United National Under Secretary General for Political Affairs B Lynn Pascoe said UNMIN is being blamed for the failure of political parties and cannot take responsibility for their inability to adhere to the peace agreement. Nepalnews reports:

He claimed the remarks [made by government ministers and top politicians] over the performance of UNMIN in the ongoing peace process and that allegations that UNMIN was to blame for the complications seen in the peace process were “false” and that the political parties are putting all sorts of blame on the Maoists to cover their mistakes and failure to fulfill their responsibilities.

“UNMIN is here to help…but it can’t take the blame for those who can’t shoulder the responsibility of successfully concluding the process a success,” Pascoe said.

The government had accused UNMIN of being uncooperative for withholding information about Maoists combatants. About the controversy, Pascoe said:

Referring to Nepal government’s request to UNMIN to provide information on Maoist combatants in the cantonments, Pascoe bluntly said that the actual number of Maoist combatants can’t be shared and it will remain a secret.

He said the information on the combatants should be kept secret as per the understanding reached between the government and the Maoists and that UNMIN will honestly abide by it (the understanding).

Pascoe said UNMIN does not have the responsibility or capability to do any police work in Nepal. If it is constantly dragged into controversies, the Security Council would be forced to think about whether its mandate should be extended, he added.

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Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, who was almost taken to India for medical treatment Wednesday morning, is now reported to be in a stable condition. And, in a meeting with UN Under General Secretary B Lynn Pascoe, he said his only wish before his last breath is to see the promulgation of the new constitution. Republica writes:

According to NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who was present during the meeting, Koirala told Pascoe that he has been working consistently to establish sustainable peace and political stability in the country. He also said that his only wish before breathing his last is the promulgation of the new constitution.

Koirala also said that he had taken initiative to form the High Level Political Mechanism (HLPM) to help resolve differences among political parties and drive the peace process forward.

Nagarik has exclusive pictures from the meeting.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Rijwan Ansari stepped down today after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal sought his resignation for remarks criticising Home Minister Bhim Rawal. The Himalayan Times reports:

“I wanted to resign on moral grounds as I could not do anything in the capacity of State Minister. The Home Minister restricted me from carrying out any duties,” Ansari said, adding, “I don’t know why the PM asked for my resignation at a time when CPN-UML’s leaders demanded the resignation of Home Minister in the party’s central committee meeting recently.”

Police arrested more than a dozen Tibetan activists protesting in Kathmandu to mark Tibetan Uprising Day, which commemorates the day on which Chinese sent their troops to Tibet in 1959. Nepalnews writes:

Chanting “free Tibet” including other pro-Tibet slogans while waving the Tibetan national flag, around 300 exiles staged demonstration alongside Buddhist monks at the premises of Boudhanath stupa.

There was a heavy police presence at Bouddha, one of the most revered Buddhist prayer sites in the country, in a bid to foil the anti-China protests of spiralling out of control. National and international journalists, press photographers and camera crew were also present to report the event.

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Young Communist League, the youth wing of the Maoist Party, has announced that it will help the government arrest criminals, as part of its wider campaign to create a peaceful environment for the writing of a ‘pro-people constitution’. The Himalayan Times reports:

The YCL today announced an exposure campaign against murder, kidnapping, prostitution, women and drug trafficking, gender violence, anomalies in society, caste-based discrimination, inflation and black market, artificial shortages of commodities and help the administration book culprits involved in murders, corruption and other criminal activities.

It will also launch a campaign against unemployment, victims of foreign employment and problems created due to “unscientific policy” of the government on health and educational issues.

The report did not specify how ‘scientific’ YCL’s investigative methods would be.

In other news, six children were hurt in a bomb blast in Sunsari. The Himalayan Post writes:

At least six children were injured when a bomb exploded in front a health post at Ramgunj, in Belgadiya, Sunsari district on Tuesday. Tarai Janatantrik Mukti Morch has claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Monday another armed outfit, Janatantrik Tarai Madhesh Mukti, detonated a bomb at the house of a VDC official in Nawalparari. Police said the bomb might have been planted because the official was unable to give a donation to the group as demanded.

A new twist in Jamim Shah’s case: Nepal Police has said a suspect in the killing of the media entrepreneur may have been an Indian security official. Republica reports:

Nepal Police are investigating the possible involvement of an Indian policeman in two high-profile murders in Nepal including the Jamim killing.

A Nepal Police official told myrepublica.com that they have asked Uttar Pradesh Police whether one Waqar Saiyyad is a constable in their ranks.

Police reached the conclusion that Saiyyad was involved in the murder of media entrepreneur Jamim Shah in Kathmandu on February 7 and of Indian national Shaukat Beg, who was said to have a criminal background in India and had settled in Kapilvastu with a Nepali wife. Beg was killed in Butwal on January 1.

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Speaking on the occasion of 100th International Women’s Day in Kathmandu on Monday, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal threatened to launch another revolt if the constitution is not written in time. We like this lede from The Himalayan Times:

UCPN Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda on Monday warned of the country’s facing wrath of people’s revolt should the country’s twin agenda of the peace and constitution drafting process fizzle out.

This statement comes a day after Dahal told the party’s youth wing to retaliate against the opponents of the new constitution. From The Himalayan Times:

Unified CPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ [on Sunday] directed the party’s youth wing the Young Communist League (YCL) to counter those opposing the pro-people constitution and attacking its leaders and cadres.

He also directed them to control those who try to conspire against pro-people constitution within the stipulated time.

Kantipur writes that in Rolpa, the Maoist Party members are heading back to the villages to prepare for the revolt.

Maoist Party has sent its leaders to the village to revolt if the constitution is not written in time.

Local activists in Rolpa are engaged in internal training in preparation for the people’s revolt. They said a revolt was needed to write the desired constitution because other parties regard it just as a piece of paper.

In Kathmandu, Dahal said he was confident that the Nepal Army would support their cause. Kantipur writes:

Dahal said he was confident that the Nepal Army would not support the right-wing Nepali Congress and CPN-UML parties. He said the army would support a change because it has always fought for national sovereignty.

“We have no enmity with the army,” Dahal said. “I believe they will stand up for civilian supremacy and national sovereignty.”

On Sunday, Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai said there will be no constitution until the parties agree to a package deal including a change in the government. According to Dahal’s statement today, if there is no constitution then there will be a revolt. So, at least we can’t say the Maoist Party wasn’t clear.

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The United Nations is dispatching its top political official, Under Secretary General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe, to Nepal next week to assess the peace process. He will be stopping over in India first to discuss ‘matters of regional and international importance’, which is interesting because Maoist Party’s foreign department chief just accused India of encouraging the government to oppose UNMIN’s presence. Nagarik reports:

UCPN (Maoist) foreign department chief Krishna Bahadur Mahara has accused the the government of criticising UNMIN with directions from India. He said the government wanted to derail the peace process by criticising a common agency like UNMIN.

Pascoe is likely to discuss UNMIN’s deadline in Nepal, which expires on 28 May, also the deadline for writing the new constitution. The Maoist party is in favour of extending its mandate, as noted by the party’s vice chairman Baburam Bhattarai. From Nagarik:

Bhattarai said UNMIN’s presence in Nepal was criticial until the the constitution is written and the peace process is concluded. He expressed this view in a meeting with UNMIN chief Karen Landgren on Sunday morning.

The UML-led government is quibbling with UNMIN over the data of disqualified combatants. The government wants information about the disqualified combatants, including their names and addresses, for what it says is to ascertain the funds released in their names gets to them. On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar said the government has made a decision not to extend UNMIN’s deadline because of its refusal to cooperate with the government. Kantipur writes:

Deputy Prime Minister Gachchhadar said UNMIN assists the Maoists while obstructing the government’s plan to reduce its financial burden. He said there was no longer a need of such agency in Nepal.

What are the chances of the constitution being written in time? According to the Maoists: as much as the chances of two opposing parties agreeing to a package deal including a change in the government. Republica writes:

Maoist Vice-Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai said on Saturday that the peace process and constitution drafting would not see the light of day unless the parties are ready for a package deal including change of government.

He said the political parties should also be ready to go beyond the limits of the 12-point agreement and forge a new agreement to complete the peace process and constitution drafting.

He also flatly rejected the ruling parties´ stance that they are open to the formation of a national government led by the Maoists if the latter first agree to the agenda of the constitution and integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants. “The deal should be reached in a package. And you cannot just ask for our approval for the constitution. What really matters is the content of the constitution,” he said.

Read updates on Jamim Shah’s murder case:
Youth reveals gang tried to kill National TV chief earlier
Former DSP keeper of killers’ weapons: Police

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Home Minister Bhim Rawal, who had refused to resign on Thursday, is now facing opposition from within his party. The Kathmandu Post writes:

CPN-UML has asked Home Minister Bhim Rawal to resign as his ministry has failed to maintain law and order. UML leaders slammed the government for its lax security leading to rampant attacks against media entrepreneurs, journalists, businessmen and the general public even in high security areas.

UML leaders including Vice Chairman Bam Dev Gautam, Yogesh Bhattarai, Thakur Gaire, Gorakh Bahadur Bogati said Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Rawal had no moral ground to lead the government.

While this is going on in the capital, people are taking laws into their own hands in the rest of the country. In Sarlahi, angry villagers torched four dozen huts in a landless settlement accusing one of the residents of child abuse. Kantipur reports:

A group of landless people had set up homes in the land belonging to Sagarnath Forest Development Project four weeks ago. Villagers claim one of the settlers, Ram Ashraya Pashwan, abused a Muslim girl while she was collecting firewood on Thursday and also beat another individual on Friday. Angry villagers got together and set fire to the settlement.

In Khotang, members of Kirat Janabadi Workers Party set two buses on fire because they said the buses were defying a banda. Nagarik writes:

Workers Party activists set fire to a bus headed towards Gaighat on Friday morning and one headed to Biratnager in the afternoon. Wielding khukuris, the activists asked the passengers to leave the bus and set fire using kerosene and petrol.

A Korean investor has left the country saying the security situation in Nepal is too dismal to continue operating. From Nagarik:

Less than four hours after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said business operators need not be worried about their safety, a Korean investor has left the country citing security reasons. The company has invested $12 million on Himalayan Spring Water in Dhunche, Rasuwa.

The company’s president Harry S Han was attacked while he was sleeping in the last two weeks. He suffered from a broken arm, and needed seven stitches to close a wound on his head.

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The High Level Political Mechanism decided to form a State Restructuring Commission on Wednesday, but the three different parties have not actually agreed on the objectives of the commission. Republica writes:

While the Maoists argued that the commission should only work to fine-tune the 14-province federal proposal passed by the CA Committee on State Restructuring, the ruling parties argued that the commission should be granted full rights to study and make recommendations for a scientific restructuring of the state.

Let us remind ourselves that Nepali Congress has not yet submitted a draft on state restructuring to the Constituent Assembly. NC leader Sushil Koirala even said the decision adopt a federal model had been premature. CPN-UML recently formed a task force to outline the party’s position on state restructuring because there is a disagreement within the ranks of the party.

We guess this just means this political deadlock party is likely to continue for a while.

Then there is the saga of a former high-ranking official, suspected of involvement in Jamim Shah’s murder, who has fled town after bring told by his former colleagues that they were going to arrest him. The Kathmandu Post reports:

It has been learnt that a former high-ranking police official, one of the suspects in the Jamim Shah murder case, was told to leave the Capital by senior police officers before he could be arrested.

The police in turn decided to investigate the role of former Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagadish Chand on the very day (Wednesday) he went on the run.

The police were thus unable to interrogate Chand despite their knowledge about his connection with the Indian killers as he used his political influence, a highly placed source said.

The police had been planning to interrogate Chand about his connections with notorious Indian criminal Babloo Shrivastav, the mastermind behind the murder of Shah on Feb. 7, since the last three weeks. Police investigators reached Chand’s workplace–Norvic Hospital at Thapathali, where he works as the front office manager–to bring him in but he had already escaped by then.

Investigators have found that DSP Chand along with Sub-Inspector Prakash Chhetri and Babbu, who hatched the Shah’s murder plan in Kathmandu, had called up Shrivastav several times from the Thapathali-based Greenline Restaurant.

Perhaps we are being harsh on the police before we hear their story. They say they are very close to arresting the suspects who shot at Narendar Pampati in Lazimpat on Tuesday. The president of Bharatpur College of Medical Science escaped unhurt during the incident. From The Kathmandu Post:

“We are very close to arresting the criminals,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Rana Bahadur Chand, in-charge of Metropolitan Crime Police Division. “As per the eyewitnesses’ description, the shooter and the rider were Nepalis. They might have been used by national and international criminal groups.”

Yes, when they say they are “close to arresting” they mean they have narrowed down the list of  suspects to 27 million (according to the last census’s projection).

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