The 29th Annual General Meeting of the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) was held in Kathmandu on 14 November. The Annual General Meeting elected a seven-member executive committee for the next three years under the chairmanship of Bijayraj Gautam. The committee members elected are Lata Pyakurel, GIta Baral, Durga Karki, Keshav Sigdel, Bikash Acharya, and Bidya Chapagain. A meeting of the newly elected executive committee, to be held in the coming days, will decide the office-bearers.
The General Meeting passed contemporary proposals on the following points:
- This General Assembly expresses its sorrow over the human losses that occurred during the demonstrations carried out by the new generation on September 8 and 9. We pay tribute to all those who were martyred during the protests. We urge the Government of Nepal to conduct an impartial investigation into the human losses, arson, and looting that took place during the demonstrations and to ensure that those involved are held legally accountable. Since questions have been raised regarding the impartiality of the work being carried out by the inquiry commission formed by the government after the events of September 8 and 9, the General Assembly demands that it carry out its duties without biasness.
- We urge the Government of Nepal to ensure that the House of Representatives election, announced for 5 March, is held in a peaceful and fair environment. Only a successful election can help the country overcome the current constitutional crisis and meet the demands for good governance raised by the younger generation.
- We urge the Government of Nepal to launch a special operation and deploy the necessary mechanisms to control the approximately five thousand prisoners who escaped from Nepali prisons on September 9 and to recover the looted weapons, as these escaped prisoners and stolen arms pose a threat to social peace and the upcoming election.
- The issue of justice for victims of the armed conflict has not been resolved for 19 years.
The Government of Nepal is urged to take necessary steps, with the consent, dialogue, and cooperation of the victims, to bring transitional justice to a conclusion. - Freedom of expression is primarily supported by civil organizations. The General Assembly expresses serious concern over the increasing attacks on such organizations and their works in Nepal. The Assembly draws the attention of stakeholders to the fact that when civil society and the activities of civic organizations are weakened, it becomes difficult to institutionalize democracy.
