Here is some excerpt of James F Moriarty's interview published on ekantipur.com on 02/11/07 and its relation to current Nepalese Politics.
Q. Why has the US Government not lifted the terrorist tag labeled on the Maoists despite their agreement to join the mainstream multi-party democracy?
Answer: "The US has not lifted the terrorist tag from the Maoists because they are still acting like terrorists. Until the Maoists stop using violence and intimidation, they will remain on the list. Once their behavior changes and that change is sustained, we will be happy to review that status."
Relation: Security guards of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist legislators of the Interim Legislature-Parliament on Thursday were found to be carrying weapons while entering parliament. The Maoist guards were reported to have been carrying Chinese pistols with them. (Courtesy: ekantipur.com, 02/15/07)
Q. One of your recent statements had it that the Maoists bought plenty of worn-out and old weapons from India to lock them up. What proof is there that prompts you to make such claims?
Answer: "While I will not discuss sources or methods, I stand by my prior statement. "
Relation: Indian Army has claimed that a Nepali national, believed to be a Maoist leader, was arrested while purchasing weapons from the terrorist outfit Laskar-E-Toiba in the Indian state of Kashmir. (Courtesy: ekantipur.com, 02/14/07)
Q. Your Excellency, every statement you make seems to trigger a spate of debates, apprehensions and calculations from different quarters. How do you personally assess such situations?
Answer: "I welcome public debate and discussion. This is central for any democratic process– whether it occurs in California or Kathmandu. "
Relation: A gang of Maoist cadres attacked leaders of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and foiled their program being held in Besisahar of Lamjung district on Saturday.
Following the attack, 20 workers of RPP were injured – four of them quite seriously. Those injured seriously include Hemjung Gurung, president of RPP-Lamjung; Nabaraj Pahadi, president of National Journalists Federation-Lamjung; Gopal Lamichhane, central representative of RPP; and Hari Prasad Regmi, president of RPP-affiliated teachers' council. (Courtesy: nepalnews.com, 02/11/07)
Q. There are allegations that the US is trying to save the king. Is it true? What future do you see for the monarchy in this country?
Answer: "These allegations are absolutely, positively, and comprehensively wrong. The US position– which I have repeated numerous times and do so again here– is straightforward: The future of the monarchy is for the Nepali people to decide. Period."
Relation: Maoists here in Kavre VDC of the district Friday seized voters' list from the government team that arrived here for distribution of citizenship certificates.
Maoists seized the documents following a dispute regarding enlisting their cadres' name on the list. They forced government team members to enlist their cadres' names who were from other districts. (Courtesy: ekantipur.com, 02/10/07)
Students of the All Nepal National Independent Student Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) vandalised statue of the late King Mahendra at Mahendranagar Chowk in Kanchanpur district on Saturday night. The students of ANNISU-R, who had gathered there for a district convention, broke down the statue after the programme and hoisted flag of the CPN-M there. (Courtesy: ekantipur.com, 02/11/07)
At a time when the country is preparing to hold Constituent Assembly (CA) elections by mid-June, some 30 percent of the total national population has not even heard about it so far. Worse, only about 25 percent of those coming across the term have correctly understood the objective of the poll. (Courtesy ekantipur.com, 02/06/2007)
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