By IANS
Kathmandu : The world has begun expressing concern at Maoists continuing their attack on supporters of King Gyanendra and Nepal’s biggest private media house, saying the legitimacy of the ruling parties would come under question if they failed to take action.
The European Union envoys in Nepal said they were concerned by the public security situation in Nepal.
In a joint statement Wednesday, the EU heads of mission have asked the Maoists to stop “parallel law enforcement”.
“The EU is concerned by reports of harassment against those mentioned in the Rayamajhi Commission,” the statement said. “As in any democracy, it is the responsibility of the judiciary to rule on what action is necessary against those alleged to have broken the law. We urge all parties to respect the rule of law and disband parallel law enforcement.”
The call came after the Maoists began an “anti-corruption” campaign targeting ministers and officials of the royal regime.
Dozens of young men began hanging up banners with derogatory slogans near the royalists’ residences and urging their neighbours to boycott them.
They also displayed cartoons that lampooned royalist ministers.
Though the campaign is now in its third day, the government has so far not done anything to stop it.
Former US president Jimmy Carter’s Carter Center, that will monitor the November election at the request of the Nepal government, also came down heavily on the activities of the rebels, especially their plan to disrupt election proceedings.
It said it was receiving reports of Maoists obstructing voter awareness programmes, seizing voter education materials and harassing political rivals.
“This behaviour is unacceptable,” it said in a statement Wednesday. “While the electoral process is only one part of the larger peace process, the Maoists’ actions do not instil faith in the Nepali people and call into question their dedication to peace and democracy.”
Both the INGO and EU have also flayed the Maoists’ ongoing war on the Kantipur group.
Kantipur, Nepal’s largest selling daily, and its sister concern, the Kathmandu Post, stayed off the stands for the third day in a row Wednesday after Maoist-supported trade unionists vandalised the dailies’ printing press and intimidated employees in Kathmandu as well as in its offices in Biratnagar and Bharatpur.
“The attack and continuing threats made on Kantipur print and television media by a Maoist-affiliated trade union is an incursion on press freedom, a principle explicitly agreed to by the Maoists in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the interim constitution,” the Carter Center said.
“The Maoist leadership has an obligation to publicly condemn and stop this activity.”
While the EU called for peaceful arbitration, the Carter Center said it was also concerned by the government’s “reluctance” to fulfil its own obligations, which had “exacerbated the current environment of mistrust”.
“All involved parties should focus on their collective responsibility to reach timely, thoughtful decisions that best serve the interests of the Nepali people,” the American organisation said. “The legitimacy of all parties will be in question if such action is not taken promptly.”