Parties agree in principle on citizenship, voter roll update

KATHMANDU, MAR 06 -

Four major parties on Tuesday agreed in principle to resolve their differences over distribution of citizenship and update of voter roll—the two contentious issues of the proposed package deal on the formation of a Chief Justice-led government.

Talks between top leaders of the UCPN (Maoists), the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha have agreed to provide citizenship to children of those Nepalis who have obtained citizenship certificates and ensured their voting rights. The Madhesi Morcha had demanded the settlement of the row stating that children of the Madhesi parents who were granted citizenship ahead of the 2008 CA elections were still deprived of the citizenship certificates.

Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi said the top leaders had agreed in principle to make necessary arrangements for distribution of citizenship by descent to those individuals whose parents have obtained citizenship by birth.

Parties have also agreed to consider the voter roll prepared ahead of 2008 elections and to update it based on the newly distributed citizenship for the next polls.

The leaders said they have agreed to provide one month’s time to update the voter list that would incorporate individuals who reach the age of 18 by mid-April, 2013. Parties said that they are in favour of allowing the update of the voter list both on the basis of the citizenship or other relevant documents stipulated by the law. The top leaders are scheduled to sit for talks again on Wednesday to end a dispute on determination of ranks for the ex-combatants opting integration and to revise some of the provisions of the proposed ordinance on formation of the commission to probe disappearances and truth and reconciliation. The Maoists are demanding the rank of a colonel for over 1,400 ex-fighters who are receiving training by the Nepal Army.

During Tuesday’s talks, Maoist leaders asked other parties to demonstrate flexibility on ranks stating that there was already a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ when signing an integration deal in November 2011. NC leaders dismissed the claim stating that they were not ‘aware’ of any such informal agreement.

A Maoist negotiator said his party is ready to make a few amendments in the ordinance awaiting approval from the President’s Office to ensure that ‘gross human rights violation of the conflict era would be taken into account seriously.’ The parties are planning to commit those perpetrators of the serious rights violation would face legal action, in the preamble of the proposed bill.

International community and rights group have already expressed serious reservation over the draft stating that it has encouraged blanket amnesty to the perpetrators. The parties are discussing to incorporate the consent of the victim in the bill should be made compulsory for reconciliation and the amnesty.

“The Maoist leadership has told us that their position on the TRC and rank determination are not their preconditions for the package deal. Hence we are optimistic that there will soon be an agreement,” said a UML leader.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that talks on Tuesday were very positive and that the top leaders were likely to strike a deal by Wednesday. “We are still hopeful that there is still a possibility of conducting elections by the end of Jestha [before June 14],” he said.

The four forces have concluded that the upcoming hearing on a case challenging the plan to appoint chief justice as the head of the election government would not be an obstruction to the process of formation of a new government. “The apex court has already rejected the claim of the contempt of court charged against the chief justice. We have entrusted the responsibility of conducting talks with the chief justice to the prime minister,” said one of the negotiators.

The parties have also prepared a proposal on removal of constitutional difficulties for forming a new government and conducting the elections. If there is an understanding on the package deal, the parties are planning to request the President to amend the Constitution by using his power to clear hurdles to form a CJ-led election government.

Madhesi Morcha leader and Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar said all outstanding issues will be resolved by Wednesday. “We are very much close to a new agreement. All political issues will be resolved by tomorrow [Wednesday],” he said.

Source: The Kathmandu Post