Democracy For Nepal: 5 Point Agreement

Monday, February 20, 2006

5 Point Agreement

10 Point Agreement To Succeed 12 Point Agreement
Possible Framework For A Negotiated Resolution

The Maoists are for a roundtable conference of the three forces. It is the king who has not come around to the idea. So I am imagining that roundtable conference. If it were upto me, the agreement would read as follows.

5 Point Agreement

Today, the main desire of most Nepalis is to have democracy, peace, prosperity, social upliftment and an independent and sovereign Nepal. Without the establishment of complete democracy there will be no peace, progress and prosperity in the country.
The seven party alliance, the Maoists and the king are committed to a constituent assembly elections to which will be held by an interim government functioning under an interim constitution that will make the interim prime minister the Commander In Chief of the army. Other parties represented in the last parliament will be invited to be part of the interim government. Krishna Prasad Bhattarai is to be the interim prime minister. Before the Maoists are invited to join the interim government, the two armies in the country are to be dismantled through external mediation and foreign aid from the mediating international powers is to be sought to provide a smooth transition for the soldiers in both armies into the civilian economy. It is hoped this will also facilitate the reintegration of the two factions of the Congress, the three factions of the RPP and the two factions of the Sadbhavana.

The constituent assembly will be 300 representatives elected from constituencies of roughly equal population, roughly circular or square in shape, not respecting any of the administrative boundaries in the country. The assembly will be given six months to shape a democratic constitution for the country, and such a document is to be put to a referendum. Upon accepted by the people, it becomes the supreme law of the land.

The constituent assembly will decide on all issues except the issue of a constitutional monarchy. The constitutional monarchy will stay protected, the guarantee resting with the Supreme Court. However, the constituent assembly may draw a constitution that will allow the next parliament to abolish the monarchy with a 75% vote.

A Truth And Reconciliation Commission is to be set up that is to let all victims of the 10 year civil war a voice, but this is to be a healing rather than a judicial process. General amnesty is to be granted to the warring parties.

Rationale

Ditch the House revival idea. You will notice there is no mention of the idea of House revival. One, there is no provision in the 1990 constitution for such a revival. That 1990 constitution is dead anyway. Two, there has to be some give and take, and the seven party alliance has to be more flexible than the other two camps in the spirit of the democratic spirit. Three, House revival as the starting point for all future developments makes the royal camp jittery. If the monarchy is to be reorganized or eliminated, it is natural they might want to have a say in the process. Finally, House revival is about going backward, constituent assembly is about going forward.

Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. He could soothe nerves in all three camps like no other person.

Dismantle the two armies. Having two standing armies before the country goes through elections to a constituent assembly is out of question. Integrating the two armies would be highly problematic. They have been at each other's throats. Both armies are bloated. It would be too big an army, too expensive. Nepal is not about to go to war with either India or China, ever. A poor country needs to be spending on education and health, not on defense. Both are Pahadi armies while Madhesis are half the population. Neither have the looks of a national army. It is social justice to dismantle both.

300 constituents of roughly equal population. That is the demcratic way, the one person one vote way.

Don't End The Monarchy Now. They say pick your fights. Taming the army and ending the monarchy all at once is a little too ambitious. Besides, it is for the people to decide where they stand on the monarchy. And it is worth it to compromise with the monarchy on this issue. Even if they stay on, they will never be able to wage another attack on democracy ever again. On the other hand, the monarchy could come to an end, but only during stage three. There is plenty of other work to be done during stages one and two. The 75% vote margin is not too high. Just the seven party alliance is 90% strong. To that you could add the Maoists in the next parliament. If all of them want the monarchy gone, it will be gone. Only that will be a non convulsive way of ending the monarchy. If the monarchy does not even have a 25% popularity in the country, it does not deserve to stick around. On the other hand, by the time there is peace and total disarmament, and a new constitution, and a new parliament, and full fledged democracy, by then most of the parties might no longer have any anger left with the monarchy, and the monarchy might stay on. But I am neutral. I think it is for the Nepali people to decide where they stand. I am not even interested in swaying public opinion one way or the other. I do not want to look down upon Nepalis who might have an affection for the monarchy any more than I want to look down upon Hindus who worship idols. I am not a Hindu. On the other hand, I am not up for putting up with a monarchy that might impose itself upon a people.

Trusting the roadmap, not the Maoists. As to if they are really for multi-party democracy or not, I don't want to trust them. I want a roadmap that I can trust. And this roadmap is it. There is little room for later Maoist revisions.

5 Point Agreement, Version 2

When Chairman Gyanendra and Chairman Prachanda are to meet for the first time, they are to greet each other with high fives.

There is to be a clear upper limit to the state budget allocation for the interim prime minister's paan and related expenses.

Hridayesh Tripathy and Badri Mandal are to attempt to get back on talking terms.

Girija Koirala is to be given a maximum 10 years more in active politics, beyond which he must retire.

Manisha Koirala is to be "used" to encourage a large electoral participation during the run up to the elections to the constituent assembly.

The Ball Is In The King's Court

Either the king take the initiative for a roadmap like this one, or he face a decisive showdown that will sweep the monarchy off the national scene. I think that is where we are headed.

In The News

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Nepal courts free 17 leaders after royal crackdown ABC Asia Pacific
Nepal's Supreme Court orders royal government to release 37 ... Contra Costa Times
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Harmony: Canada’s foreign minister speaks on Nepal
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CPN(UML): open letter to Mr. Ian Martin
Ten years of Maoist insurgency

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Dr. Tulsi Giri Explains The Royal Message

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20 February