Kathmandu: Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has emphasized the collective commitment of all political parties to provide justice to victims of the armed conflict. Speaking at a national conference on transitional justice, which was organized by armed conflict victim-related organizations including the International Commission of Jurists, Deuba stated that political parties are aligned in their efforts to deliver justice as per the sentiments of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA).
According to National News Agency Nepal, Deuba expressed confidence that the conflict victims would receive justice, as the government has initiated the recommendation process for selecting office-bearers in commissions related to transitional justice. He reiterated the necessity of justice for conflict victims in accordance with the CPA.
In agreement with Deuba, Chairperson of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, acknowledged that despite differences among parties on other issues, there is a unified stance on advancing the peace process to its logical conclusion. Prachanda noted that the peace process could not be deemed successful until the conflict victims attained justice, despite calls for amnesty regarding conflict-era incidents.
Former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha remarked on the delay in delivering justice to victims despite political changes in the country, highlighting the need for adherence to the CPA.
Suman Adhikari, Founder Chairperson of the Conflict Victims’ Common Platform, urged political parties to focus on concluding activities related to the peace process and called for a transparent and impartial process in selecting office-bearers for the transitional justice commissions.
Additionally, Mandira Sharma, Senior Legal Advisor of the International Commission of Jurists, stressed the importance of forming a reliable commission to provide justice to the victims.
The conference saw participation from 160 conflict victims from across the country, underscoring the significance of the event in addressing the issues of transitional justice.