Nepal’s Embassy in China: PM's visit strengthened Nepal-China ties; Gajurel: Nepal would maintain cordial and equidistant ties between India and China; Cabinet expands to include 17 more ministers; Factionalis in CPM(M), CPM(UML), NC; CoAS Katawal
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    • Nepal’s Embassy in Beijing noted that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s visit to China strengthened relations between the two countries. Chinese support to Nepal’s economic, infrastructure and technical development were discussed in meetings with the Chinese leadership. Nepal’s Ambassador to China Tanka Karki hoped that China would “extend more assistance to Nepal in the coming days1.”

    Prime Minister Dahal on his part assured Hu Jintao of Nepal’s commitment to the ‘One China’ policy and vowed not to allow any anti-China activity on Nepal’s territory. Prime Minister Wen Jiaboa announced financial assistance amounting to $300,000 to the victims of the recent floods in eastern Nepal. In order to bring in more Chinese tourists, Dahal requested Beijing to take significant measures to expand the connectivity between the two countries and promote trade, investment and tourism2.

    Meanwhile, CPI-Maoist international affairs department head, C.P. Gajurel dismissed suggestions that Prime Minister Dahal’s visit to China was an indication of Nepal using the ‘China card’ against India. Gajurel insisted that his party wanted to maintain cordial and equidistant relations with both India and China3.

    Following the visit by Dahal and earlier by the UML members, a high-level delegation of the Nepali Congress (NC) left for China on August 30. The six-member delegation being led by NC vice-president Prakash Man Singh was invited by the Chinese Communist Party4.

    In domestic political developments, Prime Minister Dahal expanded the cabinet on August 31 by inducting 17 more ministers, six of whom were from CPN (Maoist), six from CPN (UML) and one each from Janamorcha Nepal, CPN (United) and Sadbhawana Party. CPN (Marxist Leninist), which earlier had decided to join the government, opted out after it was denied its chosen portfolio (land reform). With the new inductions, the strength of the cabinet rose to 245.

    Reports noted that some senior leaders were unhappy at being denied cabinet posts. Mohan Vaidya Kiran, Maoists senior leader stated that the party high command failed to select five leaders to represent the party in the government6. Central committee member Barshaman Pun alias Anata declined Dahal’s invitation to join the cabinet.

    Factionalism also seemed to be a major issue in the NC and UML. NC sources revealed that said some members criticized the leadership for the losses the party suffered in the Constituent Assembly (CA) election. The 'dissident leaders' also suggested the party to play a strong opposition role in the CA, and demanded that the meeting of Maha Samiti be summoned as early as possible to fix the date for the general convention that will choose new leadership7.

    Disgruntled UML leaders have also been demanding fresh nominations. Reports noted that CPN (UML) leaders and cadres from far-western region and Karnali zone have warned of 'collective revolt' if the party leadership failed to ensure balanced representation in crucial positions. CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal and leaders from Seti, Mahakali and Karnali zones for instance took the party leadership to task for not including a single leader from far-west region and Karnali in the team of ministers it had finalised. UML central leader Bhim Rawal warned that leaders and cadres from these regions would resign from the party en masse if the leadership failed to make a balance in terms of representation including the list of ministers8.

    Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa meanwhile stated that the process of integration of army will be completed within six months and that a special committee would be formed to initiate the process. Nepal’s Chief of Army Staff Rookmangad Katawal on August 30 insisted that Nepal Army would “not be politicized at any cost9.”

    The UN appealed to the Maoists to release children from their guerrilla army immediately. Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict urged that UN agencies should have access to the children to ensure their "recovery and reintegration.” Nepal's Maoists on their part have stated that they had yet to decide about the course of action regarding the nearly 3,000 fighters under the age of 18. Around 19,000 former fighters, inclusive of these underage combatants, have been in UN-monitored camps since a 2006 peace deal that ended the Maoists' bloody ‘people's war10.’

    While uncertainties continued over the integration issue, the World Bank provided a grant of $127 million to help the Nepal government to consolidate the peace process and to scale up the delivery of basic services to under-served rural populations. The $50 million grant for the Emergency Peace Support Project intends to help Nepal fulfill commitments made under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the subsequent 23 Point Agreement. The grants, which are the first such aid given to Nepal since the Maoists took over, were from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessionary lending arm11.

    In other developments, Nepal’s Defense Minister asserted that Nepal would not continue to wait for India to renovate Kosi embankments and would instead start mobilising internal resources to repair them in a permanent manner12.

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