bg.bg

Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal seems very much busier than before because most of the Maoist leaders these days in capital as well as civil society has engaged in the series of discussions on what Constituent Assembly is and how its process because by the end of July the CA for New Nepal will be held. Social healing is challenging rather than having critical CA election. So, from January 20 until 23, Institute for Conflict Management Peace and Development (ICPD), INSEC and Karuna Center for Peace building (KCP) USA have organized four days training cum workshop " Leadership in Social Healing: Conflict Transformation and Peace-Building" in Kathmandu. Around 2 dozens member of Civil Society have taken part in the program. That was the beginning of this kind of because other three training are in line during 2007. At the end of the last training that may be in October participants of first training would be able to covert themselves into as the Trainer of Peace-Building. Here are some photographs of training. Photos are taken by Francis and Binaya. We are happy since peace accord have been signed and interim parliament has been established. NO matter we are happy whether we should not be able to seek the way of happiness in everybody face. So social healing is necessary. Come together and work together. because this is the beginning of establishment of peace in the society.

Singer Sugam Pokharel and his wife Liza invited their parents, family member and relatives at their residence on Wedesday 17th of January 2007 on the occasion of their first baby's rice feeding ceremony. The auspicious time for feeding rice to new born baby was at around 9:30 until 11:00 on that day. At the end of the day a party has been organized in the Baneswor. Here are some snaps of the auspicious moments. Photo are taken by binayaguragain@2007

Me along with Naya Nepal reporters Laxmi Bhattarai (black jacket), Pawan Neupane (Red cap) and Prakash Lamichane (Brown cap) buying orange at Muglin, Chitawan. Photo Binaya@2007

Today, Sudhamshu Dahal, ex Monitoring and Evaluation Co-ordinater is going to India for doing the Phd in community Radio. So, Equal Access Nepal, where he had served around 2 and half years as M&E co-ordinater, organized a farewell party in the evening of 4th Deceber. In the mean time Khagendra Subba, ECD program co-ordinator also is leaving Equal Access as he has got a job in UNFPA. The party had organized at the roof top of EA Nepal office. Nirmal Rijal & Upendra Aryal gave the thanks speech and wish them for the bright future.
Sudhamshu Dahal and I, in Jumla airport. Photo: Bikash@2006

Year 2006 will remain a landmark year in the modern history of Nepal . The year started with the continuation of royal dictatorship, then a major political uprising and subsequently a historic democratic change that brought the decade-long Maoist insurgency to an end. It was in Year 2006 that the institution of monarchy that ruled the nation for 240 years had all its powers and privileges clipped and, towards the end of the year, we saw People Power reigning supreme.
The peace process between the seven parties and the Maoists set a credible prospect of peaceful transformation of the armed conflict, demonstrating the commitment of the Nepali people towards peaceful political solution of the crisis. The world community remained awestruck by the speed at which this Himalayan nation embraced great changes in a short period of time.
The unity among the seven political parties during and after the fight against royal regime and their resolve to bring the Maoists to the democratic fold was unprecedented development.
Sadly, towards the close, the Year 2006 witnessed communal unrest in Nepalgunj with one person dead and properties worth millions of rupees destroyed, not to mention the blot on the face of an up-and-coming democracy.
The Year 2006 has paved the way for election to constituent assembly slated for June in 2007, which will allow the people to write their constitution for a better future. A major battle won, Nepalis still have a long way to go before they achieve socio-economic transformation of the country.
2006 Highlights:
January 1. King Gyanendra and Queen Komal embark on a three weeklong visit to the eastern region.
January 2: Maoists declare end four-month long unilateral ceasefire, launching military offensive around the country.
January 3: Dispute rises between the Supreme Court and Nepal bar Association over the appointment of Pawan Kumar Ojha, a former royal-appointed attorney general, as justice of the SC.
January 4: Three security personnel killed in a Maoist attack at a police check post near Nepalgunj Airport in Banke.
January 10: The Rastriya Prajatantra Party formally splits for the second time in less than a year with the dissident faction led by then Home Minister Kamal Thapa declaring himself the president of new party, RPP (Thapa).
January 14: Eleven policemen, including an Inspector, killed in Maoist raid at Thankot in the capital and Dadhikot police post in Bhaktapur.
January 17: Widespread arrest of political leaders from demonstrations around the country including the capital for defying the ban on mass meetings.
January 20: Demonstrations continue different parts of the country including Pokhara, Butwal, Chitwan, Palpa, Surkhet, Baglung, Nawalparasi for restoration of democracy.
January 22: Veteran singer Tara Devi passes away at the age of 61.
January 26: 25 Maoists killed in a fierce gun-battle between the security forces and the Maoists in Bhakunde area of Palpa.
January 30: Unidentified gunmen shoot and injure Dal Bahadur Rai, a mayoral candidate for the Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City representing the Jana Mukti Party, in Lalitpur.
February 1: Seven parties stage nationwide protests against the ‘black day’ (King Gyanendra staged royal coup on 1 st Feb 2005 ).
Maoists attack Palpa durbar in Tansen. Other government offices including the district administration office destroyed in the raid. The durbar was one of the historic buildings.
February 8: Voting for 618 municipal seats in 36 municipalities in 28 districts takes place amidst reports of violence and protests by seven parties. Voters’ turned out remained 20 percent with around 45,000 out of the total 300,993 voters cast their votes in Kathmandu while around 20 percent votes were cast in Lalitpur. Over 30 percent voters participated in Kirtipur while a total of 30,262 votes were cast in Biratnagar Sub-Metro, 21,634 in Birgunj 9,288 in Siraha, 5,737 in Malangawa, 4,700 in Kamalamai and 4,952 votes in Siddhartanagar. All candidates filing their nominations in 22 municipalities were declared elected unopposed earlier. 1,040 polling booths were set up, mostly in schools, for the voting. International community questioned the legitimacy of the polls while seven-party alliance and the Maoists claim success in boycotting the polls.
February 26: Media report abduction of around 150 students and teachers by Maoists from various VDCs in Dhading district.
February 27: Three security personnel and one civilian die when Maoists attack in Kavre Bhanjyang along the Banepa-Bardibas Highway .
March 8: A US official, Elisabeth Millard, Senior Director at the National Security Council for Central and South Asia of the US , calls for coalition between the parties and the King.
March 11: Ram Bahadur Bomjan, a 16-year-old boy described as “little Buddha” who had been meditating in a forest at Ratanpuri in the southern district of Bara for the last ten months goes missing.
March 21: At least 20 Maoists killed in a security operation carried out by security forces at Dare Chowk area of Dhading district.
March 25: Maoists carry out bomb explosion at the r esidence of Assistant Minister for General Administration, Toran Bahadur Gurung, at Samakhusi in Kathmandu .
April 5: Indefinite nationwide strike of the seven parties, supported by Maoists begins. On the same day, police arrest 37 professionals including journalists, lawyers and professors when they were taking out a peaceful rally in defiance of prohibitory orders in Kathmandu .
10 people were killed when Maoists attacked Malangwa, the district headquarters of Sarlahi.
April 7: King Gyanendra attends the inaugural session of the third World Hindu Convention organized to mark the silver jubilee anniversary of the federation at Pipra Muth area of Birgunj.
April 19: Local authorities in Kathmandu and Lalitpur issue 18-hour curfew orders in the capital starting from 2 a.m. The curfew orders come in view of a planned mass protest of the seven opposition parties.
The government releases CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Nepali Congress (NC) general secretary Ram Chandra Poudel from police custody. The UML general secretary, who remained under house arrest for several months, was shifted to Armed Police Force (APF) base in Kakani, Nuwakot district, while Poudel had been in police custody in Kathmandu since three months.

Four persons killed when security personnel open fire on a demonstration organised by the seven opposition parties in Chandragadhi in Jhapa.
Special envoy of Indian Prime Minister Dr Man Mohan Singh, Dr Karan Singh, arrives in Kathmandu to convey India 's message to the King about the southern neighbour’s position over the current political crisis in Nepal . He meets political leaders and king on the following day and returns to Delhi on April 20.
April 21: In a televised address to the nation (7:00 p.m.), King Gyanendra states that what he set out to achieve through his February 1, 2005, move could not be materialised and that he had returned the executive power to the people as per the Article 35 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal. He asks the agitating seven-party alliance to recommend a name for the Prime Minister, stressing the need for political understanding to bring ‘those outside the constitutional framework’ to the democratic mainstream and enhance representative system. A foreign ministry spokesman in New Delhi says India welcomes the intention of the King to transfer all executive powers to the people with the invitation to the opposition alliance to form a government. Later, foreign secretary Shaym Sharan refutes reports that India supported the royal message.

April 24: King capitulates in the wake of intensified people’s movement and announces reinstatement of the House of Representatives, returning the executive powers to people. World welcomes the announcement.
April 25: Victory rallies organised nationwide.
April 26: Hours after withdrawing the blockade in the capital and all district headquarters, Maoists announce unilateral ceasefire for three months with immediate effect.
King Gyanendra on the recommendation of the seven parties and in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom 1990 appoints Nepali Congress president Girirja Prasad Koirala as the new Prime Minister. A meeting of the SPA had earlier unanimously nominated Koirala as the prime ministerial candidate.
April 28: The first session of the reinstated House of Representatives (HoR) begins at the Parliament building in Singha Durbar, presided by deputy speaker Chitra Lekha Yadav.
April 29: Eight soldiers killed and nine others injured in a landmine explosion within the RNA barrack at Tamghas, the district headquarters of Gulmi.
A local FM radio in Dhading district called 'Radio Loktantra' terminates its operation saying that loktantra (democracy) has been restored. The pro-democracy radio station based in an undisclosed location aired at 107 Frequency Modulation had started operation on April 9 with the initiatives of two students, Deepak Koirala and Uttam Dhamala.
April 30: Koirala takes oath of prime minister from the King.
The House of Representatives unanimously endorses the proposal to go for the election to constituent assembly tabled by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. Apart from the seven-party alliance, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Janashakti Party also support the proposal.
May 2: Koirala forms a seven-member cabinet.
May 5: Government forms high-level judicial commission headed by former justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, to probe the excesses of royal regime.
May 6: Samuel Tamrat, Special Advisor to the United Nations Undersecretary General for Political Affairs, arrives in Kathmandu and stages discussions about the possible support of the UN for peace process here with Deputy Prime Minister K. P. Oli, CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
May 10: Thirteen schoolchildren killed and 12 injured when a tempo (three-wheeler vehicle) they were travelling in falls into the Chatara canal in the eastern district of Sunsari.
May 13: CPN (UML) lawmaker, Subash Nemwang, elected unopposed to post of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

May 18: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala tables a historic proposal before the House of Representatives, which effectively cuts all the powers of the King, and declares the reinstated House as “supreme.”
May 26: The talks teams of the government and the CPN (Maoist) begin formal talks-- for the first time since the latest ceasefire -- at Gokarna Forest Resort. The six-hour long talks finalises the 25-point ceasefire code of conduct.
June 1: A three-member delegation of the European Commission (EC) led by Herve Jouanjean, Deputy Director General (DDG) of the Directorate-General for External Relations of the European Commission arrives in Kathmandu to assess the latest political developments here.
June 2: Maoists organise their first public gathering at Tundikhel, Kathmandu .
June 6: PM Koirala leaves for India on a four-day visit. This was his first official international visit after resuming office as prime minister. Indian PM Singh turns up at the airport to receive his Nepali counterpart, breaking the closely mainlined protocol.
June 15: Second round of talks between the talks teams of government and the Maoists start.

June 16: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala holds talks with Maoist chairman Prachanda at the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar. Maoist number two Dr. Bhattarai, coordinator of the Maoist talk team Krishna Bahadur Mahara and members Dina Nath Sharma and Dev Gurung accompany Prachanda in the meeting. Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula also present. Prachanda and Bhattarai arrived in the capital for the talks on an Air Dynasty helicopter from Pokhara on the same day. Prachanda comes in the open for the first time in his 25 years long political life. The government and the Maoists reach an 8-point understanding including the formation of interim constitution within 15 days. Laxman Prasad Aryal leads the interim constitution drafting committee. Early next morning, Maoist leaders leave Kathmandu .
June 26: Renowned lyricist and music composer Dibya Khaling dies at 56.
Jun 27: The Rayamajhi Commission starts questioning the ministers of the king's erstwhile cabinet, security chiefs and others.
July 2: The Interim Constitution Drafting Committee begins formal work 20 days after its formation.
July 7: King’s birthday boycotted by cabinet for the time in history. King sends a greeting message.
July 24: Prachanda writes to UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, registering a strong protest against the letter sent by the Government of Nepal on July 4.

July 27: Head of the United Nations Mission to Nepal , Staffan de Mistura arrives in Kathmandu . He says the mission did not come to Nepal with any pre-established formulas or timetables in mind.
July 30: Nepali Army (NA) personnel led by a captain — surround a police post in Durbar Marg, abduct three policemen, and torture them for nearly two hours.
August 1: Hotel Yak & Yeti resumes its operations, ending the wrangling between the management and the trade unions for eight months.
August 5: Nepali Congress Democratic (NC-D) CC meeting decides to go for a federal democratic republican set-up.
August 9: Prime Minister Koirala and Maoist chairman Prachanda write separate letters with same contents to UN requesting UN support in peace process here.
August 11: The government appoints Lieutenant General Rookmangud Katawal as acting Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) of the Nepal Army.
August 25: The Interim Constitution Drafting Committee (ICDC) submits the draft interim constitution to the peace talks teams of the government and Maoists. Coordinator of the ICDC and former Justice Laxman Prasad Aryal hands over the 76-page draft separately to leader of the government talks team and Home Minister, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, and coordinator of the Maoist talks team, Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
August 26: UN chooses Ian Martin, the head of the OHCHR in Nepal , as the UN team leader for peace process in Nepal .
September 5: General Rukmangud Katawal appointed as the new Chief of Army Staff (CoAS). He receives insignia from the Prime Minister on September 10 ending the tradition of receiving it from the king.
September 7: Power Summit 2006 starts in the capital where American and Indian power investors gather to discuss the prospects of investment in Nepal ’s hydropower.
September 12: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) office opens in Kathmandu .
September 18: Indian police re-arrest Maoist leader C. P. Gajurel immediately after he was released from Chennai Central Jail, South India —upon serving three-year sentence. Indian police had detained him three years ago while he was trying to board an international flight to Europe at the Chennai Airport .
September 22: Athlete Rajendra Bhandari, who won two gold medals in South Asian Games (SAG), tests positive for an anabolic steroid, Norandrosterone. This is the first instance of doping involving Nepali athletes.
September 23: Unidentified gunmen shoot dead Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmaker and former minister Krishna Charan Shrestha in Siraha. Three assailants, who came on two motorbikes, open fire at Shrestha from automatic rifles at around 8 a.m. when he was out for morning walk. One villager was also killed.
A Shree Airlines helicopter crashes in Ghunsha, Taplejung killing 24 persons including Minister of State for Forest , Gopal Rai and several wildlife conservationists like Dr Harka Gurung. The helicopter was on its way from Ghunsa to the district headquarter. Top officials of the Forest Ministry, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and US embassies were killed in the deadly crashs.
October 10: Second round of summit meeting begins at Baluwatar.
Maoist leader Chandra Prakash Gajurel alias Gaurav sent to Kolkata from Chennai to face fresh charges. The Chennai Metropolitan Court had ordered to hand over Gajurel to the police of West Bengal state. The West Bengal Police charges him with act of treason.
FNCCI shuts down businesses around the country for one day, the first industrial strike after the restoration of democracy, to protest insecurity. The strike received widespread criticism. The strike was organised ignoring the court order not to do so. Its president Chandi Raj Dhakal faces contempt of court case.
October 12: The high level probe commission led by former Supreme Court justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi sends questionnaire to King Gyanendra. This was the first incident in Nepali history when an attempt was made to interrogate a King questioning his deeds. The King was given a week’s deadline but the commission didn’t receive any response from the palace.
October 13: New OHCHR-Nepal chief Lena Sudh arrives in Kathmandu to replace Ian Martin.
November 8: Seven parties and the Maoists seal a historic deal paving way for formal entry of the Maoists into the political mainstream. They agree to decide the fate of monarchy from the first meeting of the CA, bring the properties of late King Birendra under a trust, nationalise the ancestral property of King Gyanendra and keep him powerless until the CA polls.
Cantonments sites for Maoist combatants identified.
A 330-member interim legislature is to replace the House of Representatives, which would adopt the interim constitution. Seats distribution: Nepali Congress (75 seats), Unified Marxist Leninist (73 seats), and Maoists (73 seats). The Maoists are to nominate 73 members and 48 members to be chosen from civil society, professional organisations and various party organisations.
The CA elections to be held within mid-June 2007 on the basis of mixed proportional electoral system. The constituent assembly will have 425 members – 205 elected directly on the basis of existing electoral constituencies and 204 members will be nominated by various parties on the basis of their proportional strength seen in direct elections while 16 members will be appointed by the Prime Minister. The UML writes Note of Dissent on the procedure to decide the fate of monarchy and election system. The party is in favour of a referendum to decide the fate of monarchy and proportional election system.
November 20: High-level probe commission submits its report to the PM, recommending action against 202 people including the king, who have been found guilty of committing human rights abuses during the Jana Andolan II. The panel had interrogated 294 persons. However, the panel members dispute over the quantum of punishment to the perpetrators. Government expresses commitment to implement the recommendation by the commission.

November 21: Detailed Peace Accord signed between the government and the Maoist announcing the formal end of the decade-long armed insurgency that took the lives of over 13,000 citizens. Inclusive of provisions on human rights, civil and political rights, arms and armies management, socio-economic transformation, among others, the ten-point accord was signed in presence of ministers, political party leaders, Maoist leaders, foreign diplomats, MPs, government officials and media representatives.
After signing the agreement, PM Koirala declares, "We all are entering into a new era from today. All of us Nepalis must come together to build a new Nepal ." Prachanda stated that with the signing of the accord, "The continuity of 238-year-old tradition has been broken to start a new phase.”
World community welcomes the agreement wish for peace in Nepal .
November 23: UN General Secretary Kofi Annan pledges quick assistance to Nepal following the peace accord.

November 28: Government and Maoists sign the ‘Agreement on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies’.
The Maoists are to be allowed to keep 30 arms for the security of each of the seven main camps and 15 arms for 21 satellite camps. The two sides agree to form a nine-member Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC) comprising three members from the Maoists, the government and the UN each, which will oversee the monitoring process. (
November 29: Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon arrives in Kathmandu in his first visit to Nepal since he took over the charges at the Ministry of External Affairs; invites PM Koirala at the 14 SAARC summit.
November 30: Ceasefire monitoring committee dissolved. The 25-member monitoring committee led by Prof Dr Birendra Mishra was mandated to study violations of the ceasefire and submit reports to the government and the Maoists.

West Bengal releases two Maoist leaders Mohan Baidya ‘Kiran’ and Chandra Prakash Gajurel ‘Gaurav’ following a court order. The two leaders were released at around 4:00 pm , immediately after the Japlaiguri district court issued their release order. The two leaders enter Nepal in the evening.
National taskforce for a new national anthem led by Satya Mohan Joshi recommends the song penned by Byakul Maila (Pradeep Kumar Rai) for new national anthem. The taskforce had received 1,272 songs.
December 1: UNSC adopts plan for helping Nepal ’s peace process.
December 8: Tripartite agreement on arms and armies management signed among the government, Maoist and the UN.
December 16: The top leaders finalise and ink the interim constitution with the understanding to promulgate it after arms management begins.
December 26: Communal riots in Nepalgunj claim one and injure over two dozens. Local administration imposes curfew for two days. This was the first curfew imposed in the country after the restoration of the country
Courtsy: www.nepalnews.com

Photo: Bikash Koirala@2006 Mugu