Nepal Timeline - 2008
January 3
The Terai-Madhesh Democratic Party submitted an 11-point demand to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. The demands put forth by the party include constitutional guarantee of autonomy with right to self determination for Terai-Madhesh region; declaring the 42 people killed during the Madhesh agitation in 2007 as martyrs; providing relief and compensation to injured; formation of a new independent commission to probe alleged atrocities during the Madhesh agitation; recruitment of Madheshi people in Nepali Army proportional to their population; and allocation of budget based on population, among others.
January 4
Cadres of the Jwala Singh faction of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-J) shot dead a civilian, identified as Hari Prasad Chaulagain, a resident of Bardibas-3 of Mahottari district.
The Young Communist League (YCL) cadres assaulted local traders in the Khodpe Bazaar of Baitadi district for organising a vehicle strike in protest against the YCL atrocities.
January 6
YCL cadres assaulted and injured a former chairman of the Lamachaur Village Development Committee (VDC), Durga Bahadur, and a Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist-Leninist (CPN-UML) activist, Om Bahadur Kunwar, in the Kaski district alleging that the duo was involved in corruption.
In a reference to the integration of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with the Nepali Army, the Chief of Army Staff, Rookmangud Katawal, has said that the Nepali Army would not accept induction of any political ideology in the army. "In the name of institutionalising the peace process, any political ‘ism’ or ideology should not be introduced in the Nepali Army," he said. Katawal added that there should be no political influence on the Nepali Army. "Political influence on the Nepali Army will only invite bigger problems in the country," he stated.
January 7
Cadres of the Prithvi Singh faction of the JTMM detonated three bombs at three different places in the Birgunj town of Parsa district. According to police, the explosions occurred at Ghantaghar, Bypass Road and near the Truck Entrepreneurs Association office in the town.
Police arrested a leader of the JTMM-J, identified as Raj Kumar Mandal, from Lalitpur. A revolver was also seized from his possession.
January 8
Security forces arrested two cadres of the JTMM-J, identified as Bhavikhan Mahato and Lal Babu Mahato, at Jeetpur in the Bara district. A twelve-bore gun and a homemade pistol were also recovered from their possession.
January 9
A senior officer of the District Development Committee of the Kapilvastu district, Niranjan Poudel, was abducted by a group of armed cadres of the JTMM from the Tirtikhi VDC area.
YCL cadres seized over a tonne of ginger planted in a farm belonging to one Laxmi Das Shrestha of Sarandanda-5 in Panchthar district. Later Shrestha said that, "They asked for donation and when I denied to pay up they took control of the ginger plantation on over two ropanis of land worth NR 20,000."
January 11
A cabinet meeting decided to hold the Constituent Assembly elections on April 10, 2008. Emerging from the cabinet meeting, Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula said, "The cabinet meeting made the decision in an amicable manner and the government will concentrate on the Constituent Assembly elections setting it as the major agenda." Leaders of the three major political parties, Prime Minister and Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala, Maoist Chairman Prachanda and the Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal has also reached an agreement not to make any remarks in public that would adversely affect the environment for the elections.
January 12
Cadres of the JTMM-J shot dead a journalist, identified as Pushpa Shrestha, in front of the Kanya Lower Secondary School in Birgunj Municipility-3 of Parsa district. The Parsa district in-charge of JTMM-J, Toofan Singh, claimed responsibility for the killing.
A CPN-Maoist Central Committee meeting decided to relieve deputy commander Barsha Man Pun a.k.a. Ananta from his position as the YCL ‘faction in-charge’ amidst reports of the increased high-handedness of the YCL cadres. According to sources, the Central Committee meeting took the decision to this effect after some of its members criticised the recent activities of the YCL and held Ananta responsible for it.
January 14
Eight persons were injured when a bomb exploded near Bhotahiti in the capital Kathmandu, minutes after a mass gathering of the seven parties to launch their election campaigning concluded. Eyewitnesses said they heard explosion in the middle of the road at the busy Ratnapark-Bhotahity intersection which lies few hundred meters from Khula Mach, the venue of the seven-party mass meeting. The bomb hurled by an unidentified person also damaged two vehicles.
A team from the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), a Kathmandu-based human rights non-governmental organisation, found that the Maoists are continuing to operate labour camps in many parts of the country. INSEC found that six persons in Salyan, 20 in Rukum, seven in Pyuthan, and six in Jajarkot districts are serving jail terms in such labour camps. The terms were handed down by the CPN-Maoist 'Kangaroo Courts' in the past. "The detainees cook food, clean the school and cooking utensils, serve the teachers and students, and carry loads for Maoists," said Pratibedan Baidhya, the leader of the INSEC team. The detainees are also reportedly not paid for their work.
January 17
Himalayan Times reports that the Maoists are still running their kangaroo court in the Dhangadhi municipality of Kailali district, in violation of the agreement with the government. Kharga Rana of the Beladevi Village Development Committee received a letter from the people’s justice cooperation committee asking him to attend the people’s court on January 27. The CPN-Maoist district secretary Utsav said that the people’s court was trying to streamline the issues between the people, police and administration, adding that, "This is not against the spirit of the peace treaty."
JTMM-J leader Jwala Singh said that his party is ready to negotiate with the government under the supervision of the United Nations or any other reliable international agency, according to Nepal News. He set a precondition that the government should give its commitment that major demands of his party would be addressed by the time formal talks begin.
January 19
Security forces arrested two cadres of the JTMM-J, identified as Shanker Giri and Mahadev Sahani, with a pistol at Gaur Municipality-1 in the Rautahat district.
January 20
JTMM-J cadres abducted and subsequently shot dead a government servant, Purna Prasad Dhakal, in the Banke district. Dhakal, who worked as a clerk at the Land Reforms Office, was whisked away from Raniyapur village in Banke district on January 19-night, and his bullet-ridden body was found on January 20-morning three kilometers away from Sidhiniya Ghaat in the Gamdi VDC.
JTMM-J cadres seized five tractors in Maryadapur VDC in the Rautahat district. JTMM-J area no. 3 in-charge, Jhaman Yadav, has said that the tractors were seized for failing to secure permits.
January 20
YCL cadres abducted three activists of the Nepali Congress, identified as Satya Narayan Yadav, Ram Ekwal Yadav and Nem Kumar Thakur, in the Siraha district.
January 21
The Madhesh Mukti Tigers (MMT) cadres detonated seven bombs in Rajbiraj, headquarters of the Saptari district, ahead of the visit of the Minister of state for Home Affairs, Ram Kumar Chaudhary, to his hometown. A bomb exploded at the district development committee meeting hall prior to Chaudhary’s arrival, where a welcome ceremony was scheduled to be held. Later, a series of blasts continued at Siraha road, near the municipality building, near the Nepali Congress office, near the Sajha offset press, next to Ansari Mini Market and at Jana Andolan Chowk. However, no casualty was reported in the blasts.
January 23
Cadres of the YCL killed the three Nepali Congress activists, Satya Narayan Yadav, Neem Chandra Thakur, and Ram Ikbaal Yadav, who were abducted by them on January 20. Police found their dead bodies buried on the bank of Kamala River at Kichana VDC in the Siraha district.
January 25
Cadres of the Joint Madhesi Morcha showed black flags to the Nepali Congress central leaders who came to Rajbiraj to address a party cadres’ assembly. One policeman and six demonstrators were hurt in the riot that ensued. While the meeting was going on at the District Development Committee hall, two bombs were exploded, but no casualties were reported. Number 4 area in charge of the JTMM-J, Ranjit, claimed responsibility for the blasts. One dozen demonstrators were also arrested.
January 26
Several bombs were detonated at different places in Janakapura on January 25-evening ahead of the seven parties joint meet to be held at Janakapura. Two bombs were exploded at Piradi Chowk and another at Ramananda Chowk. Only minor damages were reported as the bombs weren't very powerful.
MMT triggered a series of bomb explosions in Inaruwa, headquarters of the Sunsari district. The blasts occurred at Bihibarehat area where senior Nepali Congress leaders were attending a gathering of the party workers. However, no casualty was reported in the blasts.
Maoists allegedly seized a Nepali Congress activist, Pratap Devkota, on the charge of gathering people for a Nepali Congress mass meeting at Khalanga in the Rukum district. Maoists detained Devkota for one hour when he was returning to his village after the meeting. He was later released with the help of Police.
January 27
JTMM-J cadres exploded a petrol bomb at the CPN-Maoist district office at Rajhaul in the Dhanusa district. However, no casualties were reported in the incident.
January 28
Cadres of the JTMM-J shot dead a youth in the Dhanusa district. A group headed by JTMM-J cadre, Tiger Singh, shot dead Madan Kumar Lama while he was on his way home at Puspalnagar in the Dhanusa district from Kathmandu, on charge of spying against them.
Cadres of the YCL captured a house belonging to one Bhuwan Singh Gurung in Khandbari-3 in the Sankhuwasabha district after he failed to pay the donation amount demanded from him.
January 29
YCL cadres clashed with some policemen at Kabeli bazaar in the Panchthar district when the policemen attempted to check a passenger bus carrying some YCL cadres, among others. During the clash which continued for half-an-hour the YCL cadres reportedly seized the weapons of a policeman.
CPN-Maoist cadres surrounded the Rautahat District Administration Office demanding release of their detained colleague, Jaya Ram Yadav, on a murder charge. The Maoists' district in-charge, Ashok Jaysawal Yadav, threatened to boycott elections in the Rautahat district if Yadav were not released.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said he is ready to meet all the just demands made by disgruntled Madhesi groups if they show a readiness to take part in the forthcoming Constituent Assembly election. Addressing a function in Kathmandu, Koirala said, "I want to tell the Madhesi friends that they just need to become ready to participate in the elections, then it will be for me to meet all the just demands they are raising." Stressing that only dialogue can resolve the Terai problem, the Prime Minister also urged the Terai groups to come to the negotiating table.
January 30
Around 54 persons, including the Chief District Officer of Parsa district, Bhola Prasad Siwakoti, were injured in an explosion that occurred outside the Narayani Stadium in Birgunj where the Seven Party Alliance was holding its final electoral assembly. Meanwhile, Kanchan Bidrohi, the Parsa district in-charge of the MMT, has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
Police arrested the Siraha district commander of the JTMM-G, Prithvi Lal Yadav alias Jasho Lal.
A report of the National Human Rights Commission regional office in Biratnagar has revealed that the Maoists are yet to return the seized land and property belonging to 38 families of Rajbiraj in the Saptari district. Maoist district secretary Suryanath Yadav alias Subash said that they were ready to return the seized land and property as per the direction of the party. "We have returned most of the land and property we had seized," he claimed. Seized land and property will be distributed to the poor, needy, landless and squatters, he added.
January 31
Cadres of the JTMM-J shot dead a guard at a community forest project in Sarlahi district. Police informed that the security guard, identified as Karna Bahadur Biswokarma, was shot dead while he was on duty at the Sagarnath Community Forest Project at Gaurishankhar VDC.
February 2
An 8-year-old girl was injured when an explosion occurred few meters away at Sakhuwagachi of Inaruwa in the Sunsari district, where senior Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba was attending a mass meeting. The MMT has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Protesting the detention of over two dozens YCL cadres by India’s Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) in Maheshpur border area in the Jhapa district, the YCL cadres resorted to vandalism and rampage, and targeted at vehicles with Indian number plates in Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari district on February 2, Nepal News reports. They set ablaze to two Indian vehicles - one truck and a jeep – in the Jhapa district and an Indian truck at Biratnagar in the Morang district. The YCL has also imposed a ban on the plying of Indian vehicles in the three districts.
February 3
More than a dozen of bomb explosions rocked Rajbiraj town, the headquarters of Saptari district on February 3. The blasts took place close to Raj Stadium where the Nepali Congress was organising its election rally which was to be addressed by senior Nepali Congress leader and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Around a dozen of persons, including two policemen, were injured in the blasts. 51 persons suspected to have been involved with the blasts have been arrested so far.
February 4
20 persons, including eight policemen were inured at Nepalgunj in the Banke district when cadres of the United Madhesi Front (UMF) clashed with police on February 4 on the second day of the bandh called by the UMF. Marketplaces, educational institutions and industries remain largely closed and vehicular transport came to a halt in Siraha, Saptari, Bara, Parsa, Mahottari, Rautahat and Dhanusha districts. The bandh has partially affected Sunsari, Morang, Kapilvastu, Nawalparasi and Rupendehi districts.
Eight MJF cadres, including president of the Youth Madhesi Forum Rajendra Yadav, were injured in a clash with police in Nawalparasi. The clash ensued as police tried to reopen the Butwal-Bardaghat road section. MJF supporters barred vehicles from plying on Basachowk of the road section along the Mahendra Highway.
Cadres of the YCL assaulted the District Education Officer of Saptari, Afsad Ali, in his office. Three YCL cadres were arrested in connection with the manhandling Ali.
JTMM-G published a list of 37 persons of Sunsari district and threatened to initiate ‘physical action’ them. ‘Physical action’ ranges from physical assaults to murder. The list includes names of person from various walks of life such as civil servants, teachers and entrepreneurs.
February 5
At least 20 persons, including three policemen, were injured after cadres of the Tarai-Madhesh Democratic Party and United Madhesi Front clashed with the police at Jaleshwor in the Mahottari district. The clash ensued after the protesters staged demonstration outside Jaleshwor Stadium where Nepali Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba was addressing workers’ meeting.
JTMM-J cadres detonated six bombs on the premises of the District Education Office, at Zero Mile and Sahujipatti area in the Mahottari district.
Activists of Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoists clashed in the Latinath Village Development Committee area of Darchula district after the Maoists tried to disrupt the election campaign of the Nepali Congress. Two Maoists were injured in the incident after police used force to foil any untoward incidents.
Police arrested two JTMM-J cadres, identified as Jibat Kumar Mahato and Ram Chadra Mahato, from Lahan area in the Siraha district and recovered two hand-made guns and 3 rounds of SLR bullets from them.
February 6
Several bombs were detonated at Malangawa, the district headquarters of Sarlahi, where a mass meeting of the Nepali Congress was in progress. The bombs were detonated some 100 metres away from the venue of the meeting. However, no casualties were reported.
Police raided the central office of the YCL at Balaju in Kathmandu, reportedly, for concealed weapons inside the office.
February 7
Two JTMM-J cadres were killed by police in the Saptari district. According to the police, Chandreshwar Kamat alias Sher Singh and Raj Kumar Mandal alias Ranjit of the JTMM-J were shot dead when they clashed with police at Belichapena VDC.
Cadres of the JTMM-G shot dead an elderly person, Keshab Bahadur Gurung, in the Rupandehi district. Gurung, a canteen owner at Sukha Bandargaha in Bagaha VDC, was reportedly killed on charge of spying against the JTMM-G.
February 10
YCL cadres set ablaze a post set up by the Rautahat District Development Committee to collect revenue near Dhansarpur of East-West Highway.
February 11
Around 100 YCL cadres disrupted a programme organised by the Nepali Congress in the Rupakot VDC area of the Tanahu district. They also assaulted the former minister and Nepali Congress leader, Govinda Raj Joshi, and vandalised the podium erected there.
February 13
Around 3,000 Maoist insurgents attacked the Latinath police post in Darchula district for arresting two of their cadres who were arrested for their reported involvement in the recent attack on Nepali Congress leader and former minister Dilendra Badu in Latinath.
JTMM-J cadres abducted a Rural Health Worker, Rajeshwor Prasad Sah, from Siraha district.
February 15
Two persons were injured when cadres of the JTMM-J detonated a pressure cooker bomb at the District Election Office in Nepalgunj in the Banke district.
February 17
The Bara-Parsa districts coordinator of the JTMM-G, Binod Mahato, was shot dead by an unidentified group at Bairganiyaa Bazaar in Bihar in India.
February 18
At least 20 persons were injured when JTMM-J cadres attacked a wedding house at Katani village in the Rangapur VDC area of Rautahat district. They also abducted four girls from there, three of whom were released later. They also looted property worth NR one lakh, including gold ornaments.
February 21
Around 60 persons were injured in six districts of the Terai region on the ninth day of the indefinite strike called by the United Democratic Madhesh Front (UMDF). More than 100 people were arrested and 30 buses were vandalised during the strike. Curfew was imposed in headquarters Siraha and Lahan municipality of Siraha district, Inaruwa and the Mahendra highway section in Sunsari district, Biratnagar of Morang district, Nepalgunj of Banke district and in the Parsa district.
February 22
60 persons, including five policemen and four journalists, were injured in clashes between activists of the UMDF and police in Rautahat and Dhanusha districts.
Four Maoists were injured in a clash that broke out between workers of the CPN-UML and the Maoists in the Arghakhanchi district. The clash ensued after the Maoist cadres tried to obstruct the election rally of the CPN-UML in Hatiya of Nuwakot VDC in the district.
An Armed Police Force head constable, Shyam Kumar Kashyap, was abducted by cadres of the JTMM-J at the Krishnanagar custom office in the Kapilvastu district.
February 23
Cadres of JTMM-J led by the area in-charge, Gabbar, abducted a civilian, Narayan Prasad Upadhyay, in Mahottari district. The JTMM-J district in-charge, Surya, told journalists that, "Upadhyay was abducted as he was tilling 14 bighas of land that was seized by JTMM-J without the permission of the party."
February 24
21 persons were injured in clashes between agitators and the police across the Terai region as an indefinite strike called by the UMDF. Four persons were injured at Janakpur in the Dhanusha district when clashes ensued between agitators and police at the Bhanu Chowk, municipality office, Shiva Chowk and the Mills area. Agitators also set ablaze the Election Commission office at Kalaiya of Bara district. One policeman and three UMDF cadres sustained burn injuries while three cadres were hurt in police action.
February 25
Cadres of the JTMM-J shot dead Sukraraj Majhi Chaudhary, head constable of Armed Police Force, at Inaruwa bazaar of Sunsari district.
The Government and the UDMF arrived at a consensus on the key UDMF demand - One Madhesh One Pradesh - which they said would be decided through the Constituent Assembly. They also agreed to form an autonomous Madhesh state and other autonomous states. "We have agreed on autonomous Madhesh state. But we are still discussing proper words to reflect the desire of Madheshi people regarding the autonomous Madhesh state," said Madheshi leader Hridayesh Tripathi. The government and UDMF have also agreed to recognise all those killed in the course of the Madhesh movement as martyrs and provide their families with proper compensation. They have agreed to amend the Election Commission Act, which provisions that any political party which secures at least 20 percent result or more under the First-Past-the-Post system must prepare an inclusive list of candidates for the proportional electoral system. "We have agreed to increase the provision from 20 to 30 percent," said Tripathi.
February 26
One person was killed in police firing in the Nawalparasi district on the 14th day of the indefinite strike called by the UDMF. The victim was identified as Jagadesh Pashwan of Badahada, Bubailia-3.
YCL cadres assaulted a school teacher, Sanukaji Baniya, in Ghyampesal village of the Gorkha district.
February 27
One person, identified as Mohammad Biskut Miya, was killed and six others were injured when police opened fire at a group of protesters for violating the curfew orders in Duhabi area of Sunsari district.
Two persons were injured when cadres of the JTMM-G attacked a passenger bus, which was part of a convoy of vehicles coming from Kathmandu under a police escort for security, with petrol bombs in the Golbazaar area of Siraha district.
February 28
The Government and the agitating UDMF signed an eight-point agreement bringing an end to the indefinite strike in the Terai region.
Three minor partners of the Seven Party Alliance - the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Janamorcha Nepal and United Left Front - expressed disagreement with the deal reached between the Government and the UDMF.
March 1
JTMM-G killed Gokarna Kandel, a Nepali Congress leader, near his house in the Rupandehi district.
Cadres of the Terai Mukti Tigers abducted two police personnel of the Loharpattti area police office from Kataiya village in the Mahottari district. Superintendent of Police Purna Singh Khadka said that constables Santosh Kumar Singh and Suresh Kumar Raut Kurmi were abducted by the TMT cadres when they went to Sitapur Bhangaha to settle a dispute over a drinking water tank there.
March 2
JTMM-G, which was formed on July 25, 2004, has changed its party’s name to All Terai Liberation Front (ATLF). The JTMM-G central coordinator Goit said that the name of the party has been changed so as to be distinct from other factions of JTMM.
Three armed outfits in the Terai region – the Samyukta Jantantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, Madhesi Mukti Tigers and Terai Cobra - have reportedly agreed to sit for talks with the government provided there is "enabling atmosphere for it." Issuing a joint statement they said that, "We are not against talks, and if there is an enabling atmosphere for it then we are ready to come for talks."
March 3
Cadres of the JTMM-J detonated a ‘pressure cooker bomb’ at the residence of Krishna Man Shrestha, the Nepali Congress Banke district president and the party’s candidate for Constituent Assembly election from constituency no. 4, at Adarsha Nagar in Nepalgunj. The blast caused minor damage to the house, but there was no human casualty.
Eight Nepali Congress leaders, including six incumbent lawmakers, quit the party and joined the MJF to "emotionally integrate the Terai to assimilate it with the whole national feeling." The six leaders - Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, Sarat Singh Bhandari, Ram Janam Chaudhary, Laxman Prasad Mehata, Hari Narayan Chaudhary, Mangal Singh Tharu - quit the party and also announced quitting the parliament. Others quitting the party are Nepali Congress Mahasamiti member, Arjun Thapa of Dhankuta, and former Member of Parliament Shukra Raj Samyok Limbu of Morang.
March 4
Cadres of the MMT shot dead Uday Yadav, a Nepali Congress member of Mahottari district, at Mangalpur Bazaar in the Dhanusha district.
Senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai said that the Maoists will launch a new revolution if they lose the forthcoming Constituent Assembly election. Addressing an election rally in the Bhachhek village of Gorkha district, Bhattarai said, "If we lose, there will be a new type of revolution," without elaborating. He also said that no other political party can address the agenda raised by them. "To fulfill the agenda raised by Maoists, we must win the election. There is no question of losing it," Bhattarai said.
March 7
Cadres of the Akhil Terai Mukti Morcha (ATMM) - the group formerly known as JTMM-G - set ablaze a vehicle belonging to the Kantipur daily newspaper at Babhanagamakatti village of Saptari district. Two persons were injured in the incident.
March 9
Suspected Maoists abducted Mangal Gurung, the CPN-UML candidate in the Manang district.
March 10
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala ruled out holding talks with the agitating Terai-based armed groups ahead of the key CA polls, saying the demands of the Madhesi community for greater representation and autonomy has been accepted.
March 11
Cadres of the YCL obstructed a group of workers of the Rashtriya Janashakti Party from campaigning in the Dhankuta district. YCL cadres seized NR 130000 cash from them and also confiscated citizenship certificate of the RJP president and former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa.
March 12
Armed cadres of the JTMM-J shot dead a civilian, identified as Hitlal Singh, at his residence in the Hardiya area of Bara district.
Maoists attacked an election campaign meeting of the CPN-UML in Preeti VDC area in the Ramechhap district and injured 12 persons, including the CPN-UML candidate for Ramechhap district’s constituency number 1, Dev Shankar Poudel.
Maoists abducted two workers of the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) in the Chitwan district.
Maoists severely assaulted a Nepali Congress activist, Ganeshman Shrestha, of Ghyalchowk VDC area in the Gorkha district.
March 13
Maoists stormed the RPP office in Chitwan and ransacked all the furniture and documents before setting ablaze the building.
A group of YCL cadres misbehaved with Nepali Congress leader Shiva Raj Joshi and several other party workers when they were in Ghatgaun VDC in the Surkhet district on a poll campaign.
YCL cadres assaulted a CPN-UML cadre, Khadga Bahadur Pariyar, of Kaskikot-5 in the Kaski district.
Maoists assaulted two cadres of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) - Raj Bahadur Budha and Dan Bahadur Budha - in Jumla and filed fake cases against them.
March 15
Four activists of the CPN-UML were injured when the YCL cadres attacked their meeting at Taparsu VDC in the Dhading district.
Maoists assaulted two Nepali Congress activists in the Gorkha district. Maoists picketed the home of Chandra Prasad Neupane, the NC candidate from Constituency Number 2 in the district, at midnight and assaulted his son Achyut and another NC activist Amar Bhitav.
An Armed Police Force team arrested two cadres of the JTMM-J in the Rautahat district.
March 16
In the Bardiya district, CPN-Maoist cadres led by Hem Narayan Kafle assaulted a CPN-UML activist, Jhapulal Jaisi, in his house after accusing him of doing poll publicity work.
Maoists laid an ambush, hurled stones and fired shots at a Nepali Congress election procession led by party candidate Bal Krishna Dahal for the Constituent Assembly polls from Constituency Number 1 in the Okhaldhunga district. A NC cadre, Lila Dahal, was injured in the attack.
March 17
At least 10 persons were injured when activists of the Nepali Congress and the MJF clashed at Narasingh in the Sunsari district.
Maoists attacked a group of CPN-UML supporters when they were returning from an election rally at Khurkhure of Birendranagar VDC in the Chitwan district. The Maoists assaulted three CPN-UML supporters while five insurgents also received minor injuries in the scuffle.
A group of CPN-Maoist cadres tried to obstruct the Nepali Congress programme at Sankh VDC in the Rukum district.
March 18
Unidentified armed persons shot dead a CPN-Maoist cadre, Bhakta Bahadur, at Jaimakasala in the Rolpa district. Bhakta Bahadur, a resident of Uwa VDC-7, was dragged out of the hotel where he used to work and was killed.
Another Maoist, Tek Bahadur Gharti, was shot dead by a group of three people at Gam VDC-5 in the Rolpa district.
A candidate for the CA election from the NPF in Banke constituency 2, Kamal Prasad Adhikari, was shot dead by militants of the Jwala Singh faction of the JTMM-J cadres. Claiming responsibility for the killing, Bhagat Singh, the Banke district Chairman of JTMM-J, said, "JTMM-J was pressing him to withdraw his candidacy. Adhikari was killed as he did not listen to JTMM-J’s request."
March 22
An unidentified group shot dead a Maoist ‘area committee’ member Shiv Pujan Kurmi at Shivlava village in the Kapilvastu district, near the Nepal-India border. In protest, Maoist cadres staged a sit-in outside the main gate of the hospital and also vandalised vehicles belonging to Nepali Congress candidates and the party's poll publicity office in the district.
A suspected member of an armed group was killed during police retaliation in the Dhanusa district when a few persons attacked a patrol of the area police office. A 12-bore gun was recovered from the incident site.
March 24
Cadres of the YCL attacked the former Deputy Prime Minister and CPN-UML leader K.P. Sharma Oli in Bhadrapur in the Jhapa district. YCL cadres hurled stones at Oli’s vehicle, smashing its windowpanes, district Superintendent of Police Rajendra Shrestha said, adding that police inspector Durga Thapa was also injured in the incident. CPN-Maoist cadres Bhumika and Ganga Prasain were hurt in the incident, central member of the YCL Agni said.
Police arrested three People’s Liberation Army cadres at Ghargharye in the Rolpa district and seized an AK-47 and INSAS rifle from them.
Maoist chairman Prachanda has said there would be a big revolt if efforts are made to disturb the CA election. Addressing an election rally in the Jawalakhel area of Lalitpur district, Prachanda said that monarchists, domestic and foreign reactionaries were plotting to foil the election.
March 25
An unidentified armed gang of five persons shot dead an ‘area commander’ of the JTMM-J, Sekh Nasir of Gamhariya Parsa Village Development Committee. Superintendent of Police Ram Krishna Lama claimed that Nasir might have been killed by his own friends.
In the last three months, there have been around 170 incidents of election-related violence across the country, said Democracy and Election Alliance, an organisation working on election observation issues. According to its report, 20 persons were killed, 623 injured and 24 abducted. The report points that majority of these incidents were carried out by armed outfits operating in the Terai. That apart, Maoists, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum and other parties were also involved in some of those incidents.
Bhutanese refugees began arriving in the US, the first of what the UN described as one of the world's largest resettlement efforts. The first group, arriving throughout the week, includes 121 refugees. The US has offered to resettle 60,000 of the estimated 107,000 Bhutanese refugees of Nepalese origin now living in seven UN camps in south-eastern Nepal -- their home for the past 17 years. Six other nations -- Australia, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, New Zealand and Denmark -- have offered to resettle 10,000 each. So far, however, only about 25,000 of the refugees have registered for resettlement, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and not many more than 10,000 are expected to leave Nepal by the end of 2008.
March 26
A CPN-Maoist cadre was killed when police opened fire during a scuffle between the members of NC-affiliated Tarun Dal and the Maoists in the Solukhumbu district. A statement issued by the Information Bureau of the Maoists said that Ganga Bahadur Bhujel 'Gajendra', a member of the district secretariat, died on the spot in the police firing.
Reports from other districts of mid-western region said that the Maoist combatants cantoned at various cantonment sites have started deserting their camps to involve in the election publicity of the party. The Maoists are said to have been mobilising at least 50 combatants in each district for this purpose.
Prachanda has said that his party will not accept defeat in the forthcoming Constituent Assembly election if there is a conspiracy by regressive forces. Addressing an election rally in the Pathari area of Morang district he claimed that western Nepal was a base area of Maoists while there was huge wave in favour of his party in the eastern region, which he said would ensure victory for his party.
March 27
Around 200 CPN-Maoist cadres left the Shaktikhor cantonment in Chitwan district to take part in an election rally addressed by Maoist chairman Prachanda at Gaur in the Rautahat district.
A total of 3,936 people were killed in the mid-western region during the decade long insurgency, a report stated. A book released by the INSEC Mid-Western Regional Office revealed that these people were killed by the State, Maoists and unidentified groups during the armed insurgency. Though statistics said that over 13,000 people were killed during the armed insurgency, the exact number and identity of the people is yet to be verified.
March 28
Government urged the four armed outfits of Terai to come forward for peace talks without proposing any pre-condition. In a letter sent to the rebel groups, the peace talks’ team of the ruling SPA said that their demands would be looked at during negotiations. The four armed outfits - Samyukta Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, Terai Cobra, Madhesi Mukti Tigers and Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha - had earlier agreed to hold talks with the Government but later demanded that their detained cadres be released first.
The Maoist chairman Prachanda said that a conspiracy is being hatched to defer the Constituent Assembly elections after a wave was seen in favour of his party. Talking to party cadres in Narayangarh, he said that regressive forces have become irritated after it is almost definite that his party will win 150 seats in the polls.
March 29
Two persons, identified as Firoz Khan and Parwez Iraqi Ansari, were killed and two others injured when unidentified assailants lobbed a bomb inside a mosque in the Sarauchiya area of Biratnagar. A group called National Defence Army claimed responsibility for the blast.
March 30
Two persons of a family were killed when a bomb, allegedly left behind by the Maoists, exploded inside the house of one Parasuram Shah in the Garkhakot VDC of Jajarkot district. Officials at the Jajarkot District Police Office said a rocket launcher, a sub-machinegun and some explosives were recovered from the house. They suspect that the Maoists were using the house to store arms and explosives.
The YCL cadres threatened villagers in the Nawalparasi district with eviction if they did not vote for the CPN-Maoist candidates and the party. Locals of Arkhala, Bharatipur, Jaubari, Mithukaram, Ruchang, Dedgaon and other villages in the northern part of the district blamed the YCL of threatening them to vote for the Maoists or face torture and even forceful eviction from the villages.
March 31
Four persons, including a child, were injured when a bomb was exploded at Maisthan in the Birgunj district by the Madhesh Mukti Tigers.
Maoists abducted 10 CPN-UML cadres, who were on an election campaign at Bhagwati VDC in the Jajarkot district.
April 1
10 Nepali Congress cadres, including the party’s candidate from Rasuwa, Bal Chandra Poudel, were injured when a group of around 200 YCL cadres attacked them in the Bhorle VDC.
Around 100 YCL cadres attacked the Nepali Congress central member and candidate from constituency no 2 in Baitadi, Binay Dhoj Chand, at Srikot VDC-4. Several Nepali Congress leaders and cadres were injured in the attack.
Maoists abducted six Nepali Congress cadres from Dadeldhura and took them to an undisclosed location.
Maoists abducted district chairman of Amnesty International, Madhav Gautam, in Arghakhachi 1. He was abducted from Tagre area of Pokharathok while he was there on an election monitoring purpose and taken away to an unknown location.
April 2
Six policemen were injured in the attack when the YCL cadres pelted stones at them as they reached Kalikasthan in the Rasuwa district.
CPN-Maoist cadres abducted two Nepali Congress members, Rabindra Shahi and Keshav Bista, from Jajarkot district.
April 3
Five persons were injured in a bomb blast at Birgunj Bus Park in the Parsa district.
Three CPN-UML activists were injured in a clash with cadres of the YCL after the latter attacked their election programme at Bharatpur in the Chitwan district.
Chitwan district joint secretary of the RPP, Dinesh Adhikari, and other local leaders Dillip Thapa and Upendra Shrestha sustained injuries when about 90 YCL cadres attacked them with batons. The YCL cadres also set ablaze all the election material kept at the RPP office in Madi.
April 4
A District Committee member of the CPN-UML, Dutta Bahadur Rokaya, was injured in an attack by a group of 65 Maoists in the Dolpa district.
April 5
YCL cadres attacked a Nepali Congress team led by the party’s candidate for Nawalparasi constituency-3 Om Kala Gautam. Two policemen and six NC cadres were injured in the attack at Kawasoti along the Mahendra highway.
Five CPN-UML activists, a poll monitor and a Nepali Congress activist were injured in Maoist attacks in the Ramechhap district.
April 6
Unidentified assailants abducted and subsequently killed Deepak Dahal, a Rastriya Janashakti Party activist of Bhirgaun VDC-4.
April 7
At least 10 persons, including two children, were injured when a bomb exploded at Ghantaghar in the Parsa district when the Nepali Congress rally was converging into an assembly.
Suspected cadres of the JTMM-J abducted Rajendra Pandey, an election official designated to oversee the Banauta polling centre in the Mahottari district.
April 8
Seven Maoists were killed in police firing in a clash that erupted between the Maoists and Nepali Congress workers at Lamahi bazaar area in the Dang district.
A candidate of the CPN-UML from Surkhet-1 constituency, Rishi Prasad Sharma, was killed after being hit by a bullet during a clash with Nepali Congress workers.
A group of 50-60 Maoists led by Sher Bahadur Bhandari abducted 22 Nepali Congress cadres, including 13 women, from Dhading-1 area.
12 Nepali Congress activists were injured in an attack by YCL cadres at Korthar VDC in the Nawalparasi district.
Three CPN-UML activists were injured at Hasaura in the Nawalparasi district when YCL cadres attacked them.
April 9
Police arrested 31 YCL cadres along with weapons while they were going towards Butwal from Ranyaura of Rupandehi district in a vehicle. The police seized one pistol, three rounds of bullets, four knives, 30 sticks and an iron rod from them.
April 10
Voting for the Constituent Assembly elections concluded with approximately 60 percent of the electorate exercising their franchise.
One activist of the CPN-UML, Rishiraj Subedi, was killed by some unidentified persons at Saumarang VDC in the Kaski district.
April 12
Seven persons were injured when Maoists clashed with the security force personnel at Gaur.
April14
A group of 25 Maoists attacked and injured Nepali Congress leader and the Finance Minister, Ram Sharan Mahat, at Dudhdevi VDC of Nuwakot district. Seven other persons, including two Nepali Congress supporters, a police inspector and four children were also injured in the incident.
April16
Senior CPN-Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai has said that the first meeting of the CA will respectfully bid farewell to the monarchy. "We want to respectfully remove monarchy," Bhattarai said.
CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda urged King Gyanendra to vacate the Narayanhity palace on his own. He said, "The people have already given their mandate. He should vacate the palace. That will make the job easier for us. And that will be in the interest of the country, him and all of us."
All the seven ministers from the CPN-UML quit the Government after its defeat in the CA elections.
April 17
Cadres of the YCL set ablaze a house of a Nepali Congress leader Padam Niraula at Sapteshwar VDC in the Khotang district.
One YCL cadre, Wastemba Sherpa, assaulted a Nepali Congress activist Bhakta Bahadur Parajuli in the Eiselukharka VDC of Khotang district.
April 18
CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda said that he is in favour of providing King Gyanendra a ‘graceful exit’ from the throne that the Shah dynasty has occupied for the last 240 years. "Even after he leaves the throne he should be allowed to continue with his business affairs or other activities, including engagement in politics in future if he so desires," Prachanda said.
April19
CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda announced that he will lead the new republican Government in the country.
April 21
At least 22 Nepali Congress workers have been displaced from their villages in the Rukum district after the CA election due to threats issued by Maoists in the district.
The US Ambassador in Nepal, Nancy J. Powell, said that the US is expected to remove the CPN-Maoist from its terrorist watch list with just a few ‘technicalities’ remaining for doing so.
April 22
The US State Department's Deputy spokesman Tom Casey has said that there has been no change yet in the status of Maoists as a terrorist outfit despite their winning the election. "We have an organization being placed on the list of designated foreign terrorists organizations. (It) has legal requirements that are placed on us. We have to honour those legal requirements and we'll certainly do so in the case of Nepal," he stated, and hinting of a possible review, said, "You have an organization that moves away from violence and terror and participates in a political process and engages in those kinds of legitimate activities, that would certainly, I think, give people an opportunity to at least look again at that situation and that organization." "But at this point, you know there's no change in their status and we'll follow the law as appropriate," he added further.
The CPN-Maoist officially claimed that the party must head the new Government. A meeting of the Maoist Central Secretariat held at party Chairman Prachanda’s residence at Naya Bazaar in Kathmandu decided to lead the still to-be-formed Government claiming the polls outcome to be positive. The meeting also decided to implement a republican system of governance from the first meeting of the CA and added that there would be no compromises on the issue with other parties.
April 23
The counting of votes under the Proportional Representation (PR) system has been completed. The CPN-Maoist lead the tally with 3144202 votes out of the total 10739088 votes cast - 29.27 percent of vote share. The NC and the UML are in second and third positions, respectively, bagging 2269863 (21 percent) and 2183370 votes (20.33 percent). The Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) and Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party are in fourth and fifth positions, respectively, wining 678327 (6.31 percent) and 338930 votes (3.15 percent). The Rastriya Prajatantra Party is in sixth position with 263431 votes. The Election Commission has said that it would apply the Modified Saint Logue system to calculate exact number of seats won by these parties based on votes they have garnered. However, rough estimates suggest that the Maoists could secure around 100 seats. There are 335 seats under PR category and approximately around 30000 votes will account for one seat.
April 24
The CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda said that he could not rule out the use of violence in future. "Right now, I cannot renounce every kind of violence," Prachanda told journalists after meeting ambassadors and United Nations (UN) staff.
April 28
The CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda said that there is no alternative to leadership of the next Government since the people have already given the Maoists the mandate by making them the largest party. Speaking at its central committee meeting, Prachanda said that his party will lead the next Government but all decisions will be taken based on understanding.
April 29
The kin of a Member of Parliament from the CPN-Maoist, Binod Kumar Upadhyaya, was killed in a bomb blast carried out by unidentified persons in the Bodhbar Village Development Committee-3 area of the Rupandehi district. Binod's uncle Surendra Uyadhyaya was killed in the blast that occurred inside Binod's house. The regional coordinator of the Akhil Tarai Mukti Morcha, Rakesh, and Anil of the Madhesi Tigers said their outfits had triggered the blast. They also claimed the explosion was triggered to punish the Member of Parliament for contesting the Constituent Assembly polls.
Police seized a cache of weapons and ammunition from a taxi at Lekhnath in the Kaski district and arrested one person in this connection. Two bags containing an Italian revolver and a locally-made pistol, bullets, grenade and a khukuri were recovered.
April 30
The US, which still regards the CPN-Maoist as a terrorist organisation, has indicated it would seek "legitimate reconciliation and reintegration politically" in Nepal after the Maoists’ election victory. "In any terrorist organisation or any terrorist situation, if there is a way for reconciliation legally and lawfully through the political system, obviously, we prefer that," said Dell L. Dailey, Coordinator of the Office for Counter-terrorism, while briefing reporters on the State Department’s annual terrorism report. The Country Report on Terrorism 2007 acknowledged that Nepal experienced no significant acts of international terrorism in 2007, but said "several incidents of domestic terrorism and politically-motivated violence occurred in urban areas and in the Terai."
May 1
The US ambassador to Nepal, Nancy Powell, met with CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda at the latter's residence at Nayabazaar in Kathmandu. According to a Maoist source, Prachanda said the US should remove the Maoists from its terrorist list. "Powell said the act of removing the Maoists from the US terrorist list is delayed due to bureaucratic process," the source said.
May 2
The deadline to submit the final list of candidates to be elected under the PR system to the CA ended. All the 25 parties qualified to win at least one seat in the CA submitted lists. Under the PR system, the Maoists have 100 seats, the Nepali Congress 73 seats, the CPN-UML 70 seats, the Madhesi People’s Right Forum 22 seats, and the Terai Madhesh Democratic Party 11 seats. The rest will go to the fringe parties, from far-Right to the far-Left. The UML, however, decided not to send any of its standing committee members to the CA. The Election Commission will now ask the parties to make necessary corrections, if any, in their PR list and announce the final names of the 575 members. The Cabinet will nominate the remaining 26 members, taking the total to 601.
May 3
The dead body of an abducted VDC secretary of the Bispitti VDC, Allauddin Ansari, was found buried at the bank of Chharahara River in the Sitamarhi district of the Indian State of Bihar. According to Ramshila Devi of Halkhori-5, who was arrested in connection with Ansari's abduction, Ansari was murdered a week after his abduction by an unidentified armed group on January 10 from his rented home.
May 5
The CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda directed the YCL cadres to strictly avoid intimidation and attacks against the activists of rival political parties.
May 6
The Sunsari Morang in-charge of the Akhil Terai Mukti Morcha, Chit Narayan Kherbar a.k.a. Sanket, joined the CPN-Maoist. At a programme organized at Inaruwa, Sanket along with over 350 ATMM cadres announced their defection from the underground group to join the Maoists.
May 7
A spokesperson of the United States’ State Department, Sean McCormack, said that there is "no change" in the status of CPN-Maoists, who are listed in the US terror watch list. "I don't think there's any change. There's no change in their status," McCormack said.
May 8
CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda warned of revolt if his party was barred from leading the new Government.
May 12
Around 35 armed Maoists raided the houses of two CPN-UML cadres in Ward No 1 of Jaljala VDC in the Sankhuwasabha district.
Maoists cut off a pipeline supplying water at ward no-8 in the Nawalpur VDC as an action against the villagers for not voting for the party in the CA election and for denying donations to the party.
May 13
Maoist chairman Prachanda said that he has sent a message to King Gyanendra, suggesting him to leave the Narayanhiti Palace by May 27, a day before the first sitting of the Consm the palace if he refused to quit voluntarily. "We have advised him to live like a comtituent Assembly formally abolishes monarchy and declares the country a republic. Prachanda also warned that the King could face a forceful eviction fromoner or else we will have to use force to kick him out," Prachanda said.
May 14
A group of approximately 60 YCL cadres assaulted Krishna Bahadur Adhikari and his four brothers at Pame in the Pokhara area of Kaski district over a land related dispute.
YCL cadres assaulted and injured two school teachers of the Someshwor Higher Secondary School at Madi in the Chitwan district.
May 15
YCL cadres compelled four school headmasters in the Gorkha district to resign from their posts.
YCL cadres assaulted Rameshwor Pokharel, a teacher at the Nepane Secondary School at Kerabari, accusing him of campaigning for the NC during the Constituent Assembly elections.
May 17
The CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda said there is a possibility of counter-revolution in the country because of growing differences among the parties. "I'm saying this sincerely. There is a possibility of counter-revolution in the country," Prachanda said.
Jwala Singh has been suspended from the post of chairman of the JTMM-J amidst accusations of him of working against the party's policies and alleged involvement in financial irregularities by the party’s politburo meeting. The meeting appointed Ranabir Singh as the outfit's commander.
Armed cadres of the JTMM-J, currently led by Ranbir Singh, abducted Nabal Kishwor Yadav, a ranger at Samasi Range Post, from Kathadhar bazaar of Shreepur VDC in the Kailali district.
May 18
19 persons, who were staging a demonstration at Koteshwor in Kathmandu protesting against the murder of businessman Ramhari Shrestha, were injured in Police action. A clash also ensued between cadres of the YCL and the demonstrators when they found that YCL cadres were taking video grabs of the demonstration from their office with the intention of taking revenge.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Nepal has expressed serious concern over the activities of the YCL and affirmed that these activities have violated the fundamental rights enshrined in the Interim Constitution, Comprehensive Peace Agreement and international humanitarian laws, reports Nepal News. The NHRC also urged the Government to independently and impartially probe crimes committed by the YCL and punish them on charges of criminal offence.
May 20
An unidentified armed group shot dead Purushottam Khanal, a member of the YCL, at Chapiya VDC in the Rupandehi district.
Armed YCL cadres assaulted an activist of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Dinesh Rai, at Sombare bazaar in the Sankhuwasabha district.
May 21
YCL cadres assaulted and injured a Nepali Congress activist, Bhim Bahadur Oli, of Baphikot ward-8 in the Rukum district.
May 24
Three CPN-Maoist cadres were injured in a clash with cadres of the MJF during a meeting of the council of Jigadwa Belbichhwa VDC in the Rautahat district.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala formally asked the CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda to take the initiative to form the next Government.
May 27
A meeting of the CPN-Maoist parliamentary party nominated the party Chairman Prachanda as its leader of the newly elected Constituent Assembly members of the party. The meeting also nominated Baburam Bhattarai as the deputy leader of its parliamentary committee.
May 28
The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly declared the country a Federal Democratic Republic and formally announced the abolition of the monarchy.
May 29
A group of armed cadres of the MMT shot at and injured a businessman, Bishwanath Bhagat, chairman of retailers' association in the Birgunj area of Parsa district.
May 30
The CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda reiterated that the posts of President and the Prime Minister cannot be given to the defeated parties.
June 3
The CPN-Maoist threatened to quit the Government if they are not allowed to form the next Government by June 5.
June 4
YCL cadres attacked and injured two civilians, Ganesh Thapa and Bishwo Shrestha, at Damauli in the Tanahun district.
June 5
At least 20 persons were injured when Maoist cadres clashed with CPN-UML-backed members of Janahit Saving and Credit Cooperatives in the Khimti area of Ramechhap district.
Maoists’ kangaroo court issued a diktat to one Rehman Miyan of Gobardiha VDC-1 of Dang district to appear before their tribunal and answer the questions posed by it.
A meeting of the CPN-Maoist central secretariat decided to give up its claim for the post of President and suggested that the ceremonial office should go to a member of the civil society or to a non-aligned candidate.
June 6
Two armed cadres of the Akhil Terai Mukti Morcha (ATMM) identified as Birat Avtar and Jitendra Tiwari were killed in an encounter with the police at Piparpatte VDC in the Bara district.
June 8
YCL cadres barred the contractors, who went to the Road Division Office at Biratnagar in the Morang district to submit tenders.
June 7
Most adult male members of around 50 houses of the village of Pitidil village in the Kalikot district have moved out of the village to the district headquarters Manma after the Maoists allegedly threatened to kill them following a dispute between Dalits and Brahmins over an inter-caste marriage in the village.
June 9
Six-member taskforce of the CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML agreed on electing and removing Prime Minister with a simple majority of the Constituent Assembly. The taskforce also reached an understanding that President and Vice-President will be elected through a simple majority but they could be impeached by a two-third majority.
June 10
Maoist cadres in Bagarkot VDC in the Dadeldhura district blocked the source of drinking water of over five villages for not voting them in the Constituent Assembly elections.
Maoist cadres at Room VDC in the Myagdi district prohibited a team of District Forest Office from staying in the village, citing that the team did not take the party's consent to enter the village.
June 11
Former King Gyanendra Shah left the Narayanhiti Palace after addressing the Nepali people at a press conference at the Palace.
June 12
All the five Maoist ministers in the cabinet - Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Dev Gurung, Hishila Yami, Matrika Prasad Yadav and Pampha Bhusal - and two other state ministers submitted their resignations from the government to the party chairman Prachanda.
June 13
Maoist leader and deputy commander of the PLA Barsa Man Pun said that the PLA will be developed into a separate national security force.
June 14
The Rupandehi district commander of Samyukta Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (SJTMM), Akhtar Mushalman, was killed by the Police.
June 15
Maoists assaulted and injured five student leaders of the CPN-UML affiliated All Nepal National Free Students' Union (ANNFSU) in Madirambeni VDC of Sankhuwasabha district.
June 16
CPN-Maoist gave a 24-hour ultimatum to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to facilitate formation of the next Government. Maoist Chairman Prachanda said that the Maoists will quit Government if consensus is not reached on formation of the next Government under Maoist leadership by June 17-evening.
June 18
Activists of the Jwala Singh faction of the JTMM-J abducted and shot dead Lila Prasad Lamichhane, an employee of Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd at Simara of Bara district. JTMM-J district leader Bikrant claimed responsibility for the incident.
June 19
A meeting of top leaders of the three major political parties – CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML - reached a consensus on army integration and amendment to the interim constitution. The meeting arrived at the agreement on amending the interim constitution in a way that will allow a Government to be formed or dismantled with simple majority as against the previous two-thirds majority required for it. As per the agreement, individual members of the PLA will be inducted into the Nepal Army after they go through standard competition while others will be given choices like vocational training and foreign employment. However, they are yet to clear their differences over power sharing.
June 20
The CPN-Maoist decided to walk out of the present Government after protracted talks between the three major political parties made no headway over crucial political issues. Maoist Chairman Prachanda blamed Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala for delaying the process of formation of the next Government. Senior Maoist leader Mohan Baidya informed that Maoists have politically pulled out of the government and will formalize it on June 22. The party will formally submit the resignations of its ministers to the Prime Minister on June 21.
June 24
The leaders of the ruling SPA agreed to elect the prime minister, the president and vice-president through a simple majority of the CA. They also agreed to enforce all past agreements and pacts on peace within 15 days and manage the Maoist weapons and combatants within six months but decided to leave the task of new power-sharing in the hands of the newly elected CA. The parties, however, could not settle differences over composition of the NSC and decided to settle the issue through voting in the CA.
June 26
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala announced his resignation at the meeting of the CA. "Even though I am gone, I hope the politics of understanding and unity will continue," Koirala said, addressing the CA. His resignation, however, will have to be officially submitted to the President, who is yet to be elected.
June 29
Unidentified assailants killed a former mayor in the Bardiya district. Govinda Prasad Pandey, convenor of the Bardiya Civil Society Network and former mayor of Gulariya Municipality, was shot dead by unidentified assailants inside his house in Khairapur-1 of Gulariya. No group has so far taken the responsibility for killing, but police suspect one of the armed Terai outfits active in the area of carrying out the murder.
June 30
An explosion at the office of the IOM in Damak destroyed part of the building near its main gate. The JTMM-J subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack. The IOM has been involved in resettling Bhutanese refugees to United States, which vows to take some 60,000 as a gesture to end the two-decade long crisis.
The CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda blamed the Terai-based parties for delaying the formation of a new Government by obstructing the CA proceedings.
July 1
The cabinet meeting decided to extend the term of UNMIN by six months. The term of UNMIN was going to expire on July 23. The cabinet also decided to reduce the size of UNMIN.
July 2
Indigenous groups residing in the Terai region have expressed objections to the demand of ‘One Madhesh, One Province’ forwarded by the Madhesh-based parties. They have threatened to launch a strong struggle if the demand is fulfilled.
July 3
Upendra Yadav, chairman of the MJF, one of the Madhesh-based parties, has said the demand of a single province in the southern plains would not disintegrate Nepal.
July 4
Cadres of the JTMM shot dead a local businessman, Bir Bahadur Shrestha, after abducting him in Mohattari district. The whereabouts of Shyam Gupta, another businessman, who was abducted along with Shrestha, is still unknown.
July 5
Ex- Gorkha soldiers have warned of countrywide protests against the CPN-Maoist’s announcement of closing down the Gorkha Recruitment Centres.
July 6
YCL cadres allegedly shot at and injured a CPN-UML member, 22-year-old Dev Bahadur Bista, of Gora village in the Baitadi district.
An unidentified group of assailants shot dead Usman Miya at his residence in the Madhawapur Village Development Committee of Sarlahi district.
July 7
The indigenous Rajbanshi community has called for the establishment of Kochila Pradesh in the Terai parts of eastern Nepal districts where they form the majority.
Nine ethnic organisations demanded that Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari districts be merged and transformed into an autonomous state.
July 8
An YCL cadre, Rajendra Shah of Dumri-4, was abducted and subsequently killed by an unidentified group of assailants. A leader of an armed agitating group claimed responsibility for the killing saying Shah was killed for his involvement in an abduction and donation drive.
The Kirant Janabadi Workers Party (KJWP) has reportedly intensified its activities in the Bhojpur district. The KJWP workers set ablaze the furniture and documents of three Village Development Committees (VDCs) in the southern part of the district, including Bhu, Wajing Tharpu and Thidkinkha VDCs, the Bhojpur District Police Office said
Talking to reporters after a meeting of the seven parties in Singha Durbar, the CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda said the parties had achieved a major breakthrough by reaching a consensus on the Madhesi parties' demands and that this development had paved the way for formation of a new Government.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal said it wanted the CPN-Maoist to form the new Government at the earliest. "We believe that the Maoists should lead the new Government and we fully support that. They should be allowed to form a new Government without any condition," the party’s chairman Kamal Thapa said.
July 9
Minister for Finance Ram Sharan Mahat urged the Tarun Dal, youth wing of the Nepali Congress, to fight back Maoists if they play with the freedom of others.
Kishore Kumar Biswas, who recently quit the Gupta-led MJF to join the movement of indigenous people, particularly the Tharus, is reported to have said that part of Terai from Morang to Kanchanpur should be named as Tharuhat Province and suggested dividing Terai into not more than three provinces. "Jhapa could be named Kochila province and the area from Morang to Kanchanpur can be named Tharuhat. There could even be two Tharuhat provinces," Biswas said.
The newly formed TUSC released a press statement saying it would continue to struggle to get ‘Madhes’ removed from the constitution and get the region from Morang to Kanchanpur districts declared an autonomous Tharuhat province.
The CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda claimed that foreign power centres are weaving conspiracies to fulfil their strategic interests by dividing the political parties into various factions.
The CA meeting resumed after two weeks of obstruction, and the Constitution Amendment Bill was tabled.
The MJF chairman Upendra Yadav warned of a third Madhesh Revolution if the Government did not implement the new Bill. As per the amendment, there would be an autonomous province in the Terai region.
The Government has handed over a letter formally requesting the extension of the term of UNMIN by six more months to the UN Secretary General. The UNMIN’s current term is expiring on July 23.
July 10
The UNMIN has closed its regional offices in the mid- and far-western regions from. UNMIN chief Ian Martin, upon arrival in Dhangadhi, announced the closure of the offices in Dhangadhi and Nepalgunj. On the occasion, Martin said the UNMIN had reduced its size and it would now monitor the Maoist armies and arms. UNMIN had nearly 170 employees in its Nepalgunj office and 100 in Dhangadhi. The offices were set up some 16 months ago.
July 11
The CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda floated a new proposal to keep the power-balance in the ministerial council without stressing on the positions of the president and CA Chairman in the soon-to-be formed Government as part of an attempt to garner support of the NC and CPN-UML. Speaking at a programme at the Reporters Club in Kathmandu, Prachanda asked both the NC and UML, the second and third largest parties in the CA, not to take up the issues of the presidential and CA chairman positions as power-sharing.
The UNMIN closed its Pokhara-based western regional office. The UNMIN has already closed its offices based in the far-west and mid-west. The office set up 15 months ago had a total of 68 employees, including 43 Nepalis.
July 13
The CA meeting passed the Fifth Amendment to the interim constitution clearing the way for Government formation on majority basis – a major departure from the three-year-old practice of moving on the basis of consensus politics. The amendment also permits election of the President on the basis of majority. It sets provision for the opposition party and makes the opposition leader a member of the Constitutional Council. The meeting also rejected various amendment proposals put forth by 16 groups of CA members and a proposal presented by the cabinet (with the backing of Nepali Congress) to place a leader of opposition in the National Defence Council – which oversees army-related matters. The new amendment states that the President, Vice President, CA chairman, Deputy Chairman and Prime Minister would be chosen on the basis of political understanding. And if such understanding is not forthcoming, they can be elected by simple majority. The CA will formulate further procedures for the election of President. The amendment states that a Prime Minister will have to resign before the President. The election of President and CA chairman will start after its election procedure is finalised. The CA meeting was boycotted by the Madheshi parties.
The central secretariat of the CPN-Maoist decided to seek political consensus on allocation of powerful positions, including the President, Vice-President and the chair of the CA. "We have decided to allocate the posts in a manner that will satisfy all," said Maoist chairman Prachanda.
July 14
The CPN-Maoist has initiated talks with the CPN-UML and NC to form a new Government. The CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda met CPN-UML leaders to discuss the issue.
The VDC Secretaries in the Rautahat district have decided to provide donations demanded by various underground Terai outfits, following alleged permission from the Chief District Officer.
July 15
The CA has fixed July 19 as the date for election of the first President of republican Nepal.
The United Nations Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon has asked his special representative to Nepal, Ian Martin, to seek clarification from the Government about the scope of support it would like to receive from the UNMIN before he can submit his recommendation to the UN Security Council to extend the UNMIN's term.
July 17
Three persons registered as candidates for the first presidential elections. The Maoists nominated Ramraja Prasad Singh, the NC has chosen Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, and Ram Preet Paswan was chosen by the CPN-UML. All the nominees hail from the Terai region.
July 18
Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel said that the PLA of the CPN-Maoist cannot be integrated into any national security organs. Poudel opined that integration of the PLA combatants into security agencies would complicate the overall security situation.
July 20
A nine-year-old girl, Rajani Sahani, was killed and two of her sisters, Kajal and Asha, and her father, Bijay, were injured when two bombs exploded inside their house at Khairahawa-3 in the Sarlahi district.
The UNSC has extended the term of its downsized political mission to Nepal, UNMIN, for six months following a request by the Nepal Government.
July 21
The NC candidate Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has been elected as the first President of republic Nepal, securing a comfortable majority in the presidential election. A total of 590 votes were cast in the run-off poll which was conducted as none of the candidates had reached the required number of 298 in the July 19 election in which the MJF candidate Parmananda Jha was elected Vice President.
Maoist leaders have said they will not join the next Government as their presidential candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh has lost the election.
The acting chair of the CA, Gurung, said in a statement that the CA will elect its Chairman and Vice Chairman on July 23.
The Government has amended the protocol ranking to make Vice President second highest in the order of precedence. Earlier, the Cabinet had placed Vice President in the fifth position. As per the new order of precedence, President will have the highest protocol ranking followed by Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice and CA chairman.
July 22
Informing that the his party would sit on the opposition benches in the aftermath of their loss in the Presidential poll, the CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda said in Singha Durbar that his party was committed to the peace process but there was a danger of the peace process collapsing in case the Maoist army in cantonments were not paid their salaries.
Parliamentary party leader of the MPRF, Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, said "The CPN (Maoist) has the first claim to lead the new government but if the Maoists do not form the government, MPRF should be allowed to do so."
July 23
Former Speaker and CPN-UML leader Subas Nemwang was unanimously declared chairman of the CA.
Newly elected President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and Vice-President Paramananda Jha were sworn in at the Presidential palace (Shital Niwas).
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala who had announced his resignation before the CA on June 26 tendered his resignation to President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav after the latter was officially sworn-in.
The CPN-UML general secretary Jhala Nath Khanal said the Maoists should come forward to lead a new Government, as they are the single largest party in the CA.
The UNSC unanimously endorsed plans for a gradual drawdown of the UNMIN as it extended its mandate for six months. The 15-member body adopted resolution 1825 that renewed the mandate of UNMIN until January 23, 2009.
July 24
Unidentified assailants abducted and subsequently killed a local leader of the Nepali Congress, Pashupati Rana, in the Mahottari district. A group claiming to be affiliated with the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (Rajan Mukti group) telephoned a local journalist and claimed that it has taken action against Rana because of his support for the rulers of the hills.
The CPN-Maoist set three preconditions for it to lead the next Government. "Firstly, the so-called alliance of the three parties—NC, UML and MPRF—should not exist anymore, secondly, a common minimum programme should be prepared in which the topic of the Maoists’ commitment paper should be highlighted and lastly a political understanding should be made in that the parties will not play a game of forming and dissolving Government," the Maoist Chairman Prachanda said.
Leaders of the three parties – NC, CPN-UML and MJF – have termed as unjustified the three conditions advanced by the Maoists to lead the Government.
July 25
A senior leader of the Terai Madhesh Democratic Party, Hridayesh Tripathi, said that the first basis to be considered while determining the federal structure of Nepal should be geography.
Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha announces fresh protest programmes against the ‘Madhes-isation’ of the whole Terai districts.
July 26
The CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda warned that his party would launch a nationwide agitation if Girija Prasad Koirala becomes the Prime Minister again.
July 28
The general secretary of the CPN-UML, Jhal Nath Khanal, asked the CPN-Maoist to first apologise for what he termed as their 'betrayal' before their relations can be patched up.
The PLA personnel in the sixth division at Dasharathpur in Surkhet have reportedly been devoid of their salaries for 11 months. "As the Government has not released funds, we are managing livelihood by taking loan," division commander Tej Bahadur Oli alias Prateek said.
July 29
President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav called on the CPN-Maoist to form the Government. He urged the Maoists – as the single largest party in the CA – to form the Government by forging a political understanding within seven days. A statement issued from the Office of the President stated that he has issued the call as per the Article 38 (1) of the interim constitution.
The CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda has said a new Government will be in place "in the next few days."
The NC central member, Dr Shekhar Koirala, said the party would not join a CPN-Maoist-led Government, as the party's central working committee had decided to help the Maoist-led Government from outside the Government.
July 30
Janjati (indigenous) students have demanded that the State be restructured on the basis of ethnicity, language including historical and geographical peculiarity.
July 31
Co-ordinator of the MJF, Upendra Yadav, said that his party will not be part of the new Government.
August 1
The CPN-Maoist agreed to form and lead a Government based on national consensus with a minimum number of common programmes. However, the Maoists stuck to their earlier standpoints such as a vote of confidence for two years until a new constitution is written, a common minimum programme and the formation of a broader consensus front. The party also said they are ready to forge an agreement after holding discussions with all the 25 parties. The Maoists also want an end to the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and MPRF alliance.
August 3
Pointing at the 'irresponsible attitude' of the Government, PLA personnel of the Third Division warned to leave the cantonments.
The Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP) has decided not to join the new Government. The TMLP had sided with the Maoist presidential candidate during the recent presidential polls.
August 4
The four big parties – CPN-Maoist, NC, CPN-UML and MJF –agreed to form a national unity government. The decision came at a meeting of the four parties held at the Maoist parliamentary office in Singha Durbar. According to the CPN-UML general secretary Jhala Nath Khanal, the four parties have agreed to draft the common minimum programme (CMP) for the unity Government that will be led by the Maoists. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Khanal said the alliance of the four parties would last at least until the nation gets a new constitution. Likewise, the NC vice president Ram Chandra Poudel said the Maoist leadership's promise to abide by the past agreements has created an environment of trust. Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said the four parties have agreed to correct their past mistake and form the Government on consensus. At the meeting, CPN-UML, NC and MJF opposed the CMP proposed by the Maoists, and later the four parties agreed to prepare a CMP reflecting agendas of all the parties joining the Government.
August 5
President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has extended the Government formation deadline by three days after a request from the four major parties. The four parties also formed a taskforce to prepare the common minimum programme of the upcoming 'national unity government'.
The eastern regional office of Agriculture Development Bank in the Morang district has failed to collect NR 1.5 billion loans provided to the farmers after Maoists persuaded small farmers not to repay their loan.
August 6
The CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda has reportedly directed the party organisation, fronts and departments to immediately control the para-military structure and activities of the YCL.
The former CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, who earlier rejected a request from Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to head the statute drafting committee, again received the same offer from the Maoist leadership. The CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda reportedly asked him to head the constitution drafting commission.
August 8
The Terai National Liberation Army threatened local journalists working in Janakpur district to close all newspapers and radio programmes broadcasting in Nepali language.
The chances of forming a national Government ended as the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist failed to muster a consensus among the major political parties.
August 10
President Ram Baran Yadav asks the Parliament to initiate the process of electing the new PM as provisioned in Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution.
August 11
The CA chairman Subhash Nembang announced that the election of the Prime Minister will be held on August 15. The nominations for the poll, he said, would have to be filed on August 14. "If [the] parties agree to elect a candidate unanimously, the result will be known on Thursday," said Cabinet Secretariat spokesperson Mukunda Raj Sharma, adding: "Else, it will be disclosed by the legislative meeting of the Constituent Assembly on Friday." As per the interim Constitution, the Prime Minister can be elected by a simple majority of the CA.
August 12
In the last few years of unrest in the southern Terai region, around 56 civil servants have been killed. This was revealed at a programme held by the Nepal Civil Servants Organisation in Kathmandu. According to general secretary of the organisation, Punya Dhakal, they were killed by various armed outfits operating in the region. He said that morale of the Government employees were low as security organs have not been able to arrest the killers.
The Finance Ministry approved the proposal to pay the outstanding salaries of last 14 months to the PLA in cantonments. The Ministry has made available NR 84 million for the purpose. As such, 19618 PLA combatants will get NR 42000 each.
August 14
Trade Unions affiliated to the CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist agreed to put an end to confrontations between the Youth Force (CPN-UML affiliated group) and Maoist-affiliated employees of casinos based in the Kathmandu Valley.
August 15
Pushpa Kamal Dahal a.k.a. Prachanda, chairman of the CPN-Maoist, was elected the first Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal by a huge majority. In the election in the CA, he won 464 votes against his rival, Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress, who got only 113 out of the 577 votes cast.
August 16
Jwala Singh, chairman of the JTMM-J, claimed that 30 of the inmates who escaped from Siraha district prison on August 13 have contacted the party.
August 17
A bomb exploded at Vice President Paramananda Jha’s private residence at Gaurighat in the capital Kathmandu at around 7.25 pm (NST). An army man, Lance Corporal Shree Prasad Sarbuja, was injured and a windowpane was destroyed in the blast.
The Supreme Court has passed an order asking the Government to provide compensation and relief to victims of conflict. The apex court asked the Government to form a committee by including representatives of the victims and work as per its recommendation. The court passed the order in response to a writ petition filed by victims demanding relief to over 60,000 who suffered from the conflict and many of whom were displaced.
August 18
Pushpa Kamal Dahal a.k.a. Prachanda was sworn in as the Prime Minister during a ceremony at the Shital Niwas (office of the President). President Ram Baran Yadav administered the oath of office and secrecy.
The alliance partners – the CPN-UML and MJF – have raised strong objections following the CPN-Maoist’s decision to use its PLA members for the security of the Prime Minister. Earlier, the CPN-Maoist decided to depute the PLA for the security of the Prime Minister. The CPN-Maoist central committee meeting decided that along with the NA and the police, the PLA too would be involved in the security process.
August 19
Prime Minister Prachanda said his party had not decided that the PLA would take charge of his security. The PLA involvement was just a continuation of the existing agreement reached between the Government and his party and there is a suggestion to upgrade the security, but the new cabinet will take a decision on that, clarified Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
Acting president of the Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala expressed serious concern about the Maoist’s decision to use the PLA in the security.
August 21
The Common Minimum Programme (CMP) finalised by the three parties –CPN-Maoist, CPN-UML and MJF –laid emphasis on writing the Constitution within two years, and consolidating national interest, among others. Signed by the Prime Minister and the CPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal a. k .a Prachanda, the CPN-UML general secretary Jhal Nath Khanal and the MJF coordinator Upendra Yadav, the CMP covers all the major issues from restructuring of state, implementing inclusion, providing immediate relief to the people and socio-economic transformation, implementing past agreements. The CMP states that the CPN-Maoist’s People’s Liberation Army combatants will be integrated and rehabilitated along with management of their arms within six months. The victims of conflict and those who suffered during the People’s Movement, People’s War and the Madhesh agitation will be compensated, it says. The parties have also vowed to control inflation and ensure easy availability of supplies including petroleum products.
The three parties reached a consensus on sharing ministerial portfolios. According to the agreement, the Maoists will get nine ministerial portfolios, including Defence, Finance and Peace and Reconstruction, while six ministerial portfolios including Home, Local Development and Water Resources, have been allotted to the CPN-UML while the MJF has four ministries, including Foreign, Physical Planning, Agriculture and Supply. However, the parties are yet to reach consensus on Health and Education. The parties have agreed to expand the cabinet while continuing negotiations on their differences.
August 22
Two people were injured when a bomb exploded in a residential area at Bharatpur in Chitwan. Police also recovered seven detonators from the incident site.
The Cabinet was formed adding four members from CPN-Maoist and four members from the MJF. Reports said that the CPN-UML nominees refused to take oath after they demanded that their leader be given second position in the Cabinet after the Prime Minister.
The CPN-UML has decided not to join the Government if it does not get the second position in the Cabinet portfolio. It also accused the Maoists of trying to breach the precedents and traditions in trying to provide second position in terms of seniority to a Finance Minister instead of Home Minister. Earlier, the CPN-UML had nominated its senior leader Bamdev Gautam to lead the party in the Cabinet by assigning him Home Ministry along with Deputy Prime Ministership.
Central member of the NC, Shekhar Koirala, said that CA members from his party would resign if the Maoists tried to frame a constitution with the aim of establishing a People’s Republic. He also said the CPN-UML and MJF should not have handed over the defence portfolio to the Maoists because the peace process has not been brought to a logical conclusion, he said.
In his first message to the countrymen as the Prime Minister, Prachanda laid emphasis on the promotion and consolidation of nationalism, republic and socio-economic changes.
August 24
The CPN-UML general secretary, Jhala Nath Khanal, reiterated his party’s stance of not joining the new Government led by the CPN-Maoist if the second position in hierarchy is not given to his party in the Cabinet.
The Kalimati vegetable market in Kathmandu, the largest vegetable market in the capital, remained closed due to a gherao (picketing) by the YCL cadres.
At least seven PLA men fled the fourth division cantonment at Hattikhor of Nawalparasi district, indicating that they have not been treated well by their seniors in the camps. According to reports, one fleeing PLA member Deepak K.C., who came in contact with media persons secretly in Damauli, said senior members in the cantonment torture combatants excessively mentally and physically. He told media persons that six other personnel have left for Kathmandu to contact the UNMIN and also claimed 1000 out of 2800 PLA members in the cantonment had already left the camp and more are planning to do so.
August 25
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict of the UN, Radhika Coomaraswamy, called upon the Nepal Government and CPN-Maoist to immediately free all children previously associated with the Maoist forces. In a statement, she reiterated that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement called for the immediate release of all children associated with Maoist forces once they entered the cantonments.
August 26
Unidentified assailants detonated a bomb in the Sanischare-based Bhutanese refugee camp in Morang district. However, no casualty was reported, according to the Urlabari Ward Police Office.
Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ has said that the process of integration of army will be completed between three to six months. Talking to reporters in Itahari he said that a special committee will be formed to initiate the process.
August 28
Prime Minister Prachanda has agreed to give second place to the CPN-UML’s Bam Dev Gautam in the cabinet hierarchy, ending the week long protocol dispute.
August 29
Police shot dead Kaushal Sahani alias John, the chief of Terai Army, an underground armed outfit, along with his bodyguard in the Raghunathpur area of Rautahat district. Sahani has been accused of masterminding several explosions in the capital Kathmandu and elsewhere in the country in the past.
According to a report prepared by the NHRC, almost two years after the State and the CPN-Maoist in a written document had promised to publicise the status of disappeared citizens within 60 days, the whereabouts of at least 970 citizens remain unknown. The report said the State is responsible for the disappearance of 671 citizens while CPN-Maoist is responsible for the disappearance of 299. During the period of a decade-long insurgency, State forces killed at least 142 while Maoists killed 21 people who were taken under their control. Of all those disappeared (as per the complaints filed at the NHRC), the Government has publicised the status of 1,427 and the Maoist of 739 people.
August 30
14 persons were injured in a clash between the YCL cadres and the CPN-UML-affiliated Youth Force in Dhankuta bazaar.
August 31
The newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamadev Gautam said that he will focus on maintaining peace and security in the country.
The Prime Minister said restoring peace, formulation of new constitution and economic development are the main challenges and opportunities for the new Government.
September 1
The Dhankuta district headquarters remained tense for the third day in a row because of the repeated clashes between the YCL and the CPN-UML-affiliated YF cadres.
The CPN-UML has asked its cadres to maintain restraint. Issuing a statement, the CPN-UML central office lamented the showdown between the youth groups, and urged restraint on the part of its cadres.
Some 200 cadres of the CPN-Maoist have been living in four buildings belonging to the National Construction Company Nepal in Pokhara, despite Prime Minister Prachanda’s direction to return the seized land and property to their rightful owners.
Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Bam Dev Gautam, has said growing violence in Terai would be controlled by using force. The Home Minister said that he was committed to return lands and properties seized by the Maoists to the rightful owners. He stressed that the Government would not differentiate while taking action against the YCL, Youth Force and other groups if they take law in their hands.
Prime Minister Prachanda has indicated that he will not take any action against the Nepali Army chief General Rookmangud Katawal.
The NHRC suspects most of the persons disappeared by the State and the non-State sides have already been killed.
September 2
The Maoists forced the closure of the closure of Indian ayurvedic company Dabur’s subsidiary in Nepal.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Bamadev Gautam, said that the armed groups active in Terai will be invited for talks within some days. But strict action will be taken against criminals who defy (the call for dialogue).
September 3
Nanda Kishor Pun, deputy Commander of the PLA, has warned that any obstruction in integration of the Nepali Army (NA) and the PLA into a national army as per the peace accord would invite conflict. He also said that the integration process would begin within three months and the task would be completed within six months. Hinting at the Maoists intention to downsize the national army, he also claimed that a 50-thousand strong army would be enough for the country.
The Nepali Congress leader, Ram Sharan Mahat, said the PLA should not be integrated into the national army at any cost. He threatened to take strong action if the PLA combatants are integrated into the national army.
The YCL and the CPN-UML-affiliated Youth Force that engaged in violent clashes forcing the local administration in Dhankuta to impose curfew have finally agreed to stop hostility. The two groups reached the understanding at a meeting held at the district administration office in the evening.
Former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that drafting the new constitution would be a difficult task in the absence of unity, cooperation and consensus among political parties and alleged that the CPN-Maoist had broken the tradition of consensus, unity and cooperation.
September 4
A report said that cases filed against some senior leaders of the CPN-Maoist during the conflict are still pending in the Surkhet district court. Cases filed in 2001 against Maoist second-in-command, Baburam Bhattarai, and spokesperson, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, on charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of arms are yet to be withdrawn and the court record states Bhattarai and Mahara are still at large, the report said. "Fifteen cases, filed against the Maoists, are still pending in court," said Govinda Basnet, an official at the Office of the Government’s Lawyer in Surkhet. At present, three detainees — Krishna B.K., Resham Kumar Bist and Dil Bahadur Nepali — are lodged in Surkhet jail.
The former general secretary of the CPN-UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal, has urged the Maoists to stick with past understandings.
September 5
The Nepal Police have reportedly arrested two accused of Mumbai (India) bomb blasts of 1993 from capital Kathmandu. The police arrested Salim Abdul Gani Gazi alias Asfak Ahmad Shah Asfak and Riaz Khatri alias Riyaz Abubakar Khatri alias Riaz Ahmad Lone and handed them over to the Indian government via the Indian embassy. There was a high priority Interpol red-corner notice against the duo. Police said they were operating as manpower agent and pashmina trader in the city.
Prime Minister Prachanda has warned that the country will head towards grave crisis if the new government fails, or is brought down prematurely.
September 6
The Home Ministry, issued instructions to the Police to establish law and order. The Ministry addressed the Nepal Police chief Inspector General of Police, Om Bikram Rana, to enhance security, control smuggling and revenue leakage, control activities of Tibetan refugees and improve traffic situation. The Ministry gave 15-point instructions to the Police chief. It has also asked the Police to strictly enforce the prohibition of entry for Nepalese nationals in casinos and control criminal gangs, among others. The instructions have come in the wake of claims by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Bamdev Gautam, that he will restore law and order at the soonest.
September 7
Police arrested five members of the National Liberation Army (NLA), a relatively lesser known outfit that claimed responsibility for the blasts at the Vice President Parmananda Jha’s residence at Gaurighat in capital Kathmandu on August 17. Police arrested Mohan Karki, Tika Raj Magar, Som Bahadur Rai, Shiv Bahadur Karki and Prabin Dura from Chahahil.
The Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP) has raised serious objection to the formation of the Ministry for Culture and State Restructuring, warning of withdrawing support to the Government if the ministry, held by the CPN-Maoist, is not scrapped right away.
September 8
According to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report a total of 200 children below four years of age are living under pitiable condition inside the No-6 Division camp of the PLA in the Dasarathpur of Surkhet district. The children inside the camps lack necessary care and are vulnerable to diseases too, said a press release issued by the regional director of NHRC, Bed Prasad Bhattarai.
September 9
Even as the strike continues in Siraha, locals of Baireni VDC in Dhading district obstructed the Prithvi Highway, the lifeline to the capital, in protest against the capturing of the land belonging to Indrayani community forest by workers and landless squatters. The locals are accusing the Maoists of seizing 634 ropanis of land at Sabitar, Baireni VDC-7 and distributing it to the landless squatters.
September 10
Presenting the government’s policies and programmes at the fourth session of the parliament of the Constituent Assembly President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav said, "The integration and rehabilitation of People’s Liberation Army will be completed within next six months to take the peace process to a logical conclusion." However, a day before, Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel had said that the Maoist People's Liberation Army can't be integrated with the Nepali Army as the former is loyal to a political party.
Speaking at a press conference held at the CPN-UML headquarters in Balkhu, the party general secretary Jhala Nath Khanal said that the government's longevity would depend on the behavior of the Maoists. Khanal said that the party would see and watch the Maoist attitude towards implementation of past agreements. About the Youth Force (YF), CPN-UML's answer to the YCL, he said that though its presence was necessary to check Maoist "atrocities", it would not tread the path of YCL. However, a day before, a senior leader of UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal, had spoken against the activities of YF and called for dissolution of all such organizations.
September 11
President Ram Baran Yadav said that he is against the demand of a single Madhesh province. He pointed out that such demands could lead to the country's disintegration, asserting, "The country should be structured on a scientific basis and not on the basis of caste."
The NC and 18 other opposition parties have demanded amendments to the government’s programmes and policies, which were launched on September 10. Stating that the programmes failed to address the people's aspirations, the NC, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janamorcha, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party and others registered a proposal of amendment at the Cabinet Secretariat.
September 12
Chairman of the RPP-N Kamal Thapa said that abolition of monarchy had put democracy in Nepal in the 'ambush of extreme leftist forces.' Thapa argued that there are now two possibilities - either extreme leftist forces will take over State power or a new conflict will breed in the course of retaliating against these forces.
Some RPP-N central members have asked the party to take initiative to form a youth body that could retaliate against YCL and CPN-UML affiliated Youth Force.
The Prime Minister and CPN-Maoist chief Prachanda quit as the supreme commander of the PLA. Nand Kishore Pun, second in command of the PLA was later chosen by the central secretariat of the Maoists to head the PLA. Pun was the senior most deputy commander of the guerrilla army after two of his seniors contested the Constituent Assembly election in April and won.
September 14
A Maoist cadre, identified as Laxmi Benam, died when cadres of the CPN-UML and Maoists clashed at Tellabung in the Dhungesanghu Village Development Committee ward-2 of Taplejung district.
More than 15 CPN-Maoist cadres and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kul Bahadur Thara, were injured a police team clashed with Maoist cadres led by its district coordinator, Dilip Shah, in the evening at Ramnagar Mirchaiya in Siarha. The clash occurred after police raided the Dalit huts erected in Ramnagar Mirchaiya on the land seized by the Maoists. After the police arrested Dilip Shah, activists of the party pelted the cops with stones.
Kirat Janabadi Workers Party (KJWP) burnt the village development committee (VDC) office of the Sanojoma VDC in Bhojpur district. The KJWP has been demanding a separate Kirat state.
The UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal accused the Maoists of taking up violent measures and said that it may generate conflict in the coalition if they did not stop their excesses.
The government has decided to release NR 240 million to compensate for losses incurred during the Madhes movement two years ago. A large number of vehicles, houses and other private property was partly or fully destroyed across the Terai in the 29-day Madhes movement spearheaded by the MJF during January-February, 2007.
September 15
Maoist cadres, led by Land Reforms Minister Matrika Yadav, seized a two-storey 16-room house belonging to one Birendra Shah and 11 bighas of land belonging to 75 persons in the Ramnagar Mirchaiya-3 of Siraha district, a day after the police evicted the Maoists from the property on the direction of Deputy Prime Minister (PM) and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam. Reports also said that Matrika Yadav threatened to quit as minister, and from the party, if the PM intervened in the land dispute.
September 15
Unidentified assailants opened fire towards the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist leader, Laksipur Musalman, in the Kapilvastu district. The bullet, however, missed the intended target, injuring another person, identified as Akalikahar, a resident of Rajuwapur in the Kapilvastu district. Akalikahar succumbed to his injuries later. Subsequently, the SJTMM claimed responsibility for the attack.
A senior leader of the CPN-UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal said, in reference to Siraha land seizure incident, that his party’s youth wing – Youth Force (YF) – will be mobilised to take care if a government minister himself is bent on spreading anarchy.
September 17
Activists of the JTMM-R (Ranvir) shot dead a CPN-Maoist cadre of Amritgunj-9, identified as Basir Miya Ansari, at Kalaiya in the Bara district. Bara-Parsa in-charge of the JTMM-R(Ranvir), Saatya, claimed responsibility for the killing.
September 19
Armed cadres of the SJTMM shot dead Mohan Mainali, a section officer of the district administration office, Parsa in the Ranighat area.
Minister for Land Reforms and Management, Matrika Yadav, resigned from his post. Earlier he had been asked by the Maoist central secretariat to publicly apologise for his involvement in the Siraha land seizure
September 21
Army Chief General Rookmangud Katawal ruled out the possibility of the army inducting anyone from outside without meeting its recruitment standard.
September 22
President Dr. Rambaran Yadav has urged all groups in Terai involved in violence to renounce their ways and join the process of building new Nepal
September 23
The YCL cadres started collecting 'tax' on the supply of timber to other districts from timber traders at Baireni in the Aankhibhui VDC of Dhading district. This is the first time that the YCL cadres started donation drive in the district after the formation of the Maoist-led government.
September 24
Ganeshman Pun, the chairman of YCL, said the YCL cadres would now establish themselves as the ‘constitution-making force’.
Local Maoist cadres in the Sankhuwasabha are reportedly collecting "tax" from tourists and hoteliers of Makalu-Barun National Park area in order to recoup the expenses incurred by their party during the CA elections.
The CA members of the Nepali Congress criticized the government and the CPN-Maoist for allowing the Maoist cadres to roam around the CA venue with arms.
September 25
Arjun Narsingh K.C., spokesperson of the Nepali Congress, warned that the country would face a new round of conflict if the government attempts to integrate PLA into Nepali Army in violation of peace pacts and earlier agreement.
A senior leader of the MJF, Sarat Singh Bhandari, warned that the party may take "unpleasant decision" if the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist initiates merger between the Nepal Army and the PLA.
September 26
CPN-UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal warned the Maoists that their failure to immediately control the violent activities of YCL may cost continuity of the coalition government.
The CPN-Maoist would form a Special Commission to investigate on the past incidents of killings and disappearances within one-and-half month. Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai informed about forming such a commission.
Leaders of 14 armed groups operating in the Terai region, including JTMM-G, Madhesi Tigers, Terai Madhesh Mukti Tigers, Terai Liberation Force and Terai Cobra meet in Bihar (India) to forge an alliance. One Chandrashekhar, who heads the 'unification coordination committee', said the 14 organisations would try to reach a decision on unification within five days.
September 27
The Parsa district chief of the JTMM-J, Dharmanath Kurmi alias Sudhir Pandey was killed by an unidentified gang in the Maniyari VDC of Parsa district. Before joining the JTMM-J, Kurmi was Parsa district in-charge of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha-Prithvi.
Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai announced that the government would provide families of the ones who lost their life during the armed insurgency with one million rupees each as compensation.
September 28
An explosion at the office of the Maoists in the Rajaul area of Janakpur municipality damaged a portion of boundary wall of the office. However, no one was injured. The Madhesi Mukti Tigers, one of the underground armed outfits operating in the Terai region, claimed responsibility for the blast.
The CPN-UML General Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal said that the Maoist combatants should meet national criteria to be integrated into the Nepal Army.
September 29
A passenger was killed when MMT cadres opened indiscriminate fire on a passenger bus for defying MMT’s three-day bandh in Nawalparasi’s Tilakpur on the East-West Highway. Four passengers were injured in the firing.
The CPN-Maoist plans to mobilize YCL under two separate units — production force and construction force — to help bring about prosperity and sustainable peace in the country, a party leader said. Maoist lawmaker and former YCL in-charge for the Kathmandu Valley, Chandra Bahadur Thapa, a.k.a. Sagar, said it was important to keep the youth employed, for the unemployed youth bulge is more than likely to drive the country to conflict again.
The NC Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel said that the country has not been freed from the state of civil war yet as the Maoists are still continuing their parallel governments.
Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma said the government would soon start work to find the condition and whereabouts of the people who went missing during the decade-long armed conflict. He said that an effective law would also be formulated to ease the process.
The Chief of ATMM, Jaya Krishna Goit, said that all the armed groups operating in the Tarai are going to unite under his leadership shortly. Goit claimed that rumours about 14 armed groups mulling a plan to select a new leader for a "united front" after removing him and another leader, Jwala Singh, were false.
CPN-Maoist Constituent Assembly member Matrika Prasad Yadav distributed the one million rupees meant for constituency development programmes to martyrs' families in Sarlahi district.
CPN-UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal said that the CPN-M must implement all the past agreements in order to take the peace process to a logical end.
September 30
A report released by Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), an NGO working in the human rights sector, says that altogether 1,855 people died in the western development region of Nepal during the decade-long armed conflict.
October 1
Two insurgent groups operating in Terai, JTMM-R and Madhesi Virus Killers, declared that they would not carry out their armed activities for two weeks during Dashain with effect from September 30.
The CPN-Maoist cadres assaulted the Nepali Congress district member, Purna Bahadur Lamtari, in the Baldyanggairi-2 village of Palpa district allegedly for giving an anti-Maoist speech in the village on September 25.
October 2
Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai said that his party, the CPN-Maoist, which leads the current coalition government, was in talks with Nepali Army over the issue of army integration.
October 3
Following a cabinet meeting held at the prime minister’s office at Singha Durbar, the government invited the armed groups active in the Terai region to come to the negotiating table. It also formed a three-member committee led by Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma to hold dialogue with the armed outfits. Responding to the offer, the armed groups operating in Terai announced that they would hold talks with the government. They also declared a cease-fire during Dashain festival.
October 4
Unidentified assailants detonated a powerful bomb at a mosque in Hattimuda Village Development Committee ward-9 of Morang district, leaving four persons injured. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast yet.
The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist warned that it would resort to agitation if the Taplejung District Court fails to review its decision to release some people who were held on the charge of killing local Maoist leader Laxmi Banem on September 14. Incidentally, all of those held and subsequently freed are activists of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist.
October 5
After armed Terai groups expressed willingness to sit for 'meaningful' talks, the newly-formed Talks team said that the government was open to hold discussion on all issues with the agitating armed groups.
The meeting of the council of ministers decided to increase the salary of the PLA combatants by 66.6 percent. The PLA combatants will now get NR 5,000 as monthly salary. Previously they were receiving NR 3,000 per month.
October 6
At least three minors were injured in an explosion at a dumping site at Ranichhetra in Biratnagar-21. An unidentified group detonated the bomb.
Minister for Education Renu Yadav, who is a member of the negotiating team that the government recently formed, said that dialogue with the Terai outfits will be carried out immediately after the Dashain. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam said the government would treat those armed groups of Tarai that do not heed to government’s call for dialogue as criminal elements.
October 10
Prime Minister Prachanda said that the current government would be expanded before the next big festival of Tihar. He further said that the integration of PLA with the Nepali Army would also begin soon.
October 11
Nepal Workers and Peasants Party President Narayan Man Bijukchhe ‘Rohit’ said that the government should not agree to the conditions like "One Madhesh One Province".
October 12
Issuing a press statement Rajan Mukti, chief of the JTMM-R, said it is willing to sit for a dialogue with the government provided that the latter forms a new ‘trustworthy talks team’, withdraws all court cases against the outfit’s cadres and releases his men currently serving in jail. The group also demanded fulfilment of other demands for what is described as liberation of the Terai from ‘internal colonization’. These demands include holding a referendum in the Terai to let the Terai people decide whether to opt for a separate Terai nation.
Coordinator of the newly-formed government talks team, Janardan Sharma, said the government is trying to establish contact with the agitating armed Terai groups for dialogue.
The United States said that it would continue to support the new elected government in Nepal, but will not change its policy on the CPN-M, which is on the U.S. terror list. The United States, however, seems to have relaxed travel bans on Maoist leaders. It has also started engaging with the Maoist leadership. The U.S. statement not to immediately review its position on the Maoists came when Finance Minister and Maoist second-in-command Dr. Baburam Bhattarai met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher.
October 13
The government sent an official letter to JTMM factions led by Jwala Singh and Ranvir Singh, respectively, inviting them to come for a dialogue, according to Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma who heads the talks committee. Minister Sharma said the government emissaries were trying to establish contacts with all armed groups in the Terai and also holding indirect talks with some of the armed groups.
President Dr Ram Baran Yadav said that the violence in the country has not stopped because of politics backed by arms and urged all to come to the fore to condemn the politics based on violence.
Minister for Finance and senior Maoist leader Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai said that unlike the communist parties of other countries, the Maoists in Nepal have no intention of establishing single-party model.
Nepali Congress Acting President Sushil Koirala warned that his party will take to the streets if the Maoist combatants are integrated into the national army. Koirala also said that a new conflict may arise if the Maoists try to change the country into the people’s republic.
The JTMM-Rajan killed a cadre of the ruling CPN-UML identified as Uttim Lal Mahato in Siraha district accusing him of spying on the party. Paras Mukti, central member of the JTMM-Rajan and Siraha district in-charge, has taken the responsibility of the killing.
October 14
A woman and two minors died on the spot and four others were injured when a bomb went off at Chandranigahapur Chowk in Rautahat district. Another two persons got injured when the police opened fire to take situation under control after the market became tense following the fatal explosion. An armed outfit identified as Terai Tigers has claimed the responsibility for the blast. Two Terai armed outfits, the Terai Army and the Terai Sena, have claimed responsibility for the incident.
Three cadres of the JTMM-J, who were arrested a week ago, released on ordinary bail by the Area Police Office in Garuda of Rautahat district coming under pressure from the local representatives of ruling political parties
October 15
Two cadres of the TMDP were killed in the Titirkhi VDC of Kapilvastu district by an unidentified group. Nobody claimed responsibility for the killing.
The government sent an official letter to one more armed outfit in the Terai inviting it to come for a dialogue. Local Development Minister Ram Chandra Jha said the letter was sent to Terai Cobra, headed by Nagraj. Minister Jha further said that Liberation of Terai Elam (LTE), led by Prithvi Raj Singh, would get government invitation for talks soon. He also said that government sources were also in touch with Pawan Giri led Samyukta Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha and Terai Army.
Minister for Commerce and Supplies Rajendra Mahato urged all armed outfits of the Terai region to come to the negotiation table and help make a new Nepal. Addressing the cadres of Nepal Sadbhawana Party-Mahato at Jaleshwor in Mahottari district, Minister Mahato said that the government is serious and flexible about holding talks in any subject matter. "However, it is against the disintegration of the country," he added.
Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav said that Prime Minister Prachanda himself was not in favour of taking up the Maoist combatants into the national army.
President Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said that the Maoists were discussing within the party about changing the name of the party since past one year and the general convention would make a decision on that.
October 16
Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma said that five of the seven armed outfits agitating in the Terai region had responded to the Government's invitation for talks.
Jwala Singh, chairman of the JTMM-J, welcomed the Government's call for dialogue adding that four "simple conditions" must be met before the armed outfit comes into negotiation table. The conditions included releasing the arrested JTTM cadres and scrapping the false charges filed against the JTMM-J, announcement of cease fire, proper security arrangements for its talks team and deputing the security personnel stationed at rural VDC the district headquarters.
Prime Minister Prachanda said that he was not thinking about integrating all the PLA combatants into the national army. "I have not talked about merger. But I have also not said that there will not be any army integration," he said dismissing a statement made by Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav that he did not want army integration at all.
The Chief of the UNMIN Ian Martin asked the Government to form a special committee to rehabilitate Maoist combatants soon.
October 17
Minister for Local Development Ram Chandra Jha assured that the three member talks team formed recently by the government would ensure the safety of the representatives of the Terai based armed outfits, which are expected to take part in negotiation with the government soon. The participants' safety was one of the pre-conditions by many of the outfits for the negotiation. The Kirant Workers Party, which has been waging secessionist activities in the eastern hill districts, has also been invited for talks.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam said that Prime Minister and Maoist chairman Prachanda had asked him to uphold rule of law and to take action against erring YCL cadres.
Prachanda said that the CPN-M and the CPN-Unity Centre Masal would be unified after three weeks.
October 18
CPN-UML, said it is also in the process of changing its name. "We are thinking of retaining our original name," said CPN-UML general secretary Jhalanath Khanal. "We could just be called the Communist Party of Nepal," he said
Unidentified assailants shot dead a man at Dhakdehi in the Rupandehi district.
October 19
A YCL cadre died in a clash with supporters of the CPN-UML affiliated Youth Force at Belkhu in the Pida VDC ward-1 of Dhading district.
Prime Minister and Chairman of the CPN-M Prachanda admitted that the leaders of the party are divided over twin issues, change in the party’s name and People’s Republic. However, he claimed that such debates can only strengthen the party.
October 20
Local Development minister and a member of the Government's talks team, Ram Chandra Jha, said the Government was not ready to meet the conditions put forward by some Terai outfits, which include declaration of cease-fire and removal of security posts from the villages. "These conditions cannot be met beforehand. All the issues will be discussed at the table," he added.
October 21
The YCL cadres vandalised the district office of the CPN-UML in Dhading protesting against the alleged murder of their fellow cadre Krishna Bahadur Bhandari on October 19.
The Maoists and the CPN-UML, the major parties in the ruling alliance, reached an agreement to form a high-level political committee by October 22 to start the process of integration of PLA men into the Nepal Army (NA). Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma informed that the Prime Minister would form the committee after discussing with all other political parties. He added that the committee would include the leaders of the opposition party, security forces, and representatives from different political parties.
Minister for Home Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Bam Dev Gautam warned the armed groups in the Terai saying the government would use force if they ignore the Government's call for dialogue.
Prime Minister Prachanda’s advisor for Foreign Affairs, Hira Bahadur Thapa said that the United States had stepped up the process to remove the CPN-M from its terrorist watch list.
12 persons were injured in a clash between the CPN-M cadres and CPN-UML activists in Siraha. The skirmish occurred following a dispute over forming a committee for development works, utilising the fund allocated from the district development committee. One of the injured CPN-M cadre succumbed to his injuries on October 22.
October 22
In a separate incident, at least 11 people were injured when a powerful cylinder bomb went off at the Land Revenue Office in the Janakpur area of Dhanusha district. JTMM-Rajan, an outfit launching armed movement in the southern plains, has claimed the responsibility for the explosion.
The scheduled cabinet meeting was put off after two major partners of the ruling alliance—CPN-M and CPN-UML—failed to reach an agreement over the selection of coordinator for a special committee to be set up for the integration of Maoist combatants into the national army. The CPN-UML stuck to its demand that the committee should be headed by a leader from a party other than the CPN-Maoist.
Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma informed that disqualified Maoist combatants, who have been residing in the Maoist cantonments across the country, will be evicted from there at the earliest.
A top US official said that the US has started the process to remove the CPN-M from its terror watch list. The US has already reversed its previous policy of not dealing with the CPN-Maoist.
After meeting Prime Minister Prachanda, a delegation of the Bhutanese refugees is hoping for some relief in the form of repatriation soon. Prachanda expressed his commitment to resolve the refugee crisis at the earliest emphasising the involvement of the Indian government.
October 23
A school teacher, identified as Sunil Raya Yadav, was shot dead by an unidentified group in Prempur Village Development Committee of Rautahat district. He was an active cadre of the MJF. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the murder.
Minister for Education and a member of the talks team Renu Yadav said the government would start the dialogue process with the armed groups operating in Terai immediately after the Tihar festival. The Minister further informed that the government has already established contact with half a dozen armed groups in Terai and is holding "informal talks".
October 24
A powerful bomb exploded at the office of Construction Entrepreneurs Association in Rajbiraj of Saptari district. While no human casualty was reported, four rooms of the two-storey building were damaged in the explosion. Meanwhile, Saptari district coordinator of the JTMM-Ranbir, Kishan, claimed the responsibility for the explosion. Kishan said that the action was taken symbolically after announcement of an alliance of seven Terai outfits waging armed movement in the southern plains of Terai. The alliance has been named as Madhesh Rastra Janatantrik Krantikari Morcha.
Local businessmen in the Bhojpur district headquarters received threatening letters issued by the Kirat Janabadi Workers Party (KJWP) demanding NR 500,000 from each of them within seven days. The letters signed by KJWP Khotang district in charge Kainla Khambu mentioned that the donation has been asked for the establishment of free Khambuwan and Limbuwan states.
The cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office in Singha Durbar after being postponed twice earlier, ended without making any decision on formation of the much-hyped special committee to look after the army integration. Earlier in the day, the parties arrived at a consensus over the formation of the committee after the CPN-M agreed to the proposal that the special committee should be headed by a leader from a party other than the CPN-M.
October 26
Around 12 cadres of the CPN-UML affiliated Youth Force (YF) were injured in a clash with YCL in the Gorkha district. The local UML leadership said that following the clash that occurred in Arutar of Aruchanaute VDC, the whereabouts of five of their cadres were still unknown. The YCL leadership said that the clash occurred after YF cadres made accusations against their party.
Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma said that the talks team had established contact with at least nine armed groups agitating in Terai. "Despite preconditions set forth by the armed groups such as withdrawal of the cases filed against their cadres, we have found that the attempts to hold dialogue are moving in positive direction," said Sharma.
Prime Minister Prachanda said that the integration of Maoist combatants with the Nepal Army would be carried out as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
October 27
The Maoist-led government withdrew 349 politically related court cases, a majority of which were filed against leading Maoist figures. The government also decided to cases filed against around 300 persons during Madhesh movement last year.
The cadres of MJF captured land belonging to 14 people of Nasahi Village Development Committee-2 in Nawalparasi district. According to the locals, the MJF cadres captured the land, claiming that it was public property where a school would be built. One Gauri Shankar Koiri led the MJF cadres.
October 28
The government formed a five-member special committee to look after the army integration under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bamdev Gautam. The other members are Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, MJF leader Mohammad Habibullah, and Minister for Peace Janardan Sharma. However, NC is yet to nominate its representative though a seat is reserved for it. The peace minister has been inducted into the committee as an ex-officio member.
Nagendra Paswan alias Jwala Singh, chief of Jwala Singh faction of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-J), has ruled out dialogue with the Maoist-led government unless their four demands are met. In an exclusive interview to The Himalayan Times at an undisclosed location, Singh questioned the government’s motive behind the call for talks without any pre-condition. "The government does not seem to be serious about the dialogue. We have put four conditions, which have to be met within 24 hours. We are demanding the following: Repeal the false charges against our cadres, ensure security for our negotiators, declare ceasefire and withdraw security forces from across the villages to district headquarters in the Terai," he said.
October 29
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Bam Dev Gautam said that the talk process with the Terai outfits had not progressed as the groups were still continuing their criminal activities despite the formation of the talks team by the government.
Bam Dev Gautam said that homework for integration of the Maoist combatants had already begun. He also said the special committee would complete the army integration process "right on time". The Deputy Prime Minister expressed confidence that the Nepali Congress, which had refused to join the special committee, would rethink its decision.
A senior Maoist leader Dina Nath Sharma said that the army integration would be accomplished through referendum even if the main opposition party Nepali Congress stayed away from the Army Integration Special Committee.
November 2
Nepali Congress and CPN-UML made an accusation that the government's 20-point Terms of Reference for the Army Integration Special Committee contradicts some points of the past pacts and understandings reached among the then Seven-Party Alliance.
A Madhesi leader close to both JTMM-G and JTMM-J claimed that these two groups have not yet been contacted by the talks team, nor have formal letters been sent inviting them for dialogue. None of the members of the talk teams was available for comment.
November 3
MJF staged demonstrations at Biratnagar in Morang district in protest against killing of its cadre Karan Yadav during a fight that erupted over tender opened by Morang District Development Committee.
The two major parties in the ruling alliance, CPN-M and CPN-UML, agreed to amend the Terms of Reference for the special committee formed for the integration of the Maoist combatants. However, there are reports suggesting a divide in the PLA on whether to abide by the agreement reached among the parties on the merger of Maoist combatants in the national army.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Upendra Yadav said that his party- MJF can never agree on integrating the Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army.
Activists of the CPN-M-affiliated All Nepal Landless People's Association seized three bigha and four kattha (approximately 8331.84 square meter) of land belonging to a commoner in Itahari of Sunsari district.
CPN-Maoist cadres grabbed 14 bighas of land (aprox. 36451.8 m2) belonging to Sher Bahadur Hamal at Kailali’s Khailad Village Development Committee and distributed it among the landless people, ignoring the Maoist top leaders’ call to return the seized land.
November 4
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bamdev Gautam said that the YCL and the CPN-UML affiliated Youth Force must be dissolved immediately.
November 5
The Autonomous Tharuhat National Council formed Tharuhat Liberation Army in Kailali district in the far-western region in order "to make the revolt of the indigenous people successful". The Council was founded by Laxman Tharu alias Roshan after he defected from the CPN-Maoist following differences with the party's top leadership some time back. Tharu is currently the chairman of the council. Tharuhat Liberation Army has vowed to fight for "liberation of Tharu people" and establishment of Tharuhat province in federal Nepal and in the long run to make "the revolt of the united Indigenous people successful".
November 6
The Kirat Janabadi Workers Party (KJWP), an ethnic armed group, forwarded a six-point precondition seeking the Government’s commitment to fulfil it before coming to the negotiation table. In a press statement issued by the party’s army Supreme Commander Bidroha Bibash Binesh, the KJWP demanded that the Government should create conducive environment for talks and take the entire responsibility of their security. The armed group has forwarded conditions such as making attempts to reach an agreement through discussion, releasing its cadres under custody and withdrawal of all action proceed against them, invitation to come to talks table by cancelling all the protest programmes and fixing date, time and venue for talks after the mutual agreement.
November 7
The Minister for Peace and Reconstruction, Janardan Sharma, said the process of army integration would proceed as per the desire of the Maoist combatants. "Integration will be as per their desire. The method will be fixed by the special committee," he said in Nepalgunj.
TMLP chairman Mahantha Thakur met Prime Minister Prachanda and asked him to include his party in the army integration committee.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Upendra Yadav, said the MJF would stay away from the Government if agreements made in the past with the Madhesh-based parties were not implemented at the earliest.
November 8
YCL cadres stormed into an area police post at Jirikhimti in the Tehrathum district and injured two policemen.
The Minister for Local Development, Ram Chandra Jha, a member of the Government talks’ team, said the Government would not wait for armed groups fighting in the Terai and eastern districts if they do not come for the talks within mid December.
November 11
Prime Minister Prachanda reiterated his commitment to implement the past agreements the CPN-Maoist had agreed to.
The two main ruling partners, CPN-Maoist and CPN-UML, reached an understanding to reconstitute the special committee for army integration and try to convince the Nepali Congress to join it.
November 12
Minister for Local Development Ram Chandra Jha revealed that he had held an "informal dialogue" with some of the agitating Terai based armed outfits.
November 13
Seven persons were injured when cadres of YCL and YF clashed at Joshpur in Banke district following a dispute over the return of seized property.
Cadres of CPN-Maoist seized paddy in 40 bighas of land (26.8 hectare aprox.) belonging to four persons in Bardiya district's Rajapur Manau.
November 14
SJTMM formed a three-member talks’ team with spokesperson Kautilya Sharma as coordinator and Sagar and Rajguru as members in response to the Government’s invitation for a dialogue.
Prime Minister Prachanda has requested his Indian counterpart Dr. Manmohan Singh to release Maoist cadres, who are languishing in prisons in India. About 20 Maoists are reportedly serving prison terms in a jail in Patna, capital of Bihar.
November 15
Former general secretary of the CPN-UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal, said that if the CPN-Maoist dissolves the YCL, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML would follow suit.
The pro-monarchy Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP-Nepal) has decided to float its youth wing by the name of Rastrabadi Yuba Morcha (Nationalist Youth Front)
November 16
Four persons, including a police officer, were injured in a clash between the Madheshi Commando, youth wing of the Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi faction), and local youths in Bhairahawa
Minister for Local Development, Ram Chandra Jha, said preparations are underway to hold a dialogue with the insurgent groups operating in Terai within a fortnight. He added that the initial round of dialogue is likely to take place in Janakpur. Jha also made it clear that the Government team would not be reconstituted, as demanded by some Terai groups, but the team will discuss with the Prime Minister if any changes are to be made in the team. He opined that it would be futile to hold a dialogue with the JTMM-G as the group stood for the country's disintegration.
The passage of the detailed schedule of drafting procedures by a Constituent Assembly meeting marked the formal beginning of the constitution-making process. As per the schedule, the new constitution would be ready by May 2010.
November 17
The co-ordinator of the Government talks’ team and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction, Janardhan Sharma, held separate talks with several armed outfits at different locations in the Terai.
November 18
Two youths from Kathmandu, Nirmal Panta and Pushkar Dangol who were abducted by the YCL cadres a month ago on October 20, were found killed. The relatives, rights activists and police found their dead bodies in Bhorlephant Bagar of Dhading district.
A day after holding informal talks with leaders of underground armed groups in the Terai, Janardan Sharma, the Minister for Peace and Reconstruction as well as the coordinator of the talks’ team, said that the Government would start formal talks with armed outfits "very soon". 15 armed groups are ready to hold a dialogue with the Government. However, the Local Development Minister Ram Chandra Jha, a member of the Government team, declined to reveal the names of the armed groups willing to sit for talks. "Publicising their names could mar the atmosphere of the dialogue," Jha said.
November19
Students and relatives of Nirmal Pant and Pushkar Dangol, whose dead bodies were recovered on November 18 after a month of their abduction by the cadres of the YCL, protested in Kathmandu alleging that the duo were killed by the YCL. The agitators reportedly vandalised the YCL office at Kalanki in the morning and burnt materials inside the office.
November 20
About six cadres of the YF, youth wing of CPN-UML, were injured in a clash with cadres of the YCL at Amrit Science College in Kathmandu.
November 21
A nine-year-old boy, Dhawal Rai Yadav, resident of Gaur-2, was killed and four others were injured when a bomb exploded at the site of Madhyamanchal Festival at Gaur in the Rautahat district. There was also a stampede at the ground after the explosion. Terai Cobra claimed responsibility for the blast.
November 22
Three employees of Himalmedia who have been getting death threats by phone since November 20 have been moved to a "safe houses", the management of the publishing house said in a statement.
November 23
The Terai Sanyukta Janakranti Party (TSJP), an armed group operating in the Terai plains, formed a three-member talks’ team on under the leadership of party spokesperson Anurag to hold a formal dialogue with the Government.
President of the Nepali Congress and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said that the CPN-Maoist cadres would not be integrated in Nepal Army in accordance with past agreements as the Maoists had violated the "main agreement". "Maoists have breached agreement on political consensus, collaboration and unity among political parties," Koirala said while speaking at a press meet organised by local chapter of Press Union in Nepalgunj.
November 24
Vice President of Nepali Congress, Ram Chandra Poudel said that unless the CPN-Maoist controls the unruly activities of its youth wing, YCL, and returns properties seized during the insurgency, co-operation with them would be impossible.
Users of Kanchan Community Forest at Saljhandi have accused Maoist combatants, who have been living in UN-monitored Sainamaina satellite camp in Rupandehi district, of smuggling timber.
November 25
10 persons were injured when cadres of the CPN-Maoist affiliated All Nepal National Independent Students' Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) and CPN-UML affiliated ANNFSU clashed at Birendra Multiple Campus in the Chitwan district. Seven students of ANNISU-R and three of ANNFSU were wounded in the clash.
Some armed persons abducted Raj Lal Kamati of Laxmipur in Siraha district. The armed group who kidnapped Kamati claimed that they are cadres of the Madheshi Mukti Tigers.
November 30
An unidentified gang detonated a bomb in Rautahat district police office, injuring a police constable.
Jwala Singh, chairman of the JTMM-J, said his outfit would not join talks with the Government unless the conditions put forward by it are met.
The Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala said that his the party will not let the integration of CPN-Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army take place until the Maoists dissolve their youth wing, the YCL.
Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Kedar Nath Upadhyaya, said the political parties are giving protection to criminals linked with their youth wings and that the activities of these youth groups are greatly responsible for Nepal’s poor human rights record.
December 1
The SJTMM announced a cease-fire on putting on hold all its "struggle programmes". The group announced the truce in a letter forwarded to the Government talks’ team. The Morcha has proposed that the Government set the date for formal talks with them through mutual understating. The letter also seeks the release of all Morcha cadres who were arrested at different times from different places by the police. They have also demanded full security of their cadres and talks’ team during the time of truce.
Normal life and transport in nine districts of eastern Nepal have been badly affected for the second-day due to the shutdown strike called by the Federal Limbuwan State Council. The outfit which is pushing for ethnic autonomy in the district had announced a two-day strike in the eastern region demanding that the Government implement the five point agreement reached with it in March this year. It has also demanded immediate formation of the State Restructuring Commission.
December 2
One person was burnt alive when a group of 10 to 12 armed cadres of the Madhesh Rastriya Janatantrik Party (MRJP) set ablaze a passenger bus at Birendra Bazaar in Saptari District for defying the strike their party had called. The bus driver informed that the cadres robbed 40 passengers of NR 300,000. The MRJP had called a two-day general strike in Saptari and Siraha Districts from December 2, protesting the death of one of its cadres during police action 10 days ago.
Local consumers caught an Indrapur-based CPN-Maoist leader Prem Bahadur Rai while he was illegally ferrying logs from the local Janajagaran Community Forest. He was later detained at the District forest office.
December 3
Cadres of the JTMM-Rajan shot at and critically injured Local Development Officer Krishna Kumar Mishra, at his residence in Janakpur-4. Bishwas Mukti, who identified himself as Jaleshwor Municipal in-charge of the outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Seven Pathari Business Association's members, including two identified as Deepak Basnet and Gobardhan Magar, were abducted by cadres of the YCL.
December 5
Normal life in Morang District was affected following the strike called by the YCL charging the CPN-UML-affiliated YF for attacking them on December 3. Condemning the attack, cadres of the CPN-Maoist burnt down a VDC office of the CPN-UML.
An unidentified armed group has reportedly emerged in Rolpa District. The group, which is reportedly roaming in the area with sophisticated weapons, has been enticing locals into starting "yet another armed struggle" saying that CPN-Maoist has failed to address the plight of Dalits, Janjatis (tribals) and other poverty-stricken people, locals said.
Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, announced at a press conference organised in Kathmandu that the CPN-Maoist led Government has expressed commitment to discharge around 3000 minor combatants currently living in the PLA cantonments across the country.
December 6
Senior Maoist leader and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hisila Yami, said that the YCL and the CPN-UML-affiliated YF should be dissolved immediately. She opined that turmoil has increased in the country because of the activities of the YCL and the YF.
December 10
Five cadres of the Madheshi Mukti Tigers (MMT), a Terai-based armed outfit, were arrested in the capital city Kathmandu on charges of illegal arms possession. The arrestees, residents of Rupandehi, were carrying a revolver, fours rounds of ammunition, an empty magazine of pistol and explosives for making bombs. Police also seized pamphlets of MMT, seeking donation and two press releases, from the accused.
December 11
At least three persons were injured in a bomb blast at a warehouse at Barathawa in Sarlahi District. Terai Army's leader Surya telephonically claimed to the media the blast was carried out at the shop on charges of spying against them.
The Government held formal talks with the Madheshi Virus Killers (MVK), the first of the over a dozen Terai armed groups responding to the call for negotiations. Peace and Reconstruction Minister Janardan Sharma led the Government talks’ team while MVK chief Jay Prakash Yadav ‘Diwan’ headed his side. Both parties agreed on four crucial points. The Government will categorise 11 demands of the MVK and address these accordingly. MVK demands, requiring the approval of the CA, would be left to the apex body to settle, said Ram Chandra Jha, Local Development Minister, also a member of the Government’s talks’ team. MVK will provide a list of the people arrested during the Madhesh movement and the Government will conduct a probe before setting them free. The outfit will postpone violent activities during the dialogue period and the Government, in turn, will treat its cadres as political activists. The Government will provide security to MVK negotiators. MVK chief Yadav said the talks were encouraging. He added the CA would safeguard the rights of citizens. He appreciated the Government’s efforts to hold talks with the Terai armed groups.
December 12
11 persons were injured when locals and CPN-Maoist-affiliated land grabbers clashed at Simra in Bara District. Trouble broke out when the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Landless Struggle Committee and All Nepal Public Land Consumers’ Committee seized 32 bighas (approximately 21.44 hectares) of land by hoisting party flags.
Prime Minister Prachanda said that there is need to educate people about the positive aspects of violence in order to ensure that the recent political achievements are not endangered. He added that whatever political changes that have emerged in Nepal so far have taken place on the basis of violence, including the declaration of a federal democratic republic.
December 15
Cadres of the CPN-Maoist assaulted two persons of Chainpur VDC in the Sankhuwasabha District. Lakhman Tamang, along with other Maoists, assaulted Chainpur locals, Khadga Bahadur Basnet and Dhruba Kumar Basnet, while the two were working in a field.
An unidentified gunman shot at and injured, Bishwanath Bhagat, Chairman of the Retailers' Association of Birgunj, at his pharmacy at Maisthan in Birgunj-2. Madheshi Mukti Tigers, an underground outfit, claimed responsibility for the incident.
Kumar Niraula, a Nayab Subba (senior assistant), working at the Inland Revenue Office in Janakpur, was shot dead by cadres of the JTMM-Rajan. A leader of the JTMM-Rajan who identified himself as Abhinash telephoned local journalists and claimed responsibility for the attack, insisting that Nirauala’s activities challenged the policies of the group.
Issuing a press statement, Jwala Singh, chairman of the JTMM-J, gave the Government a 15-day ultimatum to create a conducive environment for talks. "We will be compelled to continue with the armed struggle if the Government fails to create a conducive environment within 15 days and meet our four-point charter of demands," he warned.
December 16
Cadres of the JTMM-J shot dead a CPN-UML cadre, Rama Saha, in the Dhanusa District. Police informed that JTMM-J cadres, Indra Goit and Devendra Goit, were arrested in suspicion of their involvement in the murder.
The 14 committees of the Constituent Assembly formally started the process to draft the new Constitution. The committees, holding their first meetings in their respective offices in Singha Durbar, set a 15-day programme according to which, they will elect their chairpersons, identify working areas and prepare work schedule and procedure regulations.
The central committee of the CPN-Maoist took a decision to launch a people’s awareness campaign in all 75 Districts after a month.
December 17
Police arrested Vidyananda Jha, father of Rajan Mukti, chief of the JTMM-Rajan. Rajan's brother Manoj Jha and uncle Chandrakishor Jha were also arrested. Police said the three have been arrested on charges of their involvement in various murders in Dhanusha District.
Bahadur Rayamajhi, a secretariat member of the CPN-Maoist and a Constituent Assembly member, said that all land and property seized during the insurgency would not be returned.
December 18
Cadres of the JTMM-Rajan shot dead Mangal Harijan, a head constable of the Armed Police Force, while he was on duty at Mahavir Chowk in Janakpur Municipality-4. Abhinash Mukti, Dhanusha District in-charge of the JTMM-Rajan group, claimed responsibility for the murder in a telephone call to the local media. He also said talks with the Government have become meaningless now as the latter has begun arresting relatives of their leaders.
Tufan Singh and Rajan Bidrohi, the Sunsari District in-charge and Commander of the Madhesh Mukti Tigers (MMT) respectively, said in Itahari that the MMT is ready to hold talks with the Government even if its chairman does not agree on this.
The MJF chief and Foreign Minister, Upendra Yadav, said that the slogan ''One Madhesh, One Pradesh'' remains the ideal of the party. Earlier, Bijaya Gachhadar, a minister and senior MJF leader, had claimed that ''One Madhesh, One Pradesh'' has now become merely a political slogan for the MJF.
Victims of the decade long armed-conflict staged demonstrations in capital Kathmandu demanding resettlement and return of seized property. The victims took out a rally organised by the National Struggle Committee of Victims of Maoist Atrocities from Balaju to draw the Government's attention.
The Department of Industrial Management issued a 35-day ultimatum to the YCL to remove its camps from industrial areas.
December 21
Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma again invited all agitating armed groups of the Terai to the negotiating table and also asked them to suspend their protest programmes immediately.
Cadres of the ruling CPN-Maoist attacked the office of Himalmedia Pvt. Ltd, which publishes the weekly newsmagazine Nepali Times, fortnightly Himal Khabarpatrika and monthly Himal Southasian, physically assaulting a dozen employees, including editors and top management officials. According to the Himalmedia, a group of about 50 persons led by the Maoist affiliated All Nepal Hotel and Restaurant Workers'' Union Chairman, Ramesh Babu Pant, barged into the meeting hall and attacked the media persons.
December 22
MMT cadres killed one person, identified as Ramchandra Mandal, a resident of Bhagwatpur-1 at Bhagwatpur Village Development Committee of Saptari District.
Unidentified assailants shot dead a Birgunj-based businessman, Rajesh Kyal, at Adarshanagar in the Birgunj Municipility-13 of Birgunj in the Parsa District.
Police arrested MMT commander and central committee member Rameshwor Mandal alias Toophan Singh along with three home-made pistols, a bullet and NR 0.5 million from Itahari in Sunsari District. The Police also arrested MMT cadre Dukhad Singh along with Toophan Singh.
Baldev, a Deputy Commander of the PLA, said the PLA would soon launch a recruitment drive for new Maoist soldiers. Baldev also conceded that all YCL leaders were Maoist PLA men at some point of time in the past and that they were released from the PLA in order to lead the youth while forming the YCL.
December 23
The UNMIN told the Minister for Defence, Ram Bahadur Thapa, that any new recruitment by the Nepal Army and the PLA would be a breach of the past agreements.
The Parliamentary Party meeting of the MJF directed its Constituent Assembly members to raise its long-held demand for a 'one Madhesh, one autonomous province' within the CA and its concerned committees.
December 24
Cadres of the CPN-Maoist affiliated All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) assaulted a student of the Baneshwor Campus working in a local television station in capital Kathmandu. Armed ANNISU-R cadres entered the campus and assaulted Suman Dhungana saying that he "spoke against the Maoist excesses" in the morning.
December 25
Two persons, identified as Mukhiya Karna Bahadur Singh and Dipendra Singh, of Dainiya Village Development Committee in the Morang District were injured after they were assaulted by cadres of the CPN-Maoist.
Ramesh Babu Panta, one of the persons reportedly involved in the violent attack on the Himalmedia group, is reportedly hiding in an YCL camp at Kathmandu.
The CPN-Maoist and CPN-UML agreed to enter into a new understanding with the Nepali Congress so as to take the peace process to a logical conclusion and expedite statute-drafting process.
December 26
The first round of talks between the Government and Pawan faction of the Samyukta Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (SJTMM-P) held in Janakpur ended after the two sides reached a five-point agreement. The Government’s team was led by Peace Minister Janardhan Sharma while the SJTMM-P team was headed by Kautilya Sharma. Addressing the media after the closed-door meeting, the Minister informed that the Government will provide security to the SJTMM-P talks’ team during the entire duration of the dialogue, treat SJTMM-P cadres as political activists and gradually release those arrested during security operations, and suspension of armed and provocative activities by both sides. Similarly, the SJTMM-P has agreed to sit for the next round of talks with the Government in Kathmandu after mutually agreeing on a date. The two sides also agreed that a mediator could be appointed for the talks if necessary.
The two main accused in the December 23 attack on the Himalmedia group, Maoist union leaders Ramesh Babu Pant and Ramesh K C, surrendered to the Lalitpur Chief District Officer.
Four major parties, the CPN-Maoist, CPN-UML, Nepali Congress and MJF reached an understanding to have two members each in the Army Integration Special Committee.
December 28
A low-intensity bomb exploded outside the Durbar High School at Jamal in the capital Kathmandu. However, no casualty was reported. Ranabir Sena, a little-known outfit active in the Terai, claimed responsibility for the blast. A day before, another bomb was detonated near the main entrance of the Tribhuvan International Airport.
The cabinet meeting approved the nine-point agreement reached between Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the Nepali Congress on November 11 and instructed the concerned ministries to implement them. "The cabinet discussed how to implement PM’s commitments on the NC demands made before the parliament. They will be implemented one by one from tomorrow," said Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam. He informed that the nine-point demand was endorsed for the first time.
The YCL sought a one-and-a-half-month period to vacate the Balaju Industrial Estate, while the Industrial Districts Management Ltd. (IDML), which looks after industrial districts across the country wants it to move out by January 8, 2009. The YCL has occupied six buildings in 5.33 ropanis (0.27 hectares) of land in the industrial area and has been running the central office of Newa Rajya Samitee of the YCL since two years. Officials said YCL used to run the occupied buildings to torture people. YCL has also been occupying the premises of Patan and Dharan industrial estate, the Trolley Bus Office building in New Baneshwor and a building belonging to a bank in Butwal.
An unidentified group of armed men abducted Shivaji Chaudhary, 35, of Khopi-4 in the Mahottari District, from a neighbouring village of Parsa District. The Terai Communist League (TCL), a little known group, made telephone calls to FM stations and claimed responsibility for the abduction.
The JTMM-Rajan expressed willingness to sit for talks with the Government. Earlier, the group had turned down the talks offer saying the Government was not willing to hold a "meaningful dialogue" and had also demanded that the Government talks’ team be reconstituted.
December 29
The All Nepal Communication and Printing Publication Workers Union and the CPN-Maoist affiliated workers ended a sit-in outside Kantipur's regional office in Biratnagar.
Senior CPN-Maoist leader Matrika Yadav said "The lands of the feudal lords won't be returned whether the Prime Minister or Girija Prasad says."
December 31
192 cadres of the CPN-Maoist joined the CPN-UML amidst a function at CPN-UML party office in Balkhu expressing dissatisfaction over CPN-Maoist’s commitment to their wellbeing. 17 District committee members, 35 area committee members and other party members joined the UML en masse. The cadres were reportedly staying in various YCL camps in the valley.
The first round of talks between the Government and Terai Samyukta Janakranti Party Nepal (TSJPN), an armed outfit operating in the Terai, ended in a 5-point understanding. Peace and Reconstruction Minister Janardan Sharma, who heads the Government team, and Anurag, head of the TSJPN's three-member team, signed the deal at the end of the talks held in Singha Durbar. As per the agreement, the Government will ensure security to TSJPN negotiators throughout the dialogue process and will treat the armed group as a political organisation while TSJPN has agreed to halt its armed activities. Likewise, the Government has also promised to release detained TSJPN cadres once the latter provides the name list.
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