Nepalgunj, January 28, 2008

The joint mass meeting of the seven parties was organised amid tight security on the premises of Tandon Rice Mill here today.

Speaking on the occasion, NC joint general secretary and spokesperson Arjun Narsingh KC said the constituent assembly should be a venue where all problems of the Nepalis are resolved. “Nobody can defer the CA polls now,” he said. Saying that people of Tarai are no less nationalists than their counterparts in the hills and other parts of the country, he said their contribution to different movements should not be undermined.

CPN (UML) leader Bamdev Gautam said the CA will address problems of Madhesi, Dalits, oppressed, peasants and workers. He said all problems of the country will be resolved if the seven parties tackle them honestly. Gautam said the seven parties should keep aside differences and uphold national interest.

The CA polls will be held on time, he said. Spokesperson for the CPN (Maoist) and Minister for Information and Communications Krishna Bahadur Mahara aid issues raised by Madhesis will be addressed through the CA. He called on all to be cautious against the monarchy. He said there is no alternative to the Constituent Assembly, adding that it is a must for building a new Nepal.

President of the Janamorcha Nepal Amik Sherchan said Madhesis were not against the Constituent Assembly polls. General secretary of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party-Anandidevi Devendra Mishra said the state should be sensitive towards the problems of Madhesis.

Six commissions to be formed in a week

Kathmandu, January 28, 2008

A high-level taskforce of the seven- party alliance is all set to finalise terms of reference (ToR) of all six commissions to be formed as per the 23-point agreement reached among the alliance partners on December 23 within a week.

A source said that the ToRs  for all commissions would be finalised within a week and they would be submitted to the council of ministers. The ToRs of all the commissions would also be discussed at the coordination committee of the seven-party alliance before they are approved by the council of ministers.

The source, however, said the taskforce, headed by Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel, has been seeking opinion from experts on the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Commission for the Cases of Disappearances. The laws for those commissions would be introduced through an ordinance. The Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction and the Home Ministry are working on the TRC and the Commission for the Cases of Disappearances, respectively.

The taskforce has sought inputs from the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management regarding the ToR for the High-Level Commission for Scientific Land Reforms.