Conviction of Former Nepalese Prime Minister

July 28, 2005

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesman

Statement by Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Conviction of Former Nepalese Prime Minister

The United States is disturbed by the July 26 conviction in Nepal of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and other opposition political leaders by the Royal Corruption Control Commission, an extrajudicial organization appointed by King Gyanendra after he imposed a state of emergency.

Acting outside of the Nepalese judicial system, the Commission served as investigator, prosecutor, and judge in this case, ultimately imposing a harsh sentence on the former Prime Minister for alleged corruption in the Melamchi Water Supply Project.  In taking this action, the Commission ignored the findings of the Asian Development Bank, the principal donor to the project, which examined similar allegations and did not find evidence to support them.

The United States continues to call on the King to restore civil liberties to the people of Nepal.  Unfortunately, the conviction of the former Prime Minister through an extrajudicial process represents another setback for the restoration of democracy.