Maoist Declaration of Federal States rattles nerves in Nepal

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Tuesday December 15, 2009 05:44 by Rose Kelleher rose_kelleher at hotmail dot com

The Government in Nepal is set for stormy weather in the coming days as the Maoists declare autonomous states despite protest from the leading party. As the country tries to hammer out a constitution and introduce some long-awaited stability, ordinary citizens are worried about rising tension and continuing strikes.

Nepalis are looking on nervously as the country's main opposition party, the UCPN-M (Unified Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist) is raising tension with the leading party by declaring 6 new autonomous states in the country today.

As tension rises in the landlocked country, citizens are worried that the continuing infighting will lead to more public strikes, or bandhs, in a country that saw 254 days of strikes in 2008 alone.

The UCPN-M declared on November 25 their intention to fulfill a campaign promise of giving autonomous rule to 13 different regions of Nepal, based on ethnic communities. They are due to complete the inauguration of the states by December 18. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar has urged the UCPN-M to withdraw all decisions to form federal states or risk political confrontation.

People are also worried about a return to the type of violence that that caused more than 13,000 deaths in 10 years, before a peace deal was signed by the multi-party government and Maoists rebels in November 2006.

There is a heavy police presence on the streets of the capital Katmandu today, police dressed in riot gear wait on street corners to quell any sign of unrest as the government fight among themselves to preserve a tenuous peace in light of the move from the communists.

The feeling among ordinary Nepalis ranges from worry about potential violence and a weariness of continuing strikes that cripple public services and affect their ability to work and feed their families. Both sentiments illustrate the feeling of detachment the public feel from the workings of government in Nepal, one of the worlds poorest countries.

“They are just fighting for power; they don't care about the ordinary people; I don't pay attention anymore” says Rajendra Subede, a trekking guide in the capital who, like many others depends on tourism for his livelihood. When asked the consequences of breaking one of the many strikes that plague the country he laughs “My car would be set on fire. If I could afford one”