Kathmandu, The Kathmandu Post, Oct. 27, 2006
Political leaders, members of civil society and intellectuals called everybody to jointly fight against the government's attempt to seize the constitutionally granted rights of people. Speaking at an interaction, organized by Association of Political Science Students (APSS), Gopal Man Shrestha, acting president of Nepali Congress (Democratic), said the government is making full-fledged attempts to revive Panchayat autocracy. "The recently promulgated media ordinance is aimed not only at ending the existence of independent press but is also aimed at eliminating the existence of political parties in the country," he said. Dhruba Hari Adhikari, president of Nepal Press Institute (NPI), said the recently promulgated media ordinance has seriously undermined peoples' right to expression. He also criticized those media persons who welcomed the ordinance. "This is the eighth wonder of the world," he said. Stating that the present constitution clearly guarantees the right to press and publication, advocate Bhimarjun Acharya said, "It is unfortunate that the current government is creating obstacles in the free exercise of those rights." Professor Krishna Khanal charged that the country is currently being ruled by personal decrees. "There is no rule of law," he said. He also urged people to defy such decrees, introduced as ordinance by the current government. Rameshwor Upadhyaya, general secretary of Nepal University Teachers' Association (NUTA), said each activity of the government is aimed at depriving citizens of their fundamental rights, including freedom of expression. He also condemned the government's midnight raid on Kantipur FM and urged everybody to strongly protest it. For program report, contact us.

Kathmandu, The Himalayan Times, Sep. 26, 2006
Experts on Tuesday urged both the Maoists and the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) to immediately initiate means to enforce interim constitution in the country. Speaking at a national workshop organized by Association of Political Science Students (APSS) in the capital, they said the enforcement of the constitution would help avoid legal confusion pervading the country. The interim constitution should be given final shape at the earliest considering it as a law to manage the transition period, said Laxman Prasad Aryal, coordinator of Interim Constitution Drafting Committee. He also said the country is currently mired in legal confusion due to lack of an interim constitution being in place. Aryal also said the issue of arms management would be automatically solved once the interim constitution is enforced and the Maoists are included in the interim government. There could be no harm to any party if the weapons are mobilized as per the law of the land. The issue of arms management will be solved once the Maoists are brought under the law, he said. Legal expert Radheshyam Adhikari said the interim constitution was entangled in four major contentious issues including the management of arms. It seems that the SPA are engaged with their vested political interests rather than addressing the issue of arms management, said Adhikari. For program report, contact us.

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