Prime Minister and Chairman of the CPN-UML, KP Sharma Oli, President of the Nepali Congress, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Pushpa Kamal Dahal, were seen together on the same stage at a program related to transitional justice in the capital.
The program was a National Conference on Nepal’s Transitional Justice Process and the rights of conflict victims regarding truth, justice and reparation.
The event also saw the participation of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nepal, Hanaa Singer, Members of Parliament (MPs) and representatives of conflict victims.
All three leaders are scheduled to deliver speeches. This comes after the major political parties reached an agreement to form a search committee to conclude the transitional justice process on March 24.
PM KP Sharma Oli has said the government was committed to making successful the works of two transitional justice commissions.
Addressing the national conference on transitional justice organized jointly by the Accountability Watch Committee and the Conflict Victims’ Organization in the federal capital on Thursday, PM Oli said the works of the previous commissions on transitional justice would be reviewed rigorously. All sides should be aware and devoted to making further works resulted oriented, he stressed.
The Head of the government reminded that the bill on transitional justice was passed by the federal parliament on consensus in order to conclude the peace process, thereby ensuring justice and reparation to the conflict victims. The Act would be helpful to not repeat the violence, PM Oli said, adding that another recommendation committee was also
formed after the consensus among top leaders of the major parties to select members to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission on Enquiry of Enforced Disappeared Persons.
“All Nepalis want to forget the wound of conflict. We have ditched violence. Let us not repeat such activities. Let’s ensure justice to conflict victims,” he said, however, regretting that we failed to take the peace process to a logical conclusion even in 18 years. Now, we all should be serious to conclude the peace process. Action will be taken against those violating human rights, he vowed.
The PM mentioned, “It is not necessary to talk about observing the armed conflict as a ceremony or announcing public holiday. Such thing makes victims more victimized.” Stressing the need of support from the international community to take transitional justice to a conclusion, the PM shared that Nepal has been making efforts to find out solution in a unique way.
He also urged everyone not to produce unnecessary issues linking them to transitional justice. Transitional justice and the removal of an employee at government bodies are starkly different, according to him.
PM Oli clarified that the country could not backtrack from a federal democratic republic as it was established through people’s struggle and sacrifice.
Even as they seem to be on a warpath in recent days, the three top leaders of the ruling and opposition parties were seen on the same stage on Thursday.
In accordance with this agreement, the cabinet meeting held on Monday decided to form the committee under the chairmanship of former Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra.
