F OCHA Nepal Situation Overview Issue No. 19, covering the period 09 November -31 December 2007 Kathmandu, 31 December 2007 Highlights: • Consultations between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) breaks political deadlock • Terai based Legislators pull out of government, Parliament • Political re-alignment in Terai underway • Security concerns in the Terai persist with new reports of extortion, threats and abductions • CPN-Maoist steps up extortion drive countrywide • The second phase of registration of CPN-Maoist combatants completed • Resignations by VDC Secretaries continue to affect the ‘reach of state’ • Humanitarian and Development actors continue to face access challenges • Displacements reported in Eastern Nepal • IASC 2008 Appeal completed CONTEXT Constituent Assembly. Consensus also started to emerge on the issue of electoral system to be used during the CA election. Politics and Major Developments On 19 November, the winter session of Interim parliament met Consultations were finalized on 23 December when the Seven but adjourned to 29 November to give time for more Party Alliance signed a 23-point agreement. The agreement negotiations and consensus on constitutional and political provided for the declaration of a republic subject to issues. implementation by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly, a mixed electoral system with 60% of the members Citing failure of the government to address issues affecting of the CA to be elected through proportional system and 40% their community, four members of parliament from the through first-past-the-post system, and an increase in number Madhesi Community, including a cabinet minister affiliated of seats in the Constituent Assembly (CA) from the current 497 with different political parties resigned from their positions. to 601 members. Moreover, it was decided that several Further, five more central leaders, members of Nepali committees for the implementation of previous agreements Congress, CPM-UML and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP- would be formed within a month and that the CA election Anandidevi) also resigned from their respective parties. The would be held before mid-April 2008. The CPN-Maoist would politicians stated that they would soon form a Madhesi rejoin the interim government with immediate effect. The regional political party, a move that was widely welcomed by agreement further vested all the executive powers on the Prime other groups operating in the Terai. During the same period, Minister and asked the PM to act as head of state until the Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum (MPRF) leaders issued threats implementation of the republican declaration. The Interim to the government that the MPRF would launch fresh protest Constitution will likely be amended to reflect the points programmes by 30 December unless the government reached in this agreement. implements the 22 point accord it had signed earlier with the MPRF. The second phase of registration and verification of CPN- Maoist combatants at the remaining cantonment sites were During the reporting period, political forces continued to completed. According to the Agreement on Monitoring of the merge and create new fronts, especially in the Terai region. Management of Arms and Armies (AMMAA), the combatants Notable among these developments was the emergence of identified as minors or post 26 May 2006 recruits through the youths of Madhesh Raksha Bahini affiliated to Nepal verification process will be discharged. Sadhbhavana Party (Mahato) who marched in uniform in the main market areas of Birgunj in Parsa District as well as Conflict and Security Nepalgunj in Banke District during the re-launch of the youth Bombings, killings, abductions, demand for ransom and other movement under the leadership of Rajendra Mahato. Political forms of threats aimed at political opponents and other persons alignment between NSP (Mahato) and MPRF (Yadav) also continued to be reported. On 20 December, two people were continued to take shape during the reporting period. This reportedly shot dead in Saptari District. JTMM (Jwala Singh) alignment has become known as United Madhesi Front. On 14 claimed responsibility for the killings. On 23 December, JTMM December the Mahato faction of the NSP-A filed an application (Goit) reportedly shot dead a Nepal Bank employee in Parsa with the Election Commission for the registration of a new District. During the reporting period, a number of bomb party under the name of Sadbhavana Party, dropping Nepal explosions targeting police stations and other public places in from the name to distinguish itself from the Anandevi faction. the Eastern region were reported. On 17 November, a group claiming to be from JTMM (Jwala Singh) claimed responsibility The Prime Minister expressed commitment to hold the CA for an explosive devise that targeted a local petrol pump in election by mid April 2008 and to continued consultations with Sunsari District. Similarly on 19 November, unknown the main political parties to reach agreement towards this end. perpetrators threw a jute bomb at the CPN-UML party office in Biratnagar, Morang District. On 18 December, Cadres of On 14 December, after considerable inter-party consultations, Madhesi Liberation Tigers attacked a police post at Madar the three main political parties; NC, UML and CPN-Maoist village, Siraha district. Three home made bombs were reached a consensus on an amendment of the interim reportedly exploded by the group. Similarly, on 24 December, constitution to specify that the future constitution should be for unidentified people threw two bombs in the premises of Nobel a republic, subject to endorsement by the first sitting of the Medical College, Biratnagar. No casualties were reported in both cases. On 23 December, JTMM (Goit) claimed OCHA Nepal Situation Overview, Issue No. 19/December 1 responsibility for a bomb that exploded in front of the house of Bardiya District, on 26 November, CPN-Maoist reportedly sent the District Secretary of CPNM-UML in Bara District. letters to individuals to donate harvested rice to the party or face consequences. On 14 November, the CPN-Maoist cadres Abductions by different groups also continued to be reported looted the house of a journalist from Ladaura of Naubasta-1 in across the country. On 13 November, two Nepali Congress Banke district. On 4 December, CPN/M cadres surrounded two cadres were reportedly abducted by unidentified persons in police posts in Bardiya District for a whole day to put pressure Mahottari District. On 19 November, JTMM (Jwala Singh) on the authorities to release some four YCL cadres that had claimed responsibility for two abductions of a businessman been previously arrested by police. Between 24 November and and a farmer in Central Region’s Mahottari and Dhanusa 4 December, Tharuwan Republican Movement (TRM), a CPN- districts respectively. In Western Nepal’s Dang District, Young Maoist affiliate marched for 12 days between Dang and Banke Republic Tiger group reportedly abducted two individuals and in Mid Western region so as to pressurize the government to released one on 20 November. In the same district, an adopt a fully proportional electoral system and to declare Nepal unidentified group abducted two people from a Public School a republic. On 24 December, on claims that the local owner had in Deukhuri VDC on 26 November. On 4 December, an been creating artificial shortages and mixing kerosene and unidentified armed group abducted a woman from Manikapur diesel so as to exploit poor people, YCL Cadres reportedly VDC of Banke District. Following abduction, negotiation and seized over 12,000 litres of kerosene from a petrol pump in subsequent release of two people in Central Region’s Dhanusa Sunsari District and distributed it to locals. During the District on 20 December people from Chandraniganhapur reporting period, despite increase in prices, fuel and petroleum village burnt 12 houses belonging to Dalit families in Lakkad products shortages continued throughout the country. village and reportedly assaulted women in the settlement. According to police sources, 60 people in Lakkad had their On 4 December, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) homes and belongings destroyed and therefore needed released a report on the status of Human Rights since the humanitarian assistance. Nepal Red Cross Society and a local signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. According to NGO (ASMAN) provided humanitarian assistance to the the report, 101 individuals have been killed in violent incidents affected families. instigated by different groups around the country between 26 February and 16 July this year. The report further added that The government has intensified efforts to improve security, during the period, 15 people were killed and 47 injured by stray especially in the Terai region. On 1 December, the government bomb explosions. set up and deployed 'Special Task Force' (STF) consisting of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force (APF) in Kathmandu and Operational Space eight Terai districts namely Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Sarlahi, During the reporting period, different groups, notably Madhesi Rautahat, Mahottari, Bara and Parsa districts. The STF teams Tigers, as well as CPN-Maoist, continued to interfere with the have intensified search operations and scrutiny of suspicious way development and humanitarian workers operate. Many of individuals in most villages of the named districts and made a the reported operational space interference attributed to CPN- number of arrests of those suspected of involvement in Maoist were linked to the political demands the party desired to criminal activities. On 18 December, in response to the STF be met at the national level. In November, in Central Region’s actions, Madhesi Liberation Tigers, one of the armed groups Ramecchap District, CPN-Maoist forced the local people to operating in the Terai, called three days Bandh (strike) protest against a donor project after the staff refused to give protesting against the deployment of the STF. ‘donation’ as demanded. During the last week of November, CPN-Maoist reportedly asked a donor supported project in Bandhs (Strikes) and blockades called by various groups Chitwan District to stop its activities.