28/7/2006
Great efforts have been made in Nepal according to EP Delegation

“Great efforts have been made by the Nepali government, the trend is positive and there is potential for more”, said Neena Gill, head of the European Parliament delegation returning from Nepal. From 16 to 20 July, MEPs assessed the political situation following the country's return to democratic rule thanks to the engagement of millions of citizens in a people's movement and the establishment of an interim government on 2 May 2006.

In a resolution passed on May 18 2006, the European Parliament gave mandate to seven MEPs of various political groups to conduct talks with all the relevant forces.The delegation met with the Deputy Prime Minister, members of the government and of the restored House of Representatives, leaders of the Seven Party Alliance (the coalition forming the multi-party government), officials from the Peace Secretariat (a committee made up of MPs and NGO representatives) and of the Election Commission, NGOs and UN agencies.
 
For MEPs, arms decommissioning and demobilisation of combatants is a pre-condition to hold free and fair constituent assembly elections for drafting a new constitution. "No political party can go to elections with a gun on his shoulder," said Neena Gill. MEPs hope these elections will take place soon and they offered the Nepalese authorities their assistance for election monitoring.
 
The EP delegation takes good note of the Maoists' commitment to democratic values, human rights and the rule of law according to the 12-point agreement signed in November 2005 with the Seven-Party Alliance. But the CPN-M (Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists) should now, according to the delegation, fully renounce violence, stop extortion of money and abductions, end the enrolment of child soldiers and start disarmament.
 
MEPs also expressed their concerns on human rights violations during the people’s movement. The Government, and in particular the High Level Probe Commission, should not only carry out a thorough investigation into the April events but also into the massive violations of human rights perpetrated by all sides in the last years.
 
Another cause for concern was the situation of the 100 000 Bhutanese refugees who have been living in camps run by the United Nations since 1991.
 
The delegation headed by Neena Gill (PES, UK) was made up of Thomas Mann (PPE-DE, DE), Jo Leinen (PES, DE), Jan Mulder (ALDE, NL), Bogdan Golik (PES, PL), Eugenijus Maldeikis (UEN, LT) and Luisa Morgantini (GUE-NGL, IT).