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Politicians, Academics Decry Alliance With Maoist Terrorists

By Bahadur

Political party leaders and academics have expressed their reservations on the so called alliance of Nepal's seven parties with the rebel groups and expressed their explicit objections on some of the contents of the deal.

Leaders from the left to the right spectrum have opposed the deal saying that it was against the very basis of the values and norms enshrined in the constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990. The constitution provides for some unamendable provisions. These are the multiparty democracy, constitutional monarchy and the rule of law which should not be compromised at any cost. The application of the constitution for the last several years has shown that these values have been fully embedded in the Nepalese political milieu.

The achievements which are gained from the application of the constitution should not be minimized and undervalued. The political parties and rebels have sealed a deal to put the Royal Nepalese Army and the armed rebel outfits under the supervision of an international agency. This is highly objectionable as the armed rebel outfits and the Royal Nepalese Army soldiers cannot be treated on the same level. The Royal Nepal Army has a glorious history and heroic traditions.

Speaking at a function, the leaders said that the peaceful and democratic forces and the violent forces were antithetical to each other and the former should not be equated with the latter. The leaders objected to the ambivalent and vacillating position of the seven political parties. It needs no mentioning that terrorist acts preached and practiced by the Maoists have been at the root of the several problems faced by the country today.

The Maoist rebels have always stood against the elections, and they were the ones who have created stumbling blocks to the process of democratic development in the country.

It is a case of irony and shortsightedness on the part of the major political parties - the NC and the UML - to seek an alliance with the terrorists to defeat the purpose of democracy and constitutional monarchy in the country.