Jailing of ex-Nepali PM another blow to democracy:US

WASHINGTON, Thursday (AFP) The United States said the jailing of former Nepal prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for alleged corruption was another setback to democracy in the Himalayan kingdom.

Deuba was sacked as prime minister in February when King Gyanendra seized power to combat a Maoist rebellion that has claimed around 12,000 lives since 1996.

He was ordered jailed for two years Tuesday by the Royal Corruption Control Commission after being convicted in connection with the granting of a contract in a road building scheme which formed part of a 464-million dollar project to supply drinking water to the parched capital.

The State Department said the United States was "disturbed" by the conviction of Deuba and other opposition political leaders by the extrajudicial organization appointed by King Gyanendra after he imposed a state of emergency.

The commission was "acting outside of the Nepalese judicial system" and "served as investigator, prosecutor, and judge in this case, ultimately imposing a harsh sentence," department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

"Unfortunately, the conviction of the former Prime Minister through an extrajudicial process represents another setback for the restoration of democracy," he said.

McCormack said that in taking action, the commission ignored the findings of the Asian Development Bank, the principal donor to the water project, which he said 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," he said.