News update from Nepal, 22 September 2006 News Update from Nepal 22 September 2006 The Government The Seven-Party Alliance(SPA)-led government is struggling to stabilize its authority through an improvement in the national security, law and order and humanitarian supplies. “Rebels are becoming more organized and are blocking government activities in the coun­tryside. The presence of the state is very limited and its hold is further shrinking,” said the UN Resident Representative to Nepal, Matthew Kahane(September 15). Due to a lack of security 68 percent of village development secretaries, 55 percent of health workers and conflict-displaced people have not returned to their workplace. Upset over the growing agi­tation of social groups, strikes, abduction, extortion and illegal activities, legislators blamed the government for the poor law and order situation and asked the Home Minister K.P. Si­taula to resign. To beef up security, the government appointed Lt. General Rukmangat Katuwal as the Chief of the Army Staff(COAS) of the Nepali Army(NA) and Om Bikram Rana and Basu Dev Oli as Inspector General of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force respectively despite the objection from the CPN(Maoist) and sixteen human rights activists. The UNHCHR re­port made three security chiefs responsible for the death of people during the April move­ment. These human rights groups drew UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s attention to the culture of impunity. The majority of legislators criticized Premier G.P. Koirala for reappoint­ing the suspended security officials. The chief of the High Level Probe Commission (HLPC), K.J. Rayamajhi, formed to investigate atrocities, expressed displeasure over the government’s“reward and protect” policy towards those in the commission’s suspect list and feared that they might damage the evidence against them. All the four security chiefs of the Nepali Army(NA), Armed Police Force(APF), Nepal Police and National Investiga­tion Department briefed Premier Koirala on the security situation including the entry of a Maoist Special Team in Kathmandu. Subsequently, the security measures in Kathmandu have been strengthened. Democratization Process On September 6, the Parliamentary State Affairs Committee curtailed the king’s power to issue any order for enacting new Acts, Regulations and government decisions as well as receive credentials of foreign diplomats. This act would transfer all powers of the King to the Cabinet. The same day the Cabinet passed a controversial draft drawn up to amend the Citizenship Act-1963 and tabled it at the House of Representatives for debate. The cut off date for eligibility of citizenship is April 15, 1989. Once the bill is passed, citizenship can be provided in the mother’s name and to those living in the country for 15 years. Foreigners who have contributed to Nepal’s progress can also acquire it. Samyukta Jana Morcha has begun a campaign against it saying that this is a strategy to convert Nepal into Fiji. 1