Nepal Second peaceful nation’ in South Asia 2012

Nepal has found the second spot after Bhutan as the most peaceful country in South Asia in the latest Global Peace Index (GPI) released late on Tuesday.

The study, conducted by the Australia and US-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), has ranked Nepal in the 80th place after Bhutan among the 158 nations it took into account.

While India figures much behind, in the 142nd position, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan have been ranked 103rd, 91st and 149th among the countries respectively.

Bhutan tops in South Asia in the GPI with the 19th position, while China has slid in the peace index, standing 89th as against the 80th position last year.

According to the report, deaths related to internal conflict, displaced people, weapons export, heavy weapons, armed service personnel, death from external conflict, weapon imports and jailed population have declined in Nepal.

The report also claimed that the world was more peaceful in 2011 as powerful nations had austerity-driven defence cuts.

The survey studied 23 indicators across 158 countries, ranging from measures of civil unrest and crime to military spending, involvement in armed conflict and relations with neighbours.

Aside from the deterioration in the Middle East, every other region in the world showed at least some improvement.

In Asia, despite worries over a growing arms race and geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States, the overall defence spending appeared roughly flat and conflict slightly down.

Constituent Assembly dissolved, Nepali Politics failed

The Constituent Assembly (CA) is dissolved without delivering the new constitution after witnessing four years of political brinkmanship.

The CA got dissolved after the parties failed to reach consensus on the restructuring of the state.

The formation of the CA for the first time in the history of Nepal was the key agenda of the people's movement, 2007 that put monarchy to an end by declaring the country as the democratic republic.

Initially the CA was mandated for two years to complete the task of constitution writing but due to the failure of the political parties to promulgate the constitution within stipulated time, the CA amended the interim constitution in the capacity of the legislature parliament and extended the deadline four times.

On November 25 last year, giving its final verdict on a writ petition challenging repeated extension of the CA's term, the Supreme Court made a verdict that CA's term can be extended only one more time and that the Assembly will be defunct if the constitution is not promulgated within the extended term.
On May 22, The government registered 13th constitution amendment bill in the parliament to pave way for three month extension of the term of the Constituent Assembly going against November 25 SC verdict. However, responding the writs filed against the government move, the Court on May 24 issued a ruling to the government, asking it not to proceed with its decision to extend the term of the CA that ended all the possibilities of the CA term extension.
As the parties could not find common ground on the key issues related to constitution drafting despite series of discussions till the night of May 27, the deadline day for the promulgation of the new constitution, the CA expired without delivering the new constitution. nepalnews

Four political forces close to deal on federalism based on multiple identities as House secretariat prepares preliminary draft of constitution

Latest Status of Nepal Constitution @2 pm NST:Four political forces close to deal on federalism based on multiple identities as House secretariat prepares preliminary draft of constitution:

With just hours to go before the term of the Constituent Assembly expires, top leaders of four political forces – UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) – are engaged in top-level political parleys on Sunday to resolve the differences on disputed issues and promulgate the constitution within midnight today

May 27 last day of Nepal Constitution

May 27 2012, Last day of Nepal Constitution,

A new constitution is widely seen as crucial to helping end the instability that has plagued Nepal since the end of a Maoist-led civil war in 2006 and subsequent overthrow of the monarchy, but it has been thwarted by demands for the country to be divided into states along ethnic lines.

The debate has sparked violent protests in recent weeks and ethnic groups have staged demonstrations near the parliament building where a Constituent Assembly of politicians has until midnight to end its haggling and agree on the new charter.

If it misses the deadline set by the Supreme Court, the assembly – which doubles as a parliament – will be dissolved, creating a power vacuum and risking further unrest in a poverty-stricken nation dependent on aid and tourism.

“The demands for ethnic autonomy have become so strong that if they are not addressed they could lay the seeds for further conflict as happed in Sri Lanka and Aceh,” said Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times weekly.

Rallies were banned around key government buildings in Kathmandu, including the prime minister’s office, as the clock ticked towards the deadline, and parliament was ringed by helmeted riot police behind concertina wire barricades.

The Rajdhani daily said the army was on high alert and ready to step in if police fail to maintain security in the capital.

Ethnic tension

Prolonged instability in Nepal, which sits on the source of rivers that supply water to millions in South Asia, could suck neighbors China and India into competition for influence there. Both are important aid donors and trade partners for Nepal.

Diplomats say that because of its political uncertainty Nepal has failed to exploit the export potential presented by the rapid growth of its giant neighbors and investors have avoided the country. The economy grew by 3.5 percent last year, its lowest rate in four years.

The new constitution is a key part of the peace deal struck with the Maoists to end their revolt. But an agreement on the charter has been elusive and the assembly has missed several deadlines already because of deep divisions over the number, boundaries and names of the nation’s states.

The assembly is dominated by the Maoists, who waged their revolt on a pledge to empower the country’s many ethnic groups after centuries of exclusion and discrimination.

The Maoists want the creation of up to 14 states named after ethnic groups, and are backed by several small Madhesi parties demanding an autonomous state in the country’s southern plains.

“A constitution is not possible without federal states recognizing the identity of ethnic groups,” said senior Maoist leader Narayankaji Shrestha.

The Maoists’ political rivals say carving up the nation along ethnic lines will stoke tension between different castes.

Ram Sharan Mahat, a Nepali Congress party leader, said the Maoists “want to kill the assembly, not make the constitution” and stay in power.