For nearly two years the bill on formation of the two commissions has been pending in parliament as the major political parties remained divided over amnesty for those involved in human rights violations and other grave crimes.[break]
"We agreed that the TRC will be entrusted with uncovering the truth and working on reconciliation, reparations and pardons. The commission will also decide whether or not any culprit can be granted pardon, taking into consideration the consent of the victim also," CPN-UML Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam told reporters while emerging from the three-party meeting held at Singha Durbar, Friday.
NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel, echoing Gautam, said that the commission will take the initiative to file cases against those involved in serious crimes that cannot be pardoned.
The meeting tasked three leaders -- Khim Lal Devkota of UCPN (Maoist), Ramesh Lekhak of NC and Agni Kharel of CPN-UML -- with the responsibility of finalizing the draft bills on formation of the two commissions and submitting them to a top leaders´ meeting on Saturday. "They will come up with the drafts at the meeting tomorrow [Saturday] and the documents will be endorsed there," said Paudel.
Leaders involved in the talks said they have agreed to first leave it to the victims to pardon the culprits. If the case is not settled between victim and culprit, the TRC will then take it up and decide whether or not a pardon is possible.
Earlier, the party leaders were for categorizing crimes that can or cannot be pardoned. And the leaders disputed for long over the nature of the crimes to be pardoned.
"Now, the role of the commission will be very crucial, and decisive," said a leader involved in the talks.
The leaders have agreed that these will be high-level commissions comprising eminent persons such as retired Supreme Court justices as members.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has touted the agreement as a very important milestone in the ongoing peace process.
"It was long overdue and there was debate whether we should go for a reconciliatory or a punishment model. We have now finally settled this row in consensus," the prime minister announced at a function in Kathmandu.
NC President Sushil Koirala, however, reiterated that there shouldn´t be blanket amnesty for those involved in serious crimes. Allaying the worry of the human rights and international communities, Koirala ruled out any possibility of a blanket amnesty for culprits in serious crime.
Maoist lawmaker Devkota said the parties have agreed on a reconciliatory model. "This model covers the commission´s responsibility of taking the initiative for amnesty, reparations and apology and recommending punishment," he said.
Leaders have been describing the formation of the TRC and the Commission on Disappearance as a major task in the ongoing peace process.
The bill on TRC and disappearance commission has been under discussion at the bills committee of parliament for some two years.
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