Conflict victims have accused the ruling parties of trading power on their suffering by signing a pact to give continuity to the government.

The ruling parties—CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist)—signed a nine-point agreement to give a new lease of life to the government on May 5, of which three points—3, 5 and 7—contradict the Supreme Court verdict as well as norms and practices of transitional justice. 

“Political leaders are selling our pains for power,” said Suman Adhikari, chairperson of the Conflict Victims Common Platform, “Justice to victims is never their concerns.”

The Platform, an alliance of 17 organisations representing victims who suffered at the hands of state and rebels, has demanded annulment of those points that challenge the laws and court verdicts.

The point 3 proposes to amend laws, point 5 authorises transaction of land on the basis of household documents during the conflict period and point 7 proposes an initiation to withdraw or give clemency on insurgency-era cases. The Apex Court at different occasions has already struck down these provisions and ordered the government to make the transitional justice process victim-centric.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons were formed after the court verdict, albeit without consulting the conflict victims to look into the conflict-era cases.

“After much deliberation, we decided to engage critically with the commissions, which were formed excluding us despite the court order, because we want closure to our cases,” said Ram Bhandari, general secretary of the platform.

“But leaders seem hell bent on depriving us of our  constitutional right to seek justice.”

Rights defenders fear if the nine-point agreement is implemented in its entirety, the transitional justice bodies will become redundant. The pact, particularly those

three points, allows the  parties to withdraw conflict-era cases, grant amnesty to perpetrators.

“The execution of the deal that contradicts with the Supreme Court’s verdicts will threaten rule of law in the country,” said Terai Human Rights Defenders Alliance in a statement on Wednesday. Arguing that the pact will promote impunity while

judicial supremacy, which is basic norms of democracy, will be collapsed, it has appealed all the stakeholders to oppose the deal.

The conflict victims and rights defenders also staged a protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar, demanding annulment of the point 3, 5 and 7 of the agreement.

“The government and leaders can’t impose their laws on us arbitrarily,” said Sabitri Shrestha, whose two brothers were murdered during the conflict. Maoist leader Balkrishna Dhungel, who was convicted of murder of her brother Ujjan Kumar Shrestha and slapped with a life term in 2010, still walks free.