Kathmandu
A man accused of murder and abduction during Nepal’s civil war is set to become the country’s Parliament speaker, officials confirmed on Wednesday, sparking opposition from civil rights activists. Agni Sapkota, a senior member of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, has faced several hearings in the Supreme Court after a case was lodged against him over the death of Arjun Bahadur Lama. Sapkota denies any involvement and has not been charged. Witnesses say Lama was abducted from his village in 2005 by Maoist insurgents and later killed. More than 17,000 people were killed, 1,300 disappeared and thousands were displaced during the war which ended with a peace deal between Maoist insurgents and government forces in 2006. Many former rebels now fill the political ranks of Nepal’s ruling party. Sapkota was the only candidate to put his name forward for the position of speaker after an agreement among senior party leaders. –AFP
