JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
23 October 2002
- –Thomas Mann, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
- –Maria Carrilho, Robert J.E. Evans, Jean-Claude Fruteau, Margrietus J. van den Berg and Neena Gill, on behalf of the PSE Group
- –Bob van den Bos, on behalf of the ELDR Group
- –Reinhold Messner, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
- –Luigi Vinci, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
- –PSE (B5‑0547/2002),
- –GUE/NGL (B5‑0550/2002),
- –PPE-DE (B5‑0555/2002),
- –ELDR (B5‑0558/2002),
- –Verts/ALE (B5‑0560/2002),
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Nepal
The European Parliament,
– recalling its earlier resolutions on Nepal, in particular that of 13 June 2002,
A. deeply dismayed at the new escalation of violence and concerned at the disregard for life repeatedly shown particularly by the Maoist insurgents,
B. whereas the clashes between the army and the guerrilla groups have caused more than 3000 deaths in one year, especially since the lifting of the state of emergency, and whereas the deterioration in the security situation has led to the postponement of the legislative elections,
C. whereas the Maoist rebels are seeking to overturn the constitutional monarchy of the Himalayan state against the will of the majority of the Nepalese people and are demanding an end to the constitutional monarchy as a precondition for any dialogue, and whereas, since the beginning of the conflict in 1996, Nepal's domestic political situation has been further destabilised so that Nepal effectively finds itself in a civil war,
D. whereas the fight against guerrillas must not interfere with respect for human rights, which is the best means of guaranteeing the rule of law,
E. whereas, following a recommendation to the cabinet by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Parliament was dissolved on 22 May 2002 and elections were first called for 13 November 2002, but are postponed now and Prime Minister Deuba has been discharged,
F. whereas the Nepalese King Gyanendra has sworn in the former Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, as new Interim Prime Minister under Article 127 of the Constitution, to lead a government which is not representative of the parliamentary majority,
1. Condemns and calls for an end to all acts of violence, in particular those aimed at the civilian population and infrastructure contributing to the country’s development;
2. Calls on the EU Council to appoint a special representative for Nepal in order to offer mediation between the conflicting parties;
3. Calls on the EU to make its financial aid available in the light of progress towards a negotiated peace solution; welcomes the Commission's recently announced efforts to focus future EU assistance more closely on addressing the underlying causes of conflict in Nepal;
4. Reiterates its support for pluralist parliamentary democracy and the rule of law and calls for the promised elections to be held as soon as possible;
5. Underlines that, once peace has been secured, a major effort will have to be made, with the support of the international community, to find sustainable long-term solutions to guarantee internal stability;
6. Urges the Government of Nepal and its security forces to avoid all action which might lead to innocent civilians being victims of the conflict;
7. Believes that the fight against terrorism should go hand in hand with the fight against corruption and policies for sustainable and equitable development of the country;
8. Calls on the Government of Nepal to do all in its power to ascertain that international human rights and humanitarian law standards are being respected and, in particular, to guarantee internationally recognised legal proceedings for those who have been arrested;
9. Calls on the new Nepalese Interim Prime Minister, Lokendra Bahdur Chand, to resume the promised dialogue between the Government and the Maoist rebels, without preconditions from both sides; considers it essential that negotiations with the Maoists take place at an early stage so that they can be brought fully into the political process, and expects the Government to be more specific about the conditions for opening such dialogue;
10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Government of Nepal.