THT 10 YEARS AGO: Minister Thakur, 3 MPs resign over Tarai turmoil

Kathmandu, December 10, 2007

Minister for Science, Technology and Environment and senior Nepali Congress leader Mahantha Thakur and three other lawmakers resigned from their respective posts and interim parliament, saying the move was necessary to bring the Madhesi “revolt to a logical conclusion.”

Five other Madhesi leaders associated with various parties also quit from the central committee, mahasamiti and general membership of their respective parties. Thakur tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as minister and to Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang as a NC lawmaker.

“I resigned from the post of minister and lawmaker as per the desire of the Madhesi people,” he told reporters at a press conference. Thakur, who has a long association with PM Koirala, said they were discussing about launch of a new political outfit, expected to materialise within a couple of weeks.

There are currently 73 Madhesi MPs in the interim parliament. Sources told this daily that 11 more were set to quit the parliament soon. MPs of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) Hridayesh Tripathi, Mahendra Prasad Yadav of the CPN-UML and Ram Chandra Raya of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party also tendered resignations as MPs to the Speaker. They went public through a press conference held at a hotel in Lalitpur this afternoon.

Other leaders quitting their respective parties include Sarbendra Nath Sukla of the Rastriya Janashakti Party, Anish Ansari, Ram Chandra Kushbaha and Brishesh Chandra Lal of the Nepali Congress and Shri Krshna Yadav, chairman of Madhesi Rastriya Manch, which is affiliated with the UML.

No change in US stand on Maoists, says Powell

Kathmandu, December 10, 2007

US Ambassador to Nepal, Nancy Powell, returned to work today after a twoweek “refresher” in the United States, disappointed at the lack of political progress and announcing “no change” in the US policy toward the CPN (Maoists).

Talking to The Himalayan Times during an exclusive interview, Ambassador Powell blamed the Maoists for scuttling the elections, and said there is “very little” that would inspire the US to change its policy vis-a-vis the Maoists, including the organisation’s removal from the US government’s terrorist watchlist. “It means the US will continue with the policy of not carrying out any official communication with the Maoists,” she said. Ambassador Powell, however, said that the integration of the PLA and the NA, is “clearly a piece that has to happen” although there are a number of ways of implementing it. “It is part of the security sector reform, and something that needs to be part of the new Nepal,” she said.

Powell stressed on early election, saying it is the number one issue in the peace process.