PHA-Exchange> Timetable adopted by the People's Roundtable of August 26

[Mathura P Shrestha]

Dear All
This is the English translation of the People's plan (Timetable) adopted by the August 26 Roundtable. The timetable was a great success in generating confidence and public trust in their role and ability to push people's agenda for conflict transformation and in managing peace and national security. Please comment on the translation. Kindly circulate this as widely as possible - nationally and internationally. Unfortunately, ceasefire has ended. Yet we all hope that reason and just will prevail and the conflicting parties will come back to the dialogue table to settle differences and to agree on appropriate conflict transformation with appropriate sociopolitical changes in the country. Unfortunately, the government has reinvoked anti terrorist act and announced the dismissal of Facilitators. But we in civil societies will continue to recognize the existence of the same facilitators who will be successful, it is hoped, to bring the conflicting parties to the dialogue table and facilitate to resolve differences and bring them to political realization and to respect the sentiments of the people who want peace with conflict transformation.

Regards,

Mathura P. Shrestha 
PEOPLE'S PLAN/TIMETABLE

FOR

CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION AND LASTING PEACE FOR NEPAL

This plan (timetable) was unanimously adopted by the National Roundtable held at the International Convention Center, New Baneswor, Kathmandu, August 26, 2003. Altogether 488 participants from all 75 districts of Nepal representing different human rights organizations, civil societies, major political parties, facilitators and activists for peace and social justice actively participated the Roundtable. This was organized by civil societies. The theme was "People's agenda for conflict transformation".



  a.. Actions to be completed by end of Asoj, 2060 BS (October 17, 2003 AD):
  1.. Both conflicting parties should print in their gazette or principle official document and abide the agreed (by both parties) 22-point Codes of Conduct. They must formally circulate the codes of conduct to all administrative and military units, local governments and personnel under them with an order to implement them by letters and spirit and assure full implementation. Both conflicting parties should be committed to free the country and lives of the people from the culture of guns and subjugation. Any activities that would be suspicious to other party - like abductions, rape, illegal arrests and detentions without warrant, murder and torture in detention, so called health camps under armed escorts, derogatory behaviors against others - must completely be stopped.
  2.. Commissioning of an appropriate, autonomous and high-powered bi- or multi-partisan monitoring committee involving members of National Human Rights Commission and independent but reputed and established human rights personalities. This should include agreed formulation process, terms of references, targets, and development of infrastructure. Legal framework for this activity should be supported by agreeing to and signing the Protocol 1 on General Understanding and Implementation of Peace Process and Monitoring - Basic Principles and Provisions.
  3.. The state party should totally observe and implement all provisions of international agreements on humanitarian laws, conventions and declarations, of which Nepal has become party to, including Geneva Conventions and Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It should also assure all by abolition of all provisions in its national laws and regulations that run contrary to these international conventions, and take responsible actions to implement these in letters and spirit. Likewise, the Maoists should also assure all by formally declaring that they will fully implement all the provisions of these conventions and by taking credible actions to implement the provisions in these.
  4.. Both parties should declare and be committed to resolve the conflict by dialogue. All - the state party, Maoists, other political parties, civil societies and communities - should remain committed to political and NOT military solutions. Accordingly, all lines of communications should be kept open and understandings maintained.
  5.. Both parties should implement all provisions agreed upon previously. However, the contents in these agreed provisions may be changed after mutual consultations and formal agreement.
  6.. The political Parties, presently engaged in peaceful, united peoples' movement, and the Maoists should shed their rigid stands, be engaged in a separate or alternative, formal and transparent dialogue. They should come to a common agreement leading to the conclusion and formal signing of the Protocol 1(b) on General and Political Understanding on Political Actions, Peace Process and Monitoring - Basic Principles and Provisions.
  7.. Retroactive maneuvers (taken by the Palace) must be ended immediately and a democratic and parliamentary government be installed after reinvoking the dissolved Parliament, or by constituting an all party government empowered with executive power of the parliament after a formal consensus among all parliamentary parties of the dissolved parliament.
  8.. The government so formed should promptly declare that dialogue for peace will be continued and proceeded to implement it with a full political commitment.
  9.. The provisions to referendum and to prevent political retrogressions should be incorporated in the present Constitution with a vote of 2/3 majority in the parliament, or by exercising executive authority with the consensus of all political parties in the parliament.
  10.. Development of people oriented policies, plans and programs for the effective implementation of people related actions and services. Homework for conflict transformation and management should be completed with the help of a committee of experts, and appropriate policy strategy should be agreed upon and made public.
  b.. Actions to be completed by end of Paush, 2060 (January 14, 2004):
  1.. Both conflicting parties, with the involvement of experts, should immediately start necessary study, research and critical analysis to understand the root causes of the conflict in generic terms and appropriate means to conflict transformation in order to generate informed policy decisions and actions for necessary sociopolitical and economic changes involving multiple sectors and people. By this time, Protocol 2 on Basic Political and Social Principles and Actions must be developed, agreed and signed.
  2.. The question of Constitution Assembly or rewriting the present constitution must be settled. Necessary process and plan of actions should also be agreed upon accordingly and implemented. 
  3.. All the provisions of State of Emergency, Anti Terrorist Act and other clauses that are contradictory to the principles of human rights and against the interest of the people of Nepal should totally be annulled. There should be statement that no further attempt to invoke these anti people clauses or laws in future.
  4.. Respecting sovereign rights of the people and recognizing that the people are both source and creator of all political power, history and culture of Nepal, military, constitutional bodies and judiciary must be made responsible to the parliament elected by the people, and constitutional provisions and laws should be formulated and implemented accordingly.
  e.. Protocol 3 on Military and Security concern must be prepared, agreed and signed. Accordingly, national army and Maoist army both should restrict their military activities within their barracks only. Agreement should reach on either to disarmament of the insurgents or integration of insurgent army into national army or the both.
  6.. Conditions for the unrestricted political activities for all and in all places in the country must be made conducive.
  7.. Women should immediately be entitled to equal rights as of men in all respect and in addition they should have equitable rights in proportion to their population. For this crash programs for women development and wider sociopolitical participation should be launched and all parties should provide necessary political commitments and supports for that. Fifty percent of reservations set for women in sociopolitical space should go to the women of aborigine and indigenous community, and deprived or downtrodden population. 
  8.. Agreement on development of marginalized, deprived and disabled population and to ensure equitable rights in all spheres of human and political life should be outlined and agreed upon.
  9.. Gender and ethnic discrimination should be actively banned in all spheres and at all places, and discrimination should be made legally punishable.
  10.. Rights of the children should be ensured and implemented according to international conventions.
  11.. Consultation and agreement on progressive land reform ensuring entitlement of land ownership of the land-less peasants primarily the indigenous population, ethnic minorities and deprived class (including Terai population) of the respective locality of the land. 
  12.. Agreement on reconstitution of Autonomous or self governing Regions of Nepal based on scientific and historical basis, ethnicity and language.
  13.. Consultation and agreement on elected local self-governance concept and programs down to the village level. Accordingly completion of preparation and agreement on Protocol 4 on General Agreement on local and general Election Process and Governance.
  14.. Agreement on the reforms on judiciary and administrative systems.
  15.. Agreement on concept of equitable social justice with commitment to universal access to public services on basic human needs - health, education, employment or jobs, food security or food sovereignty, shelter and, clean and healthy environment for All.
  16.. Political commitment on human rights by both sides and agreement on active cessation of impunity. 
  17.. Agreement on rehabilitation and redressal of or compensation to the victims or displaced persons out of the conflict.
  18.. Formation of high powered Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate and prepare white paper on (or to list/register) all dead, victims, disappearances and tortured (by both sides), the perpetuators or culprits, and to recommend appropriate actions.
  19.. Agreement to ban land-mines and to complete all the processes and procedures for the formal accession to the international convention on banning land-mines.
  c.. Actions to be completed by end of Chaitra, 2060 (April 12, 2004):
a. Completion of political Round Table of all political parties including the government and Maoists, and national consensus reached.

  1.. Development and agreement on the Protocol 5 on cessation of War and Armed Conflict, formal declaration of the end of the people's war or armed rebellion by the government and the Maoists. Both parties ensure permanent peace.
  2.. Formation of all-party interim government including the Maoists.
  3.. Agreement on the election procedures and infrastructure development for the general election.
  c.. Actions to be completed by end of Paush, 2061 (January 14, 2004).
a. Completion of a referendum to have a public mandate on Constitution Assembly or Constitutional Reform.

b Completion of the election of a Constitution Assembly or the parliament or both. 

  3.. Completion of new constitution by a constitution assembly or rewriting of constitution by a new elected parliament.
  4.. Election of a new parliament and formation a new government according to the new constitution, completion of oath by the people and self-conscience, and activate people oriented governance responsible to the people.
  5.. Adoption of political agreements and understandings reached previously according to the sections 1 and 2 of this timetable by the new parliament and development of participatory governance with a culture of consensus building after proper political engagements.
  e.. Notes -
  1.. This timetable (People's Plan) could be modified after extensive consultations among, and after the agreement by the concerned parties in response to the public concern and interests.
  2.. The ceasefire or the condition of lasting peace shall be continued prior to and after this timetable is accomplished.
  3.. All concerned parties are to have a public declaration that peace will prevail and all would work for peace. 
Kathmandu, August 26, 2003 (2060 Bhadra 9).

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