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VOL. 28, NO. 24, March 20, 2009 (Chaitra 07 2065)
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Cold Shoulder
The relations between the Nepali Army (NA) and the government turn sour after the latter discards NA’s recommendation to extend tenure of eight brigadier generals
By A CORRESPONDENT
Within hours of the news reports that Defense Ministry had discarded its recommendations – something that had not happened in history – the chief of army staff General Rookmangud Katawal rushed, on Monday, to Shital Niwas and Singh Durbar.
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Nepal Army: Institution in continuity |
He first went to Shital Niwas to meet with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav who is the supreme commander of the NA. Subsequently, he met with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda.’
He first called on President Yadav at the latter’s office, Shital Niwas, to discuss the Defense Ministry’s decision and its ramifications. Katawal is known to have expressed serious reservation over the ministry’s decision saying it could create administrative complications in the army, especially in the promotion procedures of senior officials.
The eight Brigadier Generals, who will retire from Monday, are: Pradeep Bikram Rana, Pawan Bahadur Pandey, Kumar Budhathoki, Narendra Bahadur Rawal, Raju Pratap K.C, Ramesh Bista, Nara Bahadur Kandel and Shiva Poudel.
In a letter to the Defense Ministry on February 1, General Katawal had requested the ministry to extend their tenure by three years.
Meanwhile, during his meeting with Prime Minister Prachanda in the afternoon, the army chief is known to have complained about the ministry’s decision and urged them to reconsider it.
Brigadier Generals get retired after completing four years in the post, but the Army Act allows them to continue until 57 years of age provided the Defense Ministry extends their tenure. Most of the retiring Generals are said to be under 54 years. And some of them are said to be in line for top job in future.
This episode has clearly soured the relations between the Maoist-led government and the NA. As the row over the recruitment had just been settled, this new controversy is likely to strain the relations further.
The latest development is also said to be the fruit of cold relations between the army chief and Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal.’
Badal, who had publicly rebuked NA for going ahead with the recruitment, seems to have taken his revenge.
Meanwhile, the latest controversy has also kicked off political dusts. Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala accused the Maoists of increasing political intervention in the Nepal Army and the bureaucracy.
"The intervention is causing serious dent on their morale," Koirala said. He also urged the public to remain serious about this issue while urging his senior party leaders to come up with plans to strongly oppose such moves. In an informal meeting of NC central members held at his private residence at Mahrajgunj in the capital, Koirala said that the party will step up consultations with other political parties for this.
Earlier, the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday had settled the recruitment row by delivering a verdict that was satisfactory to both the government and the army. It upheld the fresh recruitments of around 3,000 in the Nepal Army (NA). The SC announced that the new recruits should not be stopped as they have already received appointment letters. However, the SC also issued an interim order to stop any further fresh intakes in the NA.
A full-bench comprising three judges resolved the difference that had surfaced earlier between two judges, clearing the decks for the ongoing fresh enrollment drive in the NA. Before this, a joint bench of Justices Balaram KC and Avadhesh Kumar Yadav referred the hearing on the writ to the full bench for the final decision after the bench divided over whether or not to issue an interim order to stop the NA from continuing with its recruitment. Announcing its decision after conducting the hearing on the writ against fresh recruitment in the NA for two days, the full-bench of justices Ram Prasad Shrestha, Khil Ram Regmi and Girish Chandra Lal said: "There is no point in issuing stay order against the task that has already been completed." "The documents presented by the defendants have proved the fact that a majority of the applicants have already received their appointment letters after completing the due procedure," said the full-bench.
