11.34 PM Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula is tabling the interim constitution 2063 for the approval of the house. 11.34 PM Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula is tabling the interim constitution 2063 for the approval of the house. Honestly, the great Bal Bahadur Rai is doing favolous job. It’s almost mid night and 80 plus year old octogenarian leader is reading the procedure paper finely. He just declared the approval of the constitution after no one voted against it. The meeting is now announced adjourned till tomorrow. Tomorrow is declared a public holiday.
11:14 PM Unbelievable it might seem Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara who is leading the Maoist party in the interim parliament, is on the rostrum. He said, “With the promulgation of the interim constitution, the beginning of an end of monarchy in Nepal has begun. It’s a declaration of republicanism in Nepal.” Maoist chairman Prachanda, with his deputy Dr. Bhattarai on his side, is listening. Mahara is the first speaker in the first meeting of the interim parliament after the members took oath from elder member Bal Bahadur Rai. Mahara said: “We have vowed from today that we will finish the progressive restructuring of the state of Nepal and its economic and social transformation in united manner. We will begin that from politically transforming it via the election of the constituent assembly. Let’s make it (interim parliament) a forum for constructing, meaningful and result orient debate… It is necessary we develop habit of working and moving together while engaging in fair competition.”
9:25 PM A historic and appealing scene is being witnessed in Nepal. Member of interim parliament, including Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, are jointly taking oath from the eldest member Bal Bahadur Rai. Maoist chairman Prachanda and his deputy Dr. Baburam Bhattarai are on the visitors’ gallery inside the parliament house to witness the proceedings.
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[A blog to express happiness]
January 15, 2007
Kathmandu
Hello World, (the Capitalist World, the Anti-Capitalist world, the Bourgeois World, the Proletariat World, the Anti- Proletariat World and all other Worlds in between!)
Maoist insurgents, without guns and grenades, have entered inside the legislature building
Dear all,
Putting behind their weapons in UN monitored cantonment sites (the process has started today) Maoists in Nepal have entered inside the parliament building in Kathmandu to attend the first meeting of the interim legislature. Less than an hour ago, people of Nepal via their representatives, promulgated a brand new interim constitution for the first time in the history. The interim legislature came into effect along with the interim constitution. Clad in brown jackets, 73+10 Maoist appointed members of the interim legislature were waiting outside the parliament building for formalities to get inside. Those who were fighting a violent war against the state of Nepal until a few months ago are now inside the parliament building. Yes, violent guerillas are now members of parliament. Today marks the beginning of a NEW ERA in Nepal that is bright and peaceful.
Signing off
A Nepali blogger in a merry mood 
This Is How Maoists Entered Parliament
By Bishnu BudhathokiKathmandu- The road to parliamentary democracy, for those living with guns and bullets for over a decade, can indeed be unusual. While preparing to enter the parliament building in Singha Durbar on Monday, the Maoists too faced a number of hurdles, that would appear funny to others.
* Maoist Chairman Prachanda, who probably had never entered the Singha Durbar premises before the peace process started post-April 2006, didn’t know where the parliament building was located. When Home Minister Krishna Sitaula reached the Parliamentary Party Office (PPO) of the CPN-Maoist, which is just a stones-throw away from the main parliament building, to call Prachanda and his deputy Dr. Baburam Bhattarai for a meeting with the Prime Minister at the latter’s Chamber in the Parliament building, Prachanda looked visibly lost. “Sitaula ji, where is (PM’s chamber located) and how can we get there?” Prachanda asked. Then, Sitaula led the duo to the PM’s Chamber where they held a two-hour long meeting, (regarding how parliament business is run) with PM Girija Prasad Koirala and other leaders of the seven-party alliance.
* At around 6:30 pm, after coming out from the Chamber, Prachanda and Bhattarai asked the PM’s security guards about where their own guards vanished, as they couldn’t spot them around. Dr. Bhattarai thought ringing their cell phones would help. As cellphone connections have been blocked inside the parliament building, his efforts proved futile. Furious, the engineer-turned-politician sought help from the PM’s guards. One of them went to the PPO and returned with Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who later led them to their office. After reaching the office, both Prachanda and Bhattarai, rebuked their security guards and asked, “Why didn’t you stay outside the Chamber?” In reply, Maoist guards said, “The security personnel of the establishment scolded us and stopped us outside the parliament.”
* At around 3:00 p.m., 73 Maoist representatives for MPs, including some of their supporters, entered Singha Durbar in a bus. Ten other non-Maoists, picked by Maoists for MPs, had already reached there at 2:00 p.m. After Hishila Yami distributed gray coats to most of the 73 representing her party in the interim legislature, she turned to the 10 “independents” staying in a separate room and said, “You ten members are free to wear or not to wear [these] coats.” Then, she approached retired Major-General Kumar Phodung (formerly of the then Royal Nepali Army) and said, “You represent the old establishment who is entering into a new system.” After Hishila retreated, Phodung expressed his displeasure at her statement with other nine members. “It is still hard to understand them.”
* According to Maoist leader Barsha Man Pun aka “Ananta”, Narayan Prasad Sharma, 78, from Dang is the oldest member in the interim legislature from the Maoists. He also added that the youngest was 25 years old. Seeing the young women lawmakers, a male MP of the dissolved House of Representatives quipped, “Seems like we will fall in love.”
* When it was time for the comrades to move to the main parliament building, an official with the Parliament Secretariat arrived at the Maoists’ office and led the soon-to-be lawmakers of the Maoists to the House. It was former Prime Minister and Chairman of Rastriya Janashakti Party, Surya Bahadur Thapa, who greeted the Maoist team led by Mahara before anyone else could do.
And, this was how the Maoists entered into the building from where they were declared terrorists for the first time in November 2001.
It Was ‘Grey Coat’ Day For Maoist Lawmakers
By Lekhnath Pant and Baburam Kharel
Lalitpur- It was 2:00 pm. Parliament session had already begun. But there was fast movement of people at the central office of Maoists in Kupondole. Some were visibly anxious and craning their necks to get a glimpse of something. Right at the moment, a taxi arrived. Some of them rushed toward the taxi, took away some grey coats and entered a room. They were the newly nominated parliamentarians of CPN-Maoists who were waiting for grey coats, a ‘dress code’, prepared by Maoists for their lawmakers. After about an hour, 41 Maoist lawmakers came out of the room in grey coats.
However, Maoist Central leader Matrika Yadav was in his own attire, representing the Madhesi community. “I am entering parliament in my own dress. I don’t think dress code is suitable at a time when we are entering another war of equality,” he said. Interestingly, the Maoist party had ordered Tip-Top Wear at Bagbazaar yesterday to prepare 67 grey coats for their lawmakers. The tailor, due to short notice, could prepare only 41.
A worker at Tip-Top, preferring anonymity, said they had to work on a tight-schedule to fulfill the Maoist order. “We couldn’t prepare all 67 grey coats because of power cut at night,” he said. 83 Maoist lawmakers represent their party in the interim parliament. Dharmashila Chapagai, a Maoist parliamentarian said their party had already decided to enforce dress code for them in the interim parliament. “The party wanted uniformity among its parliamentarians in the interim parliament,” she said.
Yadav, who looked visibly happy about entering parliament in the evening said, “Our party will give much priority to constituent assembly polls.” Asked, why Maoist leaders not only enforce dress code but also seem to be living a luxurious life, he said his party leaders have been using cars and planes not for luxury but because they were the needs of the moment. As Maoist lawmakers were preparing to head toward parliament in the evening, Lekharaj Bhatta, another Maoist lawmaker in grey coat, was standing alone outside the central office. “As it was difficult for me to recognize all my lawmakers, the dress code has helped me alot,” he said.
Hishila Yami, another Maoist lawmaker in grey coat was busy talking to foreign journalists. “It’s a new practice and we are committed to introduce ourselves through our good deeds,” she was greeting some foreign journalists at the office. Another Maoist lawmaker on his cell phone, was busy telephoning security personnel stationed at Singha Durbar where the parliament building is located. He was saying, “There will be three big buses, two motorcycles and eight to nine private cars entering Singha Durbar.” He was making sure Maoist vehicles would get access through security check at Singha Durbar.
Finally, all Maoist lawmakers, only 41 in grey coats, headed toward Singha Durbar in the evening.
