The US has recognized and encouraged the new democratic government of Nepal, but the Maoists are unhappy with the process, and are throwing up roadblocks. The Government of Nepal has issued formal protest regarding Maoists demanding changes to the peace process. Here’s an article on the government statement from eKantipur:
CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal Saturday blamed the Maoists of trying to disrupt the peace process. “The Maoists have started putting forward new demands in order to deter the peace process,” Nepal said at a programme in the capital today. Nepal’s remarks come after the Maoists repeatedly called for dissolution of the House of Representatives
The US has endorsed the new government since the May 18th act stripped the Monarch of power as below from Wikipedia:
The May 18th actÂ
The most dramatic move of the post Loktantra Andolan government came on 18 May when the Parliament unanimously voted to strip the King of many of his powers. The bill included:
- Putting 90,000 troops in the hands of the parliament
- Placing a tax on the royal family and its assets
- Ending the Raj Parishad, a royal advisory council
- Eliminating royal references from army and government titles
- Declaring Nepal a secular country, not a Hindu Kingdom
The act overrides the 1990 Constitution, written up following the 1990 People’s Movement (Jana Andolan) yet has been described as a Nepalese Magna Carta. According to Prime Minister Koirala, “This proclamation represents the feelings of all the people.”
However, although they will immediately come into force, the plans are seen as provisional until a new constitution can be drawn up.
There are two things that make the communists still a threat: they hold sway over 70 percent of the country, and there is still a lot of class strife in Nepal. (Nepal is 80% Hindu, and Hindu religion creates a classed society) This is the standard formula for dangerous ideologies, they require large populations of uneducated or poorly educated people to obtain power, along with distinct underclasses.
Continue reading “Nepal Update, Maoists throwing up roadblocks”
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