Govt likely to withdraw decision on conflict-era land deals

KATHMANDU, Jan 26: The government is likely to revoke its decision to legalize conflict-era land transactions carried out by the then Maoist ´people´s government´, following demands from the ruling United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), an alliance of five Madhes-based parties, and the opposition parties.



The government has come under pressure after the UDMF leaders asked the prime minister on Wednesday to resolve the row over the cabinet decision in consultation with the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML.[break]



The UDMF, which has already demanded revocation of the decision of the cabinet participated by its ministers, sought an early resolution to the controversy over the decision during its meeting with the prime minister and Maoist leaders at the prime minister´s official residence at Baluwatar on Wednesday evening.



“We urged the prime minister and the Maoist leadership to immediately address the ongoing row over the government´s recent decision to legalize the land transactions carried out by the then Maoist´s ´people´s government´ during the insurgency, through political consensus,” said Vice-chairman of Sadbhawana Party Laxmanlal Karna, one of the participants of the meeting.



In response, the prime minister and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told them that they would hold talks with the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML on Thursday to forge consensus on the issue.



“We will hold talks with the NC and the UML tomorrow (Thursday) regarding the cabinet´s decision to legalize the land transactions and will come to a conclusion,” Karma quoted Bhattarai and Dahal as saying at the meeting.



A UDMF meeting on Sunday had demanded that the government withdraw the cabinet decision to legalize conflict-era property deals stating that the government must take any decision as per the existing laws.



In addition, the Madhesi leaders also expressed concern over the stalemate in the peace process and urged the prime minister to call a meeting of the Special Committee in his capacity as the head of the government-formed all-party mechanism that is responsible for the management of the Maoist combatants.



According to Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Dan Bahadur Chaudhary, who attended the meeting at the prime minister´s residence, the Madhesi leaders were of the view that the twin tasks of peace process and constitution writing should not be stalled under any pretext.



At the Wednesday´s meeting, Prime Minister Bhattarai also assured the Madhesi leaders that he would call a meeting of the Special Committee on Thursday to discuss resumption of the peace process.

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