MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 INTERNATIONAL Violent protests as Nepal adopts new constitution KATHMANDU: Nepal yesterday adopted a new “The democratic revolution of Nepal’s peo- that will devolve power from the centre has against the constitution, which have seen some men. Hundreds had gathered yesterday outside constitution aimed at bolstering its transforma- ple which began nearly seven decades ago and widespread support, but critics say the planned parts of southern Nepal shut down for weeks. parliament in Kathmandu, which was decked tion to a peaceful democracy after decades of the people’s wish for long-term peace has internal borders will leave some historically mar- Work on the bill began in 2008 after the out in balloons and Nepali flags. political instability and a long civil war, even as become a reality today.” The new constitution is ginalised groups under-represented in parlia- Maoists won parliamentary elections and abol- The mood on the capital was broadly cele- protests raged over its terms. The charter, the the final stage in a peace process that began ment. They include the Madhesi and Tharu eth- ished the monarchy. It was initially supposed to bratory although there were some protests ear- first to be drawn up by elected representatives, when Maoist fighters laid down their arms in nic minorities who mainly inhabit Nepal’s south- finish by 2010, but the Maoists were unable to ly yesterday by political groups who oppose the had been voted into law Wednesday after the 2006 after a decade-long insurgency aimed at ern plains, along the border with India. secure enough support for the two-thirds bill. They include a breakaway faction of the main political parties-spurred by a deadly earth- abolishing an autocratic monarchy and creating “In this happy moment we have been majority needed to push it through parliament. Maoist party whose spokesman Khadga quake to shelve differences-agreed on a new a more equal society. unable to include half of Nepal’s population,” The three biggest forces in parliament-the Bahadur Biswakarma said the new charter was federal structure. But its adoption follows weeks of clashes said senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai, a Nepali Congress, UML and Maoist parties-finally “against the spirit of the war we fought and the Firecrackers went off in celebration in between police and protesters that have left former prime minister, referring to the densely reached agreement in June, spurred by a 7.8- people’s revolution”. Critics say it does too little Kathmandu as President Ram Baran Yadav more than 40 people dead, among them two populated southern region known as the Terai. magnitude earthquake two months earlier that to empower minorities, and many took to announced the adoption of the long-delayed children and a police officer lynched as he was “It is not time for us to celebrate yet.” killed nearly 8,900 people and destroyed Twitter to voice their disapproval under the constitution at a ceremony in parliament. “I con- driven to hospital in an ambulance. One pro- around half a million homes. hashtag #notmyconstitution. Bhimarjun gratulate all Nepali brothers and sisters on this tester was killed yesterday when police fired Deadly quake But there has been strong opposition from Acharya, a constitutional lawyer, said the bill historic moment, the announcement of Nepal’s into a crowd which had defied a curfew in the Police spokesman Kamal Singh Bam said some quarters, including Hindu groups who do included provisions for improving the involve- constitution from the Constituent Assembly by southern district of Parsa to demonstrate protests had been held in several parts of the not believe Nepal should be a secular state. ment of low-caste groups, women and minori- the representatives of the people for democrat- against plans to divide the world’s youngest Terai, where some demonstrators had also van- Rights groups say it discriminates against ties in national politics, but some of these were ic rights, economic prosperity and national uni- republic into seven federal provinces. dalised lawmakers’ homes. Neighbouring India women by making it more difficult for them to not clear-cut and success would depend on ty,” he said. The move to create a new federal structure has expressed concern at the ongoing protests pass on citizenship to their children than it is for how they were implemented. — AFP Catalan fever grips Spain as election draws closer MADRID: Political tension in Spain peaks this week stability” and could drive them to abandon the in the countdown to a vote in Catalonia that could region, causing a possible credit crisis. Various eco- lead the region to declare independence, poten- nomic lobbies have warned against secession, tially breaking up one of Europe’s oldest countries. including Catalonia’s main business association The prospect of the rich northeastern region of 7.5 Foment del Trabell, which said it could cause “enor- million people seceding from Spain has trans- mous financing difficulties”. Mas claims Madrid is formed the September 27 election for the regional orchestrating an intimidation campaign against parliament into a battle for the country’s future. independence. “But the more they mobilise, the Catalan nationalists are pitted against the more votes we pile up,” he said Friday at a rally. Spanish government which has heavyweight back- ing from the likes of US President Barack Obama. General election warm-up Pressure on Catalan regional president Artur Mas The Catalan question fills countless newspaper and his allies has mounted over the past two columns-mostly anti-independence-and prompts weeks, with banks, businesses and European lead- television interviews with politicians and experts. ers warning of the high stakes. Madrid has blocked But the battle is also being fought on the ground, Mas from following Scotland’s example by holding with Rajoy’s Popular Party (PP) canvassing in a straight referendum on independence, so he has Catalonia, a region where it is largely unwelcome. framed the regional election as an indirect Rajoy has been criticized for going after Mas in plebiscite. the courts instead of negotiating with him, and for ignoring Catalan demands for greater fiscal pow- Obama, Cameron back Spain ers. The prime minister has not shifted his tough Polls show pro-secession candidates could win stance on Catalonia, but his PP party is campaign- a majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament next ing hard there to stop voters defecting to a new Sunday. If they win, Mas has vowed to push political rival, the centre-right Ciudadanos party. through an 18-month roadmap to secession for the The Catalan vote will also be a gauge of Spain’s region, which accounts for a fifth of Spain’s econo- upcoming general election in which Ciudadanos my. Spain’s Conservative Prime Minister Mariano and the left-wing party Podemos are mounting a Rajoy has rolled out the big guns in response, strong challenge to Rajoy. Like the PP, Mas’s CDC COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan workman cleans the rain-soaked memorial for the Sri Lankan soldiers killed while battling Tamil Tiger rebels, near the securing the backing of several world leaders in his party has been hit by corruption scandals which parliament. — AFP opposition to secession. Obama and British Prime have fuelled the rise of these two new forces, trans- Minister David Cameron called for Spain to stay forming Spain’s electoral landscape. But Mas’s united, after Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel opponents are divided. Sri Lanka facing up to wartime also backed Rajoy. The main opposition Socialists are calling for a The European Commission reiterated its warn- constitutional reform to answer Catalan demands. ing that Catalonia would drop out of the EU if it Podemos is in favor of letting Catalans vote in a ref- past after damning UN verdict broke away from Spain. Mas claims that in practice erendum on the issue but says Spain should reform the bloc would never let his region go. Major itself in such a way that they would not want to Spanish and European banks have also joined the leave. Ciudadanos, polling in fourth place national- People still searching for justice political fray, along with Catalan businesses, with ly, defends the unity of Spain. “We want to end this both sectors breaking their long silence in the separatist campaign and put an end to this debate,” COLOMBO: Six years after the end of its bloody civil war, of the UN, which has called on Colombo to bring in inter- he promised to restore human rights and the rule of law tense weeks leading up to the vote. Commercial said Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera. In next Sri Lanka this week took historic steps to confront its trau- national judges and prosecutors to assist in investiga- as well as mend fences with regional power India and the and saving banks associations warned that Sunday’s vote, he said, “there should not be win- matic past-but in the conflict-torn Tamil heartland of tions as the only concrete way to achieve accountability. West. Catalonia’s secession would put at risk “financial ners and losers.” — AFP Jaffna, people are still searching for justice. A long-await- But Sirisena, who favors a domestic inquiry, has stayed “We have averted sanctions,” declared new Foreign ed report from the United Nations human rights office on quiet on the issue. “People in Jaffna are not aware of what Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who went before the UN Wednesday laid bare horrific wartime atrocities commit- is going on in Geneva, but what they are hoping for is jus- Human Rights Council in Geneva last week to promise ted by both the army and the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels tice,” said local Tamil politician Suresh Premachandran.