Nepali rebels, govt accept draft interim constitution

Coordinator of the Interim Constitution drafting panel and former Supreme Court Justice Laxman Prasad Aryal (C), Nepalese Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula (L) and Maoist peace talk leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara (R) address a joint press conference following the presentation of a draft interim constitution at the Peace Secretariat in Kathmandu on Friday. Nepal's government and rebel Maoists accepted the draft interim constitution which avoided key political issues, but was lauded by rebel and government officials. PHOTO: AFP

"This interim constitution will be crucial in establishing a new Nepal," said Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Nepal's home minister, after rebel and government officials formally accepted the constitution from the drafting committee.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist leaders reached a landmark agreement in mid-June to prepare an interim constitution that is aimed at allowing the rebels, who have led a 10-year insurgency, to join the government.

The exercise was expected to take 15 days but dragged as the parties and Maoists failed to agree on the monarchy's future.

Under Nepal's 1990 constitution, the king was the supreme commander of the 90,000-strong Nepal Army, and had the powers to dissolve parliament.

Three weeks of widespread protests organised by sidelined political parties and rebel Maoists forced King Gyanendra's climbdown and the reinstatement of parliament earlier this year.

The 172-article interim constitution makes no mention of the role of the monarchy or the future of Nepal's army, but these issues will be addressed separately by government and rebel leaders, the home minister said.

"High-level talks between the seven-party alliance and Maoist leaders will be held soon. The talks will reach agreements in certain political issues to be included in the interim constitution," Sitaula said.

The rebels -- who began a "people's war" in the impoverished Himalayan nation in 1996 that has killed at least 12,500 people -- also praised the draft constitution despite the sidestepping of key issues.

"It's a breakthrough in taking the peace process ahead," Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara told journalists.

"We, by agreeing with the political parties to bring the old constitution to an end, have come to the present state from the people's war to establish a new Nepal," the spokesman said.

Since the king ended his period of direct rule, the rebels and government have been observing a ceasefire and have agreed to hold elections to a body that will rewrite Nepal's constitution permanently.

The interim constitution states that "sovereign rights and executive powers are vested in the people," and proposes the establishment of a body to oversee the planned elections of the constitution redrafting committee.

"We have included a provision to set up a three-member Constituent Assembly Court to oversee all the election process," said Laxman Prasad Aryal, coordinator of the interim constitution drafting panel.

"The Court, which will be an organ of the Supreme Court, will make decisions regarding the disputes that may emerge during the polls," he said.

Meanwhile, Nepal's government and Maoist rebels agree on the main elements of how the United Nations can help their country recover after a decade of conflict, but more work is needed before UN aid can begin, the United Nations said on Friday.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has asked veteran diplomat Ian Martin of Britain to begin consulting with all concerned parties "in order to build on the common understanding that now exists, so that detailed planning for UN assistance may proceed," a UN spokesman said in New York.