KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” vowed to conclude the remaining task of the transitional justice process and provide justice and reparation to the victims of the conflict.
He expressed the commitment at a briefing to the diplomatic community at Singha Durbar on Monday.
The Prime Minister said that the Comprehensive Peace Accord, the directives of the Supreme Court, and relevant international commitments, as well as the concerns of the victims, will guide the government’s endeavors toward this end.
“Having come through the course of a successful peace process, I can assure our partners that Nepal can conclude the process of transitional justice in an equally unique way based on the above parameters,” he said.
Here’s the full text of Prime Minister Dahal’s address:
At the outset, I would like to welcome you all to this briefing. While I have had the pleasure of meeting most of you in person before, this is the first time we have gathered in this setting since I became the Prime Minister.
Please accept my appreciation for your presence. Today, as just indicated by the Foreign Minister, I would like to briefly highlight three broad areas that are important for us and that might be of interest to you as well.
First, I will provide an update on the recent political developments in Nepal. Then I will outline the current economic situation of the country and the major priorities of my government.
And finally, I will touch upon our foreign policy priorities.
Last year was politically a momentous year for Nepal. The federal and provincial, and local elections were held in a span of six months.
These elections were milestones in further strengthening an inclusive democratic society and ultimately in enhancing people’s faith in the democratic process. Following the elections, governments at all three tiers have been formed.
Through the elections, rightful share of women, youths, and different disadvantaged communities has been guaranteed at local government, as well as provincial and federal parliaments as stipulated in the Constitution.
With the formation of the present Government, the country has once again renewed its resolve of consolidating the democratic gains and striving for socio-economic transformation.
Strengthening and empowering democratic institutions; building a peaceful, prosperous, and inclusive society; and achieving economic transformation form the core mandate of the current government.
The Common Minimum Program (CMP) of the present coalition government is about executing the same mandate.
To this end, our efforts will be directed toward institutionalizing the federal democratic republic system.
We will strive to end discrimination of all kinds and endeavor to build a just and equitable society.
It has been our priority to make public administration competent and efficient as well as ensure quality service delivery to the people.
The policies and actions of this government are guided by our strong commitment to good governance, the rule of law and participatory democracy.
We uphold zero-tolerance policy against corruption and aim to ensure transparency and accountability at all levels.
We are committed to bringing our successful, unique and home-grown peace process to a logical conclusion.
We attach high importance to consolidation of peace, reconciliation and harmony in society and reaffirm our commitment to conclude the remaining task of the transitional justice process and provide justice and reparation to the victims of the conflict.
The Comprehensive Peace Accord, the directives of the Supreme Court, and relevant international commitments, as well as the concerns of the victims, will guide our endeavors towards this end.
Having come through the course of successful peace process, I can assure our partners that Nepal can conclude the process of transitional justice in equally unique way based on the above parameters.
It is with this objective in mind, the amendment Bill to The Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, has been tabled in the Parliament and there is a consensus among major political parties in the Parliament to pass the Bill at the earliest.
The amendment proposal has adopted a victim-centric approach and recognizes reparation as a right of the victim.
I assure you that there will be no blanket amnesty in cases of serious violation of human rights.
Now, let me briefly touch upon the current economic situation and the challenges we face.
As you all are aware, over the past few years, the global economy has faced a series of challenges and uncertainties.
The cumulative impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption in the supply chain of foods, fertilizers, fuel and other essential goods has hit all of us, and more particularly the poorest and vulnerable and risked backsliding of our development gains.
Despite manifold challenges, our economy is showing a positive sign of improvements in the external sector.
The liquidity crunch is being gradually relaxed, and the interest rate is in a declining trend.
However, economy-wide progress is yet to be achieved. We need to redouble our efforts in all three sectors- agriculture, manufacturing and services, to achieve desired growth target.
Meeting the targets of revenue collection and capital expenditure has become difficult.
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