Saturday, December 10, 2005

10 Point Agreement To Succeed 12 Point Agreement



"Today's meeting of the alliance has been given added importance as this is the first meeting held after they reached the understanding with the Maoists in Delhi recently. The meeting held at the party office of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) in the capital featured several issues including some of the "vague items" in the understanding reached with the rebels."

Kantipur

Prachanda Statement

If I were to rewrite the 12 point agreement, it would read as follows.

1. Today, the main desire of most Nepalis is to have democracy, peace, prosperity, social upliftment and an independent and sovereign Nepal. Toward that end, we fully agree that the main obstacle is an autocratic monarchy. Without an end to the autocratic monarchy and establishment of complete democracy we are clear that there will be no peace, progress and prosperity in the country. Therefore, we have reached an agreement that all forces against autocratic monarchy will step up their movement to end the autocratic monarchy and establish complete democracy.

2. The seven parties and the Maoists are committed to a constituent assembly elections to which will be held by an interim government functioning under an interim constitution that will make the interim prime minister the Commander In Chief of the army. Before the Maoists are invited to join the interim government, the two armies in the country are to be integrated through external mediation. If the integration not be total, foreign aid is to be sought to integrate the rest of the Maoist armed cadres into the economy. It is hoped that the integrated army will be downsized by the government that will come into power after a new parliament takes shape. The seven parties agree that the 1990 constitution is dead, and so is the 1999 House that can not exist outside the 1990 constitution. As to how to get to the interim government, a decisive movement is to be waged across the country. That might result in the king coming around to the idea of an interim government, in which case the question of monarchy will still be an issue in the constituent assembly. On the other hand, if the king be relentlessly uncompromising, the movement ends the monarchy before it forms the interim government, in which case the question of monarchy will not be an issue in the constituent assembly. It has been agreed that People’s power is the only alternative to meet the goals. This has been suggested as the interim constitution: Proposed Constitution.

3. The country wants a positive solution and a permanent peace. That is why we are committed to these goals and an end to the armed conflict through the end of autocratic monarchy, elections for the constituent assembly and the establishment of absolute democracy. The CPN (Maoist) expresses its commitment to move ahead in a peaceful new political current through this process.

4. The CPN (Maoist) makes public its commitment to clearly institutionalise the values of competitive multiparty system, civil and fundamental rights, human rights and the rule of the law. Human rights and press freedom will be respected while moving the peace process ahead.

5. The CPN (Maoist) has made the commitment to let the leaders, activists, and the people who were displaced during the armed conflict to be resettled in their homes. It has also committed that all land, houses and property seized unjustly will be returned. This will create an environment where people will be allowed to freely conduct their political activities.

6. Through self-criticism and self-evaluation of the past mistakes and shortcomings, the CPN (Maoist) is committed not to repeat those mistakes. The seven political parties have realised they made mistakes when they were in parliament and in government and have committed that they will not repeat those mistakes.

7. The talk of municipal elections and parliamentary polls is to trick the people and the international community and to legitimise the illegitimate and autocratic rule of the king. We will boycott these polls in our separate ways and urge the people to make such elections unsuccessful. But first we aim to try and bring the regime before the end of February through a continuous movement.

8. The people and their representative political parties are the real guards of nationalism. We are fully committed on the self-reliance, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity. It is our common duty to have friendly relations on the basis of the principle of peaceful co-existence with all the countries of the world, especially with our neighbours India and China. We urge all patriotic people to remain alert about Mandale nationalism that the king and the monarchists are preaching to the people. We also appeal to international powers to support the democratic movement against autocratic monarchy through all possible ways.

9. We urge civil society, professionals, people of all caste, communities and areas, the media, intellectuals and general Nepalis to actively participate in the people’s movement that will be conducted on the basis of our agreement that has democracy, peace, prosperity, progressive social change, freedom, sovereignty and integrity of the country as the cornerstone.

10. Past misbehaviour of the parties will be investigated, and action taken against those found guilty and the findings made public. Any problems arising will be sorted out at the concerned level or through discussion at the leadership level.

In The News

Respond to 12-point pact to restore peace in the country: Koirala NepalNews
163 army men punished for Rights violation
Remove illegal brick kilns from valley: SC
Local administration asks journos to be present before ZAO
Media ordinance is incomplete: Minister Rana
Army Chief to visit Pakistan
US concerned about rights abuses in Nepal
Torture as a violation of human rights in Nepal
Indian Foreign Secretary arriving Sunday Kantipur
Parties work to clarify 12-point understanding
Over 100 protestors detained, released later
Maoists training camp destroyed in Dhankuta: Army
Rice concerned over rights situation in Nepal
Understanding with Maoists was for peace:Koirala
Saran arriving in capital to convey Delhi's message
CMDP to reclaim Ratna Park
Maoists thwart NC mass meeting
Saran visits Nepal tomorrow, says it has potential to be rich Outlook (subscription), India
Thirty arrests at Nepal protest BBC News
Police scuffle with pro-democracy activists in Nepal Hindustan Times
Over a hundred arrested from HR Day demonstration in Nepal Asian Tribune, Thailand
Major civil unrest looms in Nepal Radio New Zealand, New Zealand
Nepal's new information minister wants fair Indian media Webindia123, India
US for democratic, prosperous Nepal: Rice NewKerala.com, India
After China, Nepal's army chief heading for Pakistan Asian Tribune, Thailand
Nepal Rules out Talks With King Himalayan Times, Nepal

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