Democracy For Nepal: Time For Competition Will Come

Friday, July 14, 2006

Time For Competition Will Come

There are signs the political parties are already thinking of the distant future. If it were about the country's economy, that would be wonderful news. But instead they are doing basic arithmetic. They are angling to be bigger than the competition. The peace process can not afford that.

Power flows through the ballot box. You earn the hearts and minds of the voters. You can not force yourself upon them. And the voters are smart. They will know who to vote for.

Right now the total focus has to be to ensure free and fair elections to a constituent assembly. Until then there is no competition between the eight parties. Once that has been ensured, about two months before the elections, comeptition will start in earnest.

It is anyone's guess as to what will happen. A Himal survey from weeks back showed the UML had 19% support, the Congress 18%, the Maoists 11%, the Deuba Congress 7% and so on. But that is still in flux. All parties have plenty of room for growth.

A federal republic is the mandate of the April Revolution. Parties that do not come around to that mantra will be put at a serious disadvantage. That is what I believe. The two Congress parties could further slide. Likely all parties will come out for a federal republic.

It is not true the UML and the Maoists are competing with each other. That they are, but they are also competing with the two Congress parties. The way the two Congress parties are dragging their feet on the question of a federal republic, I think that allows for inroads by both the UML and the Maoists into their vote banks.

But all that at this point is speculation. The Nepali people will decide who will become Nepal's first president. I can only guess. The Nepali people will decide which party will emerge the largest.

Some people "accuse" the Maoists of holding mass meetings across the country and expanding their party organizations in the urban areas. I am flabbergasted. Should we not be happy that they are doing so? Is that not what we wanted? Is that not what mainstreaming means?

The Congress and the UML should not fear the Maoists. Instead they should compete. And you compete by offering better programs to the people. Neither the UML nor the Congress has formally adopted the slogan of a federal republic yet. And that is why the Maoists stand a chance of running past them to possibly emerge the largest party in the country. So if the UML and the Congress do not like the idea of that happening, they should come around to the slogan of a federal republic with gusto. You compete. You don't delay the peace process. If you delay the peace process, the people are watching. They will remember. They will punish.

Prachanda came out saying it is perfectly okay for the Congress to not come out for a republic. That guy is smart. He actually might like it if the Congress did not come out for a republic. That way he can claim a greater share of credit for the April Revolution, because it is so obvious that the mandate of the April Revolution is a republic. That way he can get more votes.

Right now the Maoists are beating the Congress on both the repubic question and the federalism question. And they are beating the UML on the federalism question. It is not too late for the UML and the Congress to rectify the situation. It is a free market of votes out there. The market will punish them if they do not. And might as well.

Focus on the peace process.
Command both armies.
Ensure free and fair elections to a constituent assembly.

All eight parties for now need to be having a single minded focus on the peace process.

The Congress Options

The Congress could get creative and work to emerge the largest party all over again.

Retire Girija. Promote him. Make him Ganesh Man.
Make Ram Chandra Poudel party president. And Prime Minister.
Unify the two Congress parties. Girija can do it if he wants.
Preempt the Sadbhavana agenda totally, Hindi, citizenship papers, federalism, everything, and offer a unification.
Organize a convention of the unified party and let it elect a new party president.

If the Congress could engineer this, they will have stolen the Maoist thunder. They will emerge the hottest party. But for some reason I just don't see this happening.

The two Congress parties can not even come around to the slogan of a federal republic. Party unification is a more ambitious undertaking.

And so you have the Maoists as the hottest party, the fastest growing party.

Chakra Bastola, Madhav Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Bamdev Gautam

I am reading news of the meeting of the top leaders, and these are people I know two way. I feel good about that.

No Constituent Assembly Elections Before Citizenship Papers

Matrika Yadav is right. Unless the six million Madhesis who have been denied the papers are granted them, the Madhesis should boycott the constituent assembly elections.

In The News

Informal meeting of senior NC, UML leaders and Maoists concludes; agree to effectively implement the eight-point agreement NepalNews Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, and the Maoists has agreed to effectively implement the eight-point agreement ...... the second round of high level talks between the top leaders of SPA and Maoists on July 21 ...... agreed to create conducive environment for all people displaced due to the decade long insurgency to return to their homes; joint committees will be formed in the local and central level in this regard....... committees comprising representatives of various political parties would be constituted to publicize about democracy up to the local level........ Sushil Koirala .. Ram Chandra Poudel .. Chakra Bastola .. Madhav Kumar Nepal .. JN Khanal and Bamdev Gautam .... Prachanda .. Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Agni Prasad Sapkota .. Anant......
Women rights activists demands citizenship guarantee to women Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) to formulate strategies for equal citizenship rights to all people born in Nepal ...... no one should be barred from right to citizenship simply because his or her father was unknown...... Regional Director of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Chandani Joshi, said the current transitional period is the best opportunity for women in Nepal to take greatest stock of rights guaranteed in the constitution....... President of FWLD Sapana Pradhan Malla said discrimination in issuance of citizenship to women have barred thousands of women from opportunities to jobs. She also criticized the House of Representatives for not including changes in citizenship provisions of the constitution in the declaration made on May 18 when 46 articles were declared invalid....... over one million people have been barred from citizenship because their fathers were killed unknown. But rights activists state the figure could be as high as four million. The problem is serious among the Madhesi and Badi women whose parents are not known or whose husband had died........ Access to banking services, political activities, government jobs, right to family, migration, right to own properties, social benefits are some of areas women have been facing troubles due to the lack of citizenship.
CoAS Thapa observes demonstrations of peacekeeping activities in Panchkhal the Shree Shumserdal Battalion (Peacekeeping Force) Sixth contingent, which is going to the African country of Democratic Republic Congo, and Shree Ranasinghdal Battalion (Peacekeeping Force) fourth contingent, which is going to the Carribean country of Haiti in a peacekeeping mission of the United Nations...... 1,600 army men ..... participation of Nepali soldiers in the peacekeeping missions will help to increase the glory of the country and will also contribute to the national economy.......
NRNA welcomes new budget to create conducive climate for Non-Resident Nepalis to invest their knowledge and capital in the betterment of Nepal....... The provision of dual citizenship will open doors for people of Nepali origin to make an active contribution towards the socio-economic transformation of the mother country ...... NRNA president Dr Upendra Mahato ......
High-level commission grills then Home Minister Thapa Thapa said all members of the erstwhile cabinet including the king was responsible for all that happened......... supporters of Thapa misbehaved with journalists and warned them not to ask unnecessary questions. They also chanted slogans in favour of Thapa...... suppression of the janaandolan and misuse of state funds during the king's rule....... ministers Khadga Bahadur GC, Roop Jyoti, Keshar Bahadur Bista and Prakash Koirala and DIG of the Armed Police Force Dilip Kumar Shrestha...... hinted that it might summon the then chairman of the council of Ministers.
Maoists continuing atrocities; tortures one on the charge of polygamy Maoists on June 21 brutally tortured Ram Malla, son of Bishnu Kumari Malla of Ghodaha in Devdaha-7, at their 'peoples' court' for a second marriage. ...... The family members of first wife had filed a petition at the Maoist court demanding action in the case of polygamy........ a member of the Maoist negotiating team, Dinanath Sharma .... acknowledged that there are some elements in the party, who are taking action against people due to their personal ego, which is causing harm to the party and movement. He informed that some party cadres are already in detention for doing so..........
Romeo and Juliet in Nepal’s Politics - By Laba Karki the former enemies, the government ministers and the Maoist supremo (Romeo), like the forbidden lovers from the feuding clans in the play, are now proposing marriage offers (or their eight-point nuptial agreement). ...... a political compromise and power-sharing between the former bitter rivals...... will it lead to a downward spiral path in creating a centralized, totalitarian regime that encroaches on people’s rights of speech, religion, freedom of the press, equality, and justice? ....... will likely give birth to a dysfunctional government with power concentrated at the centre and with little, if any, connection with the spirit and aspirations of the people....... Montesquieu, like Locke, believed in a republican government based on the general consent of the governed but not in democracy founded on majority rule. ....... Few political documents have influenced the world quite like the American Declaration of Independence, which owes its roots to the democratic theories of Locke and Montesquieu. This document in part declares, “…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” ........ the process of ratification of its constitution. ..... Massachusetts was the first state to draft the constitution in a special convention and submit the proposal for popular ratification in the many townships in the state by a 2/3rd majority....... Madison like Montesquieu also insisted on clear separation of powers and argued that one branch of government cannot become supreme over the others. ...... rather than develop arbitrary powers in the context of a particular political problem with its accompanying drama, passion, and paranoia.......
NC seeks suggestions on interim constitution called for suggestions from the district party chiefs, general assembly (Mahasamiti) members, lawmakers and sister organizations of the party........ The party also formed a 15-member committee headed by the party’s Chief Whip in the parliament Ananda Prasad Dhungana to resolve the citizenship problem........
CMDP announces fresh protests; sit-in on Wednesday

Nepal rebels, parties to decide about arms Reuters AlertNet, UK
Nepali guerrilla asks independent existence of two armies People's Daily Online
Nepal cops arrest 2 Pakistanis, probe them for Mumbai blasts Hindu, India
Top leaders of Nepal’s ruling alliance, Maoists hold talks Zee News, India
Nepal left party wants more cuts in king’s purse Peninsula On-line, Qatar
Nepal price tag for peace: $2b Times of India
Nepal likely labor source for S Korea Kantipur Online, Nepal
Nepal Army Responsible for Kotwada Killings: NHRC Nepal human Rights News, Nepal
7/11 Terror Plotted in Nepal to Avenge Gujarat Riots Daijiworld.com, India
Ten good reasons to leave Nepal now Samudaya.org, AZ

Second round of SPA-Maoist 'Summit Talks' next week Kantipur Publications
Arrested Pakistanis remanded for five days, Indian CBI officials in Kathmandu
We will fight for a federal state: Badal Commenting on the recently unveiled budget by the Seven-Party Alliance government, Badal said that it was against the people's aspirations. The Maoists will oppose the budget by forming a republican front, Badal said. Badal was in Udayapur for a conference of the "eastern command" of the Maoists.
Robbers loot house in capital
Bihar CM for building dams on Koshi there is no comparison in the world to the degree of emotional relationship between India and Nepal. ......
Nepal likely labor source for S Korea
CMDP to stage sit-in on July 26
Pashupati head priest weeps at grilling they don't have any records of the cash and jewelleries collected at the temple...... news reports about massive embezzlement of temple funds by the mool bhatta and other priests. Shastri said he was taking the offerings at the temple only because he has to follow the tradition here. "There is no such practice prevailing in India" ..... about 50 Bhandaris (or priests) and their families were pressuring the lawmakers not to go against 'tradition'..... a record of 14 kg of gold and 892 kg of silver collected in the main treasury of Pashupati Temple during the past 45 years...... some of the lands belonging to the temple were encroached upon by the army, some were provided to the Marwari Parishad on lease and some others were occupied by golf clubs.
Maoist leaders still on Interpol's most wanted list
राजपरिवारलाई अगि्रम आयकर
माथिल्लो तामाकोसी मिलेर बनाउन नर्वेको प्रस्ताव ३०९ मेगावाटको माथिल्लो तामाकोसी परियोजना
..... करिब ३० अर्ब रुपैयाँ लागतको माथिल्लो तामाकोसी विद्यमान लोडसेडिङ हटाउन सक्ने र मुलुककै बिजुली सस्तो हुने एक मात्र सम्भाव्य परियोजना हो । यसको बिजुली उत्पादन लागत १.६ अमेरिकी सेन्ट -एक रुपैयाँ १२ पैसा) पर्न ..... 'हिउँदमा माथिल्लो तामाकोसी आएर पनि नेपाललाई सन् २०१५ सम्म बिजुली संकट छ,' .....
नेपाल-बिहार नटुट्ने साइनो
पुलको रकम माओवादीले लगे
लेखा समिति पशुपतिमा
माओवादीलाई सरकारमा ल्याऊ' 'सरकारमा माओवादीलाई समावेश गर्न कत्ति पनि ढिलाई गर्नु हुँदैन, बरु बन्दुक भिरेरै भए पनि सरकारमा समावेश गराइनु पथ्र्यो ।'
दोस्रो विवाहको आरोपमा माओवादीद्वारा चरम यातना

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