Democracy For Nepal: The Seven Dwarfs

Friday, May 06, 2005

The Seven Dwarfs

Seven political parties have come up with what they are calling a Common Minimum Program. The dialogue held was for days, but none of the discussions were made public. If they ended up saying the same thing they have been saying for a few years now, I wonder what it is they spent days talking about. Why could they not have done it in a minute? I believe they could have just nodded at each other, used some sign language, and put out a simple press statement: Same Old, Same Old. But no, they talked for days.

Their CMP: Revive The Parliament.

A parliament whose term has expired is a dead parliament. A sick parliament could have been revived, a dissolved parliament could have been revived, if there were such a provision in the constitution. But the parliament is dead. So is the constitution.

2005 is like 1990. This is not an election year like 1991, or 1994, or 1999. An interim government is the only option.

You can not accuse the king of dictatorial tendencies, and then turn around and threaten him with street protests if he were to not act dictatorial. Only a dictator could revive the dead parliament by playing god, because there is nothing in the 1990 constitution that allows the king to revive the parliament.

Basically you are asking him to repeat the extra-constitutional step of forming the Royal Commission to Control Corruption. I guess he could do that: revive the parliament. Supposedly he is above the law. So he could do just about anything. So you could ask. But you can not ask and then accuse him of being above the law.

So when you are asking him to revive the parliament, you are asking him to function above the law, beyond the constitution. I guess he could do that, if he really wanted to. But why would he want to? If he does not have to, if he can not according to the constitution. Let’s assume the king is someone trying to expand his personal power base. Then it makes no sense for him to revive the parliament. It is like Girija were telling him, Your Majesty, chop off your head and give it to me, please.

Another segment of the CMP: peace talks with the Maoists.

So these seven dwarfs want peace talks with the Maoists? They make it sound like when and finally the Maoists come to peace talks, something astounding will be revealed. The Maoists will propose Nepal go to the moon, and the seven dwarfs will ponder upon it.

Forget the Maoists, call me up, I will tell you what the Maoists will tell you. The Maoists want an all-party interim government that will hold elections to a Constituent Assembly. Is that news to you? Is this the first time you are hearing this? I am glad to be of service.

So a CMP can not possibly have reviving parliament and peace talks on the same page. Why? Because they are contradictory. If your sole focus is to revive the parliament, then you are sending a very clear signal to the Maoists that you are not interested in any kind of talks with them. And if they are not going to come to talks, Nepal will still have a civil war. The parliament will not bring the civil war to an end. It will give 205 individuals monthly salaries, it will give Girija a major ego boost, but it will not solve the number one problem in the country right now: civil war. Girija’s insistence on a revived parliament is like a stopped clock that is right about two times a day.

In case you have not noticed, Nepal is the number one hot spot on the planet right now. It is not Kashmir, it is not Palestine, not Chechnya, not inner city Chicago. The house has been burning. Desperate times ask for bold measures. Reviving parliament is not a bold measure.

The question is not if the Maoists will come into the mainstream. The question is will the political parties come into the mainstream.

When you go onto the soccer field, if the only thing you see is the ball and one goal post, you are not going to be able to make head or tail of the game. You have to see there are 21 other players, and another goal post, and a referee. Similarly the political parties will have to recognize all the players. They are still excluding a few parties. That is a no no. Invite all parties. And then recognize the two 800 pound gorillas in the room: the Maoists, and the king.

I used to think in terms of a Constituent Assembly. But I have revised my position. Such an assembly is like telling the king you might be asked to leave. That is like cornering him. What does a cornered cat do?

I think all political parties should come around to this proposal. The goal should be a co-existence for all the three players. All I ask for all players is that they make their opinions public on my proposal. Come participate in a public dialogue. We will talk back and forth until we reach common ground.

Wake up, Seven Dwarfs.

May 6