Political Synthesis Nepali Style

Mainstreaming Maoists

Some people think the Maoists could have saved the rest of us a whole lot of time and effort, not to say blood, if they had just picked up Madan Bhandari's book on Bahudaliya Janabad in the early 1990s. They are missing the point.

I don't know what exactly Madan Bhandari's Bahudaliya Janabad is, but it sure did not make the UML want a constituent assembly or end the monarchy.

I am not even thinking that the Maoists in Nepal will become like the CPI(M) in India, although that would be a great second choice.

Not Like The Seven Parties

I am not suggesting the Maoists should become like the seven parties.

I think the Nepali Congress has been so insistent on the Maoists giving up their arms because they think the Maoists are trying to become just another political party.

April Revolution

The seven parties did not see it coming, the Maoists did not see it coming. The seven parties had put forth a four day program. The Maoists had extended moral support to the same. Although as things built up, there was a rush to take credit.

There was this amazing degree of spontaneity to the whole thing. The scale of it was magical. It spread across the country like wildfire.

The magic that it was, the April Revolution has not yet attained its greatness. It has still not qualified itself to join the ranks of the big revolutions of world history, namely the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the October Revolution, the Indian Struggle For Independence.

Exporting Revolution
Nepal As A Cutting Edge Democracy

Something New Has To Emerge

I call it the European colonization hangover. The Nepali politicos are limited by what Karl Marx did or did not say, about what got written down in the British Magna Carta, or not.

I have been eager to draw in someone like Dr. Baburam Bhattarai into a debate on my Proposed Constitution.

In The News

Prime Minister asks Secretaries to present vision paper on civil service NepalNews a 10 year long vision paper to make the civil service more effective and to move in a democratic way. ..... The Prime Minister also attended Friday’s session of the parliament for a short time. PM Koirala did not attend the house session for a long time due to his ill-health.
To keep silent is the best for palace: Rana When asked if his party was responsible for supporting the king during the royal rule, Rana said though his party did not take part in the 'jana andolan,' it had indeed contributed in the pro-democracy movement. ..... alleged that the SPA was 'mad' with the absolute majority in the House ..... Responding to a query if his party was a monarchist or republican, Rana said it was a big question and that the central committee of the party alone would not be able to decide on it. ...... we are in favour of a federal structure, restructuring of the state and reservation for dalit, madhesi, janajati and women in the government and education sector ...... Rana said though he belonged to an elite, aristocratic family, agenda being pursued by his party was more progressive compared to the Nepali Congress or the UML. When asked about former general secretary of his party. Kamal Thapa, who broke away the party and joined the royal government as Home Minister, Rana said please don't ask anything about him. "He is a bad man. I don't see or talk to him," he added.
A lawyer proposes a whole new interim constitution central committee member of the Nepal Bar Association (NBA) advocate Tikaram Bhattarai has suggested what he calls a complete draft of the interim constitution....... barely gives any role to the king in the state affairs. And, it describes Nepal as a ‘democratic’ and ‘secular’ state and declares Mt Sagarmatha as the national emblem....... unfailingly incorporates most of the decisions, declarations and agreements made by the seven parties and Maoists and the House of Representatives ..... People’s sovereignty, citizenship by mother's name, elimination of the stigma untouchability, 33 percent reservation for women in all sectors ..... the government of Nepal must provide citizenship certificates 'on the spot' to all eligible Nepalis who have not received it ....... will address the problems facing the vast swathe of Terai population. ...... Right to life' .... ‘the freedom of choice of consuming goods for every citizens' are two new rights proposed ..... access to all information of public utility should be a right not only of the individual citizens but also of the media ...... the government shall formulate laws to take actions against people who have records of criminal offences or human rights violations before the promulgation of this constitution ...... empower the government to seize the land above the ceiling ..... the laws regarding the heir to the throne shall be as determined by the legislative body ...... the title 'Shree Panch' to the king, queen and crown prince or crown princess only and that the first child of the reigning monarch shall be the heir apparent. ..... earnings, benefits and perks to royal family shall be exempted of tax while the their personal properties shall be under the tax net. ...... an all-powerful parliament called Legislative Council ..... All constitutional position holders shall not remain in office until they are re-appointed to their positions within one month of the promulgation of this constitution ...... parliament “shall not be allowed to discuss the activities of the monarch unless it becomes a public affair or a matter of public interest”...... there will be seven appellate courts and the district courts will be empowered to look after habeas corpus petitions while appellate courts will handle all kinds of writ petitions. The authority to declare the state of emergency will be on the Prime Minister while referendums shall be held whenever necessary for knowing the public opinion on matters of national importance. ..... constituent assembly with not more than 350 members elected or chosen in a free and fair manner on the basis of inclusive representation. Citizens above 16 years of age shall have the right to vote .........
Katuwal appointed acting CoAS
NC, NC (D) must unite in changed political scenario: Activists With the possibility of the two factions of Nepali Congress (NC) heading towards reunification four years after their split ...... reunification drive between the NC and NC (Democratic) gained momentum after Nepali Congress President, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, proposed it during the party central committee meeting last week....... NC General Secretary Ram Chandra Poudel said that the parties must immediately be unified ...... central member of NC (D) Deep Kumar Upadhyaya called for joint convention of both the parties to declare party merger. ......
Nepal: Beyond Our Control - By Nischal M. S. Basnyat In the long term, neither the King, the political parties, nor the Maoists can completely control Nepal's political path....... It is not how Nepal uses its aid that is questionable but rather how that aid uses Nepal. ...... Since 1950 Nepal has had over 5 billion USD of aid. ..... by giving Nepal enough to survive but not enough to prosper, donor nations harm rather than further Nepal's long-range economic growth and political stability.....

Maoists abduct four, thrash one Kantipur Publications
MPs press for amended Military Act
South Block welcomes SPA-CPN-M steps to lasting peace
India to release Rs 1.6b in grants
Maoists prevent DDC contractors from collecting taxes
Mistura submits report to UN Secretary-General
India welcomes govt-Maoist agreement on arms management
घरेलु तथा साना उद्योग विकास बैंक 'संकटग्रस्त'
दिपायलमा दलितको होटल
सहमतिले राष्ट्रसंघ उत्साहित हतियार व्यवस्थापन सहमतिसहित सहयोगका लागि सरकार-माओेवादीले संयुक्त आग्रह गरेकामा आफू 'अत्यन्त उत्साहित' भएको राष्ट्रसंघले जनाएको छ । .... 'आज मात्रै हामीले दुई पत्र पाएका छौं,' मिस्टुराले न्युयोर्कमा सञ्चारकर्मीमाझ भने- 'पत्रमा राष्ट्रसंघले सघाउ गर्ने, चुनावी प्रक्रिया, हतियार व्यवस्थापनसहितका समान धारणाका पाँच बुँदे सहमति उल्लेख छन् ।' ...... सरकार र माओवादीले एक महिनाभित्र राष्ट्रसंघले काम सुरु गर्न सक्ने मंगलबार बताएका थिए । .....
माओवादीलाई मित्रशक्ति मान्न प्रस्ताव
माओवादीद्वारा मन्दिर जग्गामा खेती
साझा संविधान
नीति निर्माणमा महिला
बन्दुक र विश्वास
जनइच्छाविरुद्ध कोइराला जनआन्दोलनको बलमा बनेका प्रधानमन्त्रीलाई जनचाहनाविरुद्ध जाने कुनै अधिकार छैन । .... पुरानै सामन्तवादी राजतन्त्रलाई कुनै न कुनै रूपमा टिकाइरहने चाहना चाहिँ उनमा छ । .. जनताको चाहना गणतन्त्र हो । ..... जनता लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपालको खाका कोर्न अग्रसर छन् । संघीय राज्यका कुरा ल्याइरहेका छन् भने देशका प्रधानमन्त्री प्रतिगामी विचार बोकेर हिँडेका छन् । .... राजालाई स्थान दिने वा नदिने भन्ने निर्णय जनताले गर्छन् । गिरिजाप्रसादले होइन । यो प्रधानमन्त्रीको टाउको दुखाइको विषय होइन । गिरिजाप्रसादले त कसरी शान्तिपूर्णरूपमा संविधानसभा निर्वाचन गर्ने भन्नेमा पो ध्यान केन्दि्रत गर्नुपर्छ ।

UN Team Submits Nepal Report, Letters OhmyNews International, South Korea
ADB gives $55 mln grant for roads in Nepal NDTV.com, India Some of Nepal's 75 administrative districts are completely without roads. The ADB project will construct and upgrade 490 km (300 miles) of feeder roads serving 1.4 million poor and isolated people, most of them living in the Himalayan nation's northern hills.
Nepal peace edges closer but big hurdles remain Reuters the government and Maoist rebels agreed to confine their troops to camps, but hurdles remain over implementing the deal and over the role of the king. ..... The two sides did not spell out whether the rebels would be separated from their arms within those camps, as the government has demanded, or would retain control over their weapons. .... "If there is an agreement on political issues, the problem of arms can be settled easily"
Explore new opportunities with India: Envoy to Nepal Hindustan Times, India
Police claim Nepal politician-Indian gang nexus DailyIndia.com, NY The interrogation of an Indian mafia don has unearthed a nexus between Indian criminals and Nepali politicians with considerable clout ...... Sahani told them Ram Babu Jaiswal, a former municipal officer, was his man in Nepal. ..... Jaiswal belongs to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's Nepali Congress party and wields influence on party MPs in southern Nepal...... The police later raided Jaiswal's residence and claimed to have found a diary detailing his transactions with various Indian criminal gangs. ..... The arrests were given a greater political twist Thursday when the police produced Jaiswal in court and formally charged him. Soon after that, the police station and the chief district officer's office were stormed by dozens of Nepali Congress men, led by the party MP Surendra Prasad Chaudhary....... Birgunj police, who made the arrests, said they were being also pressured by the home ministry to free Jaiswal. .... Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who too belongs to Koirala's party and is a key player in the peace negotiations with Maoist guerrillas, heads the ministry.

Maoist Army Won’t Disarm Till CA Polls: Mahara Himalayan Times as there was no guarantee that the Nepali Army and the Palace would accept the people's verdict in favour of a democratic republic. ..... alleged that the government's proposal of "decommissioning the Maoist army and its weapons" was not a home-grown idea. ...... it was not the Maoists who first took up arms for a political cause. It was the Nepali Congress, which first took up arms in 1950, and then the Panchas took up arms in 1960. The CPN-ML took up arms in 1980s...... after sending the letter to the UN his party had already ordered the People's Liberation Army to confine itself to temporary barracks.
Five-point Pact Breach Will Be A Sacrilege: Sherchan "If the House can pass declarations beyond constitutional limitations, I can also do my bit as deputy prime minister" ..... it was wrong to pass the Successor to the Throne Act by the cabinet. .....Sherchan called upon the SPA to immediately dissolve the House as the SPA and Maoists both had agreed to reinstate the House for only three to seven days. ..... UML MP Raghuji Pant urged the Maoists to convince the PM and top SPA leaders for a republican set-up as the House was ready to pass the proposal by a two-thirds majority....... Deputy Speaker Chitra Lekha Yadav lambasted the government for not respecting women's aspiration despite making bombastic claims of giving 33 per cent quota to women.
UML Raps Govt For 'Inertia' On Peace Process charged the government with failing to deliver according to the expectations and spirit of the Jana Andolan, adding that it had failed to even provide adequate medical treatment to those injured in the 19-day agitation
Sujata ‘explains’ PM’s remarks on space for King PM Girija Prasad Koirala’s statement about space for the King did not imply an “active role for the king”. Rather, it meant making the king inactive by curtailing his rights gradually. Saying that it was difficult to end the monarchy immediately, NC leader Sujata said: “The Prime Minister made such a statement since there was the possibility of bearing great loss if the 237-year-long history of active monarchy was ended immediately”. ...... Speakers at the programme said that party workers are in confusion, as the party was not giving its clear view on monarchy.