Tacitly acknowledging the role played by the media in ending King Gyanendra''s rule, Nepal''s new government has annulled the constricting media decree and other measures imposed by the royalty last year. However, another dreaded decree related to terrorism still remains in force.
On Tuesday, the new council of ministers held a lengthy meeting at Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala''s residence and agreed to immediately annul six controversial ordinances.
Besides the media decree, the other controversial orders include one that enabled the king to appoint unconstitutional administrators to consolidate his absolute rule, a second that sought to rein in human rights organisations and a third that began privatising national parks.
The new government said it was reviewing the other controversial decrees still in force.
However, the delay in annulling the draconian Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (prevention) Ordinance would worry human rights organisations as well as the Maoist guerrillas.
The king amended the decree last year so that terrorist suspects could be held incommunicado for a year, a cause of serious concern for rights activists in view of the high number of disappearances and torture in custody.
It would also displease the guerrillas who, after they declared a three-month ceasefire last month, want the decree to be revoked and their men released from prisons in Nepal as well as India.
About 100 people are currently being detained in Nepal under the decree.
After a mass agitation forced the king to relinquish power last month, the new government pledged to review all undemocratic ordinances issued since October 2002 when King Gyandendra dismissed then premier Sher Bahadur Deuba.
As the opposition parties, the media and civil society started opposing the royal takeover, the king began amending legal provisions to make himself more powerful and began ruling through a series of decrees.
The media, regarded as a major enemy of the royal regime, came under direct attack in October 2005. Private radio stations were banned from airing news, public criticism of the royal family was banned and security forces began raiding media offices, confiscating broadcasting equipment.
Journalists were jailed, editors were called to police stations for explanation and the government began promoting new media organisations that publicly supported the royal coup.
(IANS)
