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Statement
of Ian Martin, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General
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Kathmandu
12 February 2007 (UNMIN)
I
had to begin my last press briefing by expressing dismay at the deaths,
injuries and destruction of property that was then taking place in the
Terai, so I am pleased to begin today by welcoming the dialogue that is
to take place between the government team and representatives not only
of Madhesi organisations but also of Janajatis. The United Nations has
stressed the importance of all groups, including women and Dalits as well
as Madhesis and Janajatis, feeling that they will be adequately represented
in the historic decisions to be made about the future of Nepal through
the Constituent Assembly. I continue to call on all concerned to promote
these legitimate demands through peaceful dialogue.
Throughout
the disturbances, UNMIN has remained focused on our core task of arms management,
and I have now seen for myself at Kailali and Surkhet the manner in which
this has been conducted. Our arms monitors, assisted by registration teams
fielded by UNDP, are working in excellent cooperation with the Interim
Task Force and the commanders of the Maoist cantonment sites. Yesterday
I reported the totals of arms and combatants registered at the three western
cantonment sites to political representatives of the Government and the
CPN(M), and this morning General Wilhelmsen reported these totals to the
JMCC. Today the registration teams are traveling to the east, where the
road blockades have contributed to some delay in making all arrangements
at the main cantonment sites. But we have developed plans which should
allow us to complete, by the end of this week, the registration of all
weapons as well as the first stage of the registration of combatants. We
will then report the full totals to the Government and the CPN(M) leadership
and discuss with them how to make them public.
I
am satisfied with the arrangements I saw for the storage and monitoring
of weapons at Kailali and Surkhet. The system is essentially the same as
at other cantonments, with a 24-hour presence of the Interim Task Force
and UN arms monitors living on site. During this week we will test the
installation of 24-hour closed-circuit television surveillance. An urgent
issue is the safe disposal or storage of improvised explosive devices -
mostly socket bombs - as well as the dismantling of Nepal Army minefields,
and we now have two UN experts advising us and beginning discussions with
the parties about how to proceed.
What
I am not satisfied with is the conditions for those living at the cantonment
sites, in terms of shelter, sanitation and access to basic services such
as water and electricity. This is not a matter of direct UN responsibility,
but it will have a serious impact on our work if there are not rapid improvements.
I have conveyed this to Government and Maoist leaders with my own suggestion
as to how this should be addressed on an emergency basis.
This
weekend seven more UN arms monitors arrived, from Uruguay and Romania,
bringing the current total to 48 UN monitors working with the support of
the ITF. We expect the number of UN monitors to climb to 66 by the end
of this week, with arrivals from Brazil, the Republic of Korea, Sierra
Leone, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and to reach 80 in total by
the end of February. Once new arrivals complete their training they will
add to our capacity to make visits and inspections. The vehicles we urgently
need for our mobility have been delayed in their transit from India by
the situation in the Terai, but we expect a convoy to come to Kathmandu
this week with approximately 80 vehicles. The first two of our helicopters
will be making their first test flights today and will be operational once
all safety procedures are in place.
The
agreement of the eight parties regarding extra seats for Terai constituencies
must not allow us to forget that this and other aspects of the electoral
arrangements have to be fully worked out so that they can be incorporated
in electoral legislation, which is urgently needed to make feasible the
timetable for the Constituent Assembly election. In that regard, I would
urge the political parties to heed the very timely call of the Chief Electoral
Commissioner for urgent decisions and action in approving much needed legislation,
taking into account the need to address legitimate demands for inclusion.
UNMIN
has continued to make available its assistance to the Electoral Commission
in the drafting of this legislation, as well as with other elements of
elections preparations. We now have 12 electoral advisers here, and the
first of five regional advisers has been deployed to Biratnagar. The Electoral
Commission tells us that difficulties in updating the voter rolls in some
districts, particularly in the Terai, can be overcome, but I am concerned
at reports of some local seizures of voter rolls. The Election Commission
has no power to act outside the law. The case for the law to be amended
to ensure greater inclusion is a matter to be pursued by members of the
interim legislature, which now includes Maoist representatives -- not by
party cadres taking the law into their own hands.
The
United Nations can only regard an electoral process as credible if people
of all opinions are able to organize and campaign free of violence or intimidation.
The UN played a role in defending that right during the People's Movement,
and we intend to do so just as uncompromisingly in the period to the Constituent
Assembly election. I am therefore extremely concerned at reports of attacks
on two political parties seeking to exercise their rights in Lamjung and
Tanahun Districts, respectively, on Saturday. UNMIN and OHCHR will be closely
monitoring the extent to which all parties respect the rights of others,
but I also call again for the parties to agree on an effective independent
national monitoring body with which we can work.
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Location:
Chitwan, Nepal
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Source:
UNMIN 2007
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