforts for possible way outs.”
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| August 11 |
Jaya Narayan Pasawan alias Barud Tyagi, ‘commander’ of JTMM, was killed in retaliatory firing by the Police at Belaekdara along the Samasi-Jaleshwor road in Mahottari District. Pasawan was the outfit’s ‘commander’ for Mahottari, Sarlahi and Dhanusha Districts. Superintendent of Police Suraj KC said Constable Surendra Chaudhary was injured in the incident. Police seized a country-made pistol and its two ammunitions from the victim.
Youth wings aligned with 21 opposition parties announced additional programmes of protest to exert pressure on PM Baburam Bhattarai to step down. The protest programmes include disrupting the functions organised by the government to mark the Youth Day and shutting down academic institutions with English names on August 15, bringing out ‘mockery rally’ against the PM and demonstrating in the district administration offices of all 75 districts on Augusts 16, conducting public polls on the legitimacy of the government August 18 and submitting the results of public polls to the President on August 20. The youth leaders said they would continue joint protest until PM Bhattarai resigns from his post.
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| August 13 |
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said that he was ready to quit “any minute” provided there was an alternative to the his government.
Leaders of ruling UCPN-M, United UDMF and 21 other fringe parties have decided to announce the formation of Federal Democratic Alliance of “pro-federal forces” on August 15. A meeting of the ruling coalition was held to discuss the formation of proposed alliance of Maoists, Madhesh based parties and fringe parties (that want the establishment of federal Nepal) until the next election took a decision to that effect.
MJF, Republican, a constituent of UDMF, said that the plans and policies, federal council, among others will also be announced from the assembly of pro-federal forces on August 15. The meeting also decided to change the name of the alliance to Federal Democratic Republican Alliance and discussed the ToR for forming it.
CPN-UML leader K.P Oli said that even as his party was ready to back the NC to head the next government the NC party would not able to run the government. Oli claimed that CPN-UML was the only party that could effectively lead the government given the ongoing tussle between the UCPN-M and the NC. In what contradicted the protests being organised by CPN-UML’s Youth Association demanding Prime Minister Bhattarai’s resignation, Oli said there was no point demanding the resignation until there was consensus along with an agreement on the prime ministerial candidate.
Former PLA combatants under the seventh PLA camp in Kailali have left their cantonments in droves. They said they can no longer lead a cloistered life waiting for the integration work to make headway.
A few combatants remain in the Talband-based main camp while two other satellite camps are vacant, NA Colonel Arjun Khadka said. He said the satellite camps at Masuritya and Chisapani are vacant since August 12. He said their commanders have stopped communicating with the camp. There are 319 combatants under the seventh division camp.
The CPN-UML instructed its leaders from the centre to the local level to focus on preparations for upcoming fresh polls. Issuing an intra-party circular to cadres across the country and aboard, CPN-UML has asked all eligible voters to be registered with the new digital voter registration campaign launched by the Election Commission. CPN-UML leaders said the circular was issued after concluding that the parties had no alternative to fresh polls given the dissolution of the CA without a new constitution. The circular stated that CPN-UML is in favour of parliamentary elections with the mandate of completing the remaining tasks of a new constitution. |
| August 14 |
Cadres of NC and CPN-UML waved black flags at Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai at Banepa when he was there on his way to Dhulikhel to attend a programme organised by KU.
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| August 15 |
UCPN-Maoist-led FDRA of 21 political parties was formally announced. UCPN-M ‘chairman’ Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda heads the alliance. The FDRA consists of all the allies in the ruling coalition, including the Madheshi Front and some fringe political parties. Prem Bahadur Singh, a former minister and the chairman of Loktantrik Samajbadi Dal, has been appointed its spokesperson.
UCPN-M, Chairman, Dahal during the occasion said that the alliance was formed in order to press the agenda of federalism and that it was not targeted against any particular party or parties. He said it was going to be a long-term strategic alliance. Claiming that other parties, including the Mohan Baidya led CPN-Maoist-Baidya would also join the FDRA eventually, ‘Prachanda’ reiterated that the government was not going to resign until there was consensus between the parties. Dahal also said fresh election to the CA was the first option but the alliance would also be ready for reinstatement of the dissolved CA for a brief period provided the parties arrived at an understanding on promulgation of the constitution.
14 heads of various NC party departments and two NC zonal coordinators have resigned en masse from their new posts, expressing dissatisfaction at the low representation of Deuba faction in the new bodies. The disgruntled leaders of the Deuba camp led by party central leader Min Bahadur Biswarkma submitted their group resignation to NC President Sushil Koirala at the party central office in Sanepa. The NC president had constituted 12 different departments and appointed heads of all 42 departments two weeks earlier, giving 13 of them to Deuba faction.
Senior CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal said the UCPN-Maoist-led FDRA announced would only invite political confrontation. The CPN-UML leader also claimed that Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai would be removed from his post through a street movement.
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| August 16 |
NC decided to seek a review on SC verdict on a corruption case against former minister and NC leader Khum Bahadur Khadka. The NC Central Committee meeting held at party headquarters in Sanepa Lalitpur and decided to seek a judicial review on the SC verdict that convicted Khadka of corruption and slapped 18 months jail sentence and Nepali Rupee 9.5 million penalty on August 14.The NC further said that the SC verdict was biased as it revoked the Special Court’s five-year-old decision that acquitted Khadka.
UCPN-Maoist ‘chairman’ Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda, who heads the newly formed FDRA of 20 political parties, claimed that the alliance would be instrumental in finding a channel to the current political stalemate.
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| August 17 |
President Ram Baran Yadav turned down the two election-related ordinances, presented to him by the Government on July 27 related to the amendment to the Election Act and the Election to the CA. According to the President Office, President did not see any relevance of introducing the ordinance at the moment in view of the Election Commission’s official notice to the Government that the conducting the election on November 22 would not be possible due to lack of political consensus and necessary laws.
UCPN-M chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda, who heads newly formed FDRA, suggested NC and CPN-UML to form a separate alliance.
Rift between rival factions in NC has further widened as the party establishment faction took various decisions amidst opposition from Sher Bahadur Deuba faction. The NC Central Working Committee endorsed the proposal of party president Sushil Koirala on the basis of majority vote despite the objection from the rival faction. The meeting passed the proposal to create 12 more departments, make appointments to 42 departments, form various committees including Central Disciplinary Committee, Central Election Committee, Central Audit Committee and two directive committees to hold general conventions of the sister wings.
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| August 19 |
UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda and PM Baburam Bhattarai have agreed to resend the two election-related ordinances rejected by President Ram Baran Yadav. The move is likely to escalate the already fragile tensions between the President and the Prime Minister. A meeting of the two leaders also concluded that the President was crossing his ‘constitutional limits’ by taking political decisions. Immediately after his arrival from a three-day visit outside the Kathmandu valley, Dahal met Bhattarai to discuss ways to tackle the President’s rejection of the ordinances. According to a source, the two leaders concluded that if the party failed to raise its voice against the President’s move, similar steps could be taken in future.
Talking to reporters outside Kathmandu, Dahal said that the President committed a mistake by rejecting the ordinances. Maoist Spokesman Agni Sapkota said that the Government had begun preparations for resending the ordinances.
Two days after refusing to endorse two ordinances related to election forwarded by the Government, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav defended his move saying that he did so as the Election Commission had already told the government that conducting the Constituent Assembly polls on 22 November was impossible.
17 youth and student wings affiliated to various political parties including NC and CPN-UML staged demonstration in front of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s official residence in Baluwatar demanding his resignation.
PMO has told the SC that it was seeking an urgent solution to the difficulties seen in appointments to the constitutional bodies, including justices in the apex court and ambassadors, as per the spirit of the Interim Constitution. Furnishing a written reply to the apex court on August 14 in response to the court’s show-cause notice, PMO Secretary Jay Mukunda Khanal stated that the difficulty in appointing members to the constitutional posts arose in the absence of parliament. Khanal has stated that as of now there is no way to appoint members to the constitutional bodies without following the constitutional parliamentary hearing process. Article 155 of the Interim Constitution stipulates that officials appointed to the constitutional bodies, including the SC and ambassadors, face parliamentary hearing prior to their legal appointment.
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