Foreign Minister (FM) Ramesh Nath Pandey (File Photo)
Foreign Minister (FM) Ramesh Nath Pandey (File Photo)
Foreign Minister (FM) Ramesh Nath Pandey has said that the King’s roadmap to sustainable peace and security and reenergising a meaningful democracy has opened the door for national reconciliation.
Addressing a gathering of representatives of foreign media based in Kathmandu on Sunday evening, FM Pandey said that friends in the international community who are really interested to see a peaceful, stable democratic and prosperous Nepal will lend their valuable support to the process of national reconciliation by encouraging political forces having faith in democracy not to miss the opportunity in larger interest of the country and people.
Minister Pandey further said, “In multiparty democracy the representatives elected by the people on the basis of adult franchise are involved in such an exercise. When we seek national consensus within a framework for multiparty democracy, the role of the political parties becomes inevitable. It is the only democratic process on the basis of which can only be found a honorable national consensus.”
Such democratic solution makes election more essential. It is for this every objective that the country is all set to have all democratic institutions reenergised by April 2007 as committed by His Majesty the King, said Minister Pandey.
Defending the February 1 royal takeover of the King last year, he said, “The commitment of the King to find ‘honorable’ solution is deeply rooted in his conviction of political pluralism expressed in the form of multiparty democracy as can be understood from His Majesty’s insightful expression.”
“We are convinced that only by strengthening a meaningful democratic process, that is both inclusive and sustainable can best we defeat terrorism. This is the age of ballots, not bullets, and history is replete with experiences to tell us that bullet power has always been defeated,” Minister Pandey added.
It is well-established fact that it is not always easy for a country fighting the worst form of terrorism to strike a balance between the exigencies of national security and safeguarding the rights of the people, he said.
Coming down heavily to the media, Minister Pandey further said that the correct picture of Nepal has not been depicted in international media. The basic reason behind this is that whatever inputs our media provide to the international arena are often not based on ‘objectivity’ and in some cases do not confirm to professionalism.
It does not mean that every journalist is guided by certain political objectives. I have seen many journalists who are careful about their professional ethics and have maintained an independent way of analysis free of any prejudices while reporting events that interest them, he said.
Earlier, Home Minister Kamal Thapa said that some media houses were inciting Maoists and were being run by the remote control.
Alleging that there is full fledged press freedom in the country, Minister Pandey said that the Government is committed to see that a healthy media society to be developed in the country to adequately cater information need of the people.
He also appealed to foreign media to disseminate news that will give a positive picture about the country. “We in the government regard all of you in high esteem and Nepal and the Nepalese people too admire your efforts,” Minister Pandey said.