U.S. EMBASSY READY TO EVACUATION AS NEPAL'S KING PLANS FOR EXILEFebruary 15, 2006
KATHMANDU, NEPAL remains tense as the 7-Party agitation against the Monarchy gains strength and the Maoist continue to have success on the battle-field. Sources within the Palace report the King and his family are preparing for exile.
The recent Municipal elections proved to be a rebuff to the Nepalese King and have been denounced by the 7-Party Alliance, the Maoist, the UN and the International Community as un-democratic.
US Ambassador James Moriarty in a "Town Hall Meeting" for the American Community stressed, "the need for maps to everyone's homes", and promised GPS readings for all homes of US Citizens by February 20th.
"Things are going to get worse in the coming months so please have your "go-bag" ready so that you can evacuate in a minutes notice", the Ambassador warned and described the situation in Nepal as , "a mess and getting worse".
"The Maoist may take advantage of there being no government, and come in and take it over", cautioned the US Ambassador.
The Ambassador said the Maoist are threatening Nepalese employees of the US Gov., as well as Nepalese in US funded projects.
On February-1, 2005, King Gyanendra suspended all civil and democratic rights in Nepal and has ruled with an Iron-Fist from the throne. Journalist, peace and trade union activist, representatives of civil-society, and members and supporters of the 7-Party Alliance have been beaten, arrested, brutalized on a daily basis.
Human-Rights Organizations and the UN have condemned the Nepalese King and the RNA ( Royal Nepalese Army) for Crimes Against Humanity and demanded a return to Constitutional Democracy .
The US, a major arms supplier, and trainer of the RNA has steadfastly condemned any peace-talks between the Maoist insurgents and the 7-Party Alliance, while paying lip-service to peace.
A Senior US Military advisor, retired Army Lieutenant General Edwin P. Smith, President of the Honolulu-based Asian Pacific Center for Security Studies was rushed to Kathmandu last month to access the deteriorating situation. Without US arms and aid the Kingdom would be bankrupt. Economist estimate that after June there will be no possibility of paying civil-servants and the 150,000 strong RNA and police.
The Maoist have threatened the King with execution for, "crimes against the Nepali people".
It is not if, but when King Bir Bikhram Shah will leave the Himalayan Kingdom for exile. The major question is, will the Rana controlled RNA support the New Republic and allow the Maoist to lay down their arms and join the 7-Party Alliance in democratic elections, or will the RNA continue to suppress the democratic aspirations of the Napali people?
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D.MICHAEL VANDEVEER Freelance Journalist (SAJA), contributor to Pacifica's Free Speech Radio News & United We Blog (Voice of Democratic Nepal) Host OUT OF THE BOX KKCR-FM www.kkcr.org , P.O. Box:21218 Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Possible Framework For A Negotiated Resolution (February 5, 2006)King's Peace Overture To Maoists: Fake Or Real? (December 14, 2005)
The Lake Freezes At 32 Degrees Fahrenheit Like Magic (May 26, 2005)
Minister Pun for dialogue with parties
Minister for Land Reforms and Management and president of Nepal Samata Party, Narayan Singh Pun, has said dialogue with mainstream political parties is essential for initiating peace talks with Maoist rebels.
Speaking at a face-to-face programme organised by the Reporters Club on Wednesday, Pun said, “Parliamentarian parties are the closest political forces to the government. They must support the government's roadmap to restore peace and initiate dialogue with the Maoists.”
He said he would not compromise with anybody at the cost of the multi-party democracy.
Pun, a member of government’s talks team during the last round of peace talks with the Maoists, called on the agitating political parties to join hands with the government to find a solution to the crisis facing the country.
He further said that Maoist activities were like that of a terrorist group.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the central working committee of the Nepali Congress held on Tuesday concluded that the reinstatement of parliament was only the way out of the present crisis.
A statement released after the meeting stated that all must work for re--establishment of people's sovereignty and human rights.
The party has also welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court to dissolve the Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC), saying that it was a victory of people and rule of law.
Issuing a landmark verdict three days earlier, the apex court dissolved the controversial Royal Commission, declaring it as an unconstitutional body. nepalnews.com ia Feb 15 06
There are two things worth noting.
- He does intend to hold talks with the Maoists. But those have to happen second. The first round of talks will have to be with the parties. I could not agree more.
- He says multi-party democracy is sacrosanct. The rest is fair game. This is as open as open gets.
I am so sick and tired of the political paralysis, I am ready for some song and dance. If the king will come around to a constituent assembly, but not to House revival, and the Koirala Congress will not budge beyond House revival, I am open to the possibility of breaking up the seven party alliance to form a six party alliance. A six party interim government will do just fine.
I am willing to go one step further. Take a conditional constituent assembly. Divorce the monarchy from politics and the army, but keep it around, the guarantee resting with the Supreme Court, while the country goes into a constituent assembly to decide on everything else, with the next paliament having the option to abolish the monarchy with 75% of the vote. Right to property is a fundamental human right, just like free speech, so he would lose the crown, but keep all his property. And if the Maoists will not come around to this idea of a conditional constituent assembly, I am open to the idea of breaking up the rather loose Maoist-Democrat alliance.
A six party interim government commanding the army that will march on to a conditional constituent assembly will be militarily stronger than the Maoists, with none of the king's utter global isolation, and with all the political capital it might need from the Nepali people. The Koirala Congress will be forced to come along and participate. If the Maoists do not do the same, they will face both national and international isolation, only this time permanently.
The 75% clause is as good as a republic. If the seven parties and the Maoists were to gang up in the next parliament, they could abolish the monarchy, if that is what they want. So anyone may be as republican as he might want to be. Just don't blame me for vacillations and your indecisions. If you can't make up your mind on if you are for a republic or what, that is your problem, not mine. I have plenty of my own.
We Want To Stop Bloodshed: Prachanda (February 6, 2005) We are talking of multiparty democracy in a specific sense, within a specific constitutional framework. We are not talking about bourgeois parliamentary democracy. This multiparty democracy will be anti-imperialist and anti-feudal. In other words, only within an anti-feudal, anti-imperialist constitutional framework is multiparty democracy possible. That is why armed struggle is also necessary, and unity in action with the other political parties against the monarchy is also a necessity. The socio-economic change we are fighting for is against feudalism and imperialism and it is within the context of that struggle that we are talking of multiparty democracy.
If it is between a conditional multi-party democracy, and a conditional constituent assembly, I'd rather have a conditional constituent assembly. What about you?
The Titanic Be Sinking, And Girija Wants To Revive The House
House revival is be all and end all to Girija and his clique. If it is between a constituent assembly and House revival, Girija would rather have House revival.