100 Reasons To Revive Parliament

1. For peace.
2. For democracy.
3. For peace and democracy.
4. To revive Zone of Peace proposal.
5. To revise Sugauli Treaty.
6. To sanction Trent Lott.
7. For global peace.
8. Because Siddhartha Gautam was a proud son of Asia.
9. Because Bhrikuti was the Light of Asia and her father's eyes.
10. So Prince Paras may play more rounds of golf.
11. So Girija may sleep better at night, at 5 AM, at 3 in the afternoon, or whenever it is that he sleeps.
12. So Madhav Nepal may become Prime Minister in 2015 or thereafter.
    
13. So Baburam Bhattarai may register his Note of Dissent without having to fear Protective Custody and Purification.
    
14. So Prachanda may sound intelligent.
    
15. So King G can be seen and heard at the same time.
    
16. So there can be peace in Palestine.
17. And in Punjab.
18. And Kashmir.
19. And Sudan.
    
20. And Tora Bora.
21. And Baghdad.
22. And Chicago.
    
23. So man may go to the moon, again, and women may rejoice.
24. So Hridayesh Tripathy can pay Rajendra Mahato's phone bill and Rajendra Mahato can pay Rameshwar Ray Yadav's phone bill and Rameshwar Ray Yadav can pay Badri Mandal's phone bill and Badri Mandal may rejoice.
    
25. Just because.
26. Because I told you so.
    
27. To enlighten Manmohan Singh on matters of economic importance.
    
28. To boost Laloo Yadav's kulhar scheme.
29. To boost the Rajib Gandhi Yuba Rojgar Yojana.
    
30. To perform for peace.
31. For planetary peace and progress.
32. So Girija may inaugurate the historic Tibet bus service and take credit.
33. So the menace of constipation may be tackled.
34. To wage war on mosquitoes to provide relief for patriotic Madhesis.
35. To place a phone call to Mao and see if he can do anything about Prachanda.
36. To call Kim Jong Ill.
37. To call Stalin and say it is urgent.
38. To build an international airport in Biratnagar so Girija may fly in and out more frequently.
39. So Sujata Koirala can go home to be with Daddy.
40. So Mahara may look and wonder.
41. So Rabindra Mishra and Baburam Bhattarai may go at it again.
42. To send a peace mission to Lhasa.
43. So as to call Mao, say it is urgent.
44. So Gagan Thapa may have the time and blade to shave.
45. So pickpockets may be released and politicians exported.
46. So Bijay Kumar gets to interview Amitabh Bachchan to revive his flagging career.
47. So CK Lal may write and be done with it.
    
48. So Hem Bahadur Malla and his wife can contest elections again.
    
49. For peace and security.
50. So Pyar Jung Thapa and his boys can "go home."
51. So as to facilitate Bidya Bhandari's defeat of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.
52. Look at the law and order situation.
53. To form a committee to look into the law and order situation and make recommendations.
    
54. To form a Royal Commission to Create Corruption to neutralize its evil twin.
55. Remember Pajero?
56. Why are there only a dozen members in the cabinet, as if the country had a scarcity of talent!
57. To implicate Hindi-speaking, Dhoti-kurta-wearing, Paan-chewing Sadbhavana workers in false cases.
58. To control ganja in Siraha.
59. So Prachanda may go back into the jungle from his suburban office setting.
    
60. I told you so.
61. Because Girija says so.
62. Just because.
63. Look at the poverty and despair in the country.
    
64. To form a committee to look into the poverty and despair in the country.
    
65. So Girija may raise an army, become a rival warlord, and hijack another plane.
66. For the sake of stability, dang-gone-it!
67. So the Nepalis the world over can feel proud again.
    
68. To coordinate signature campaigns with DC protestors.
69. So Girija has something he can dissolve.
70. So Deuba has something he can dissolve.
71. So Manmohan or his designate has something he or she can dissolve.
72. To conduct fresh polls for a new century.
    
73. So Uttar Ram Tamata can go back to a more private life in the Kathmandu suburbs.
74. To pay the price for democracy on a monthly basis: there is no such thing called a free lunch.
    
75. So the Chinese have something to envy.
    
76. So street protests may resume and democracy revitalized.
    
77. To take a second look at Baburam's 40-point generalities and vague statements.
    
78. To conduct peace talks with the Maoists, the Gorkha National Liberation Front, the LTTE, Arafat, and Republicans Against Foreign Aid And Abortions in DC.
79. To resume the FM radio business.
    
80. For press freedom and to press for freedom.
    
81. To conduct peace talks with King Jigme Sigme Wangchuk.
    
82. To never again send 50 police officers to arrest Deuba even if he might be absconding.
    
83. To send 25 commandos to go after Prachanda and another 25 to rescue Baburam.
84. So the World Hindu Federation may go conquer the world.
85. To ban use of RNA soldiers as domestic servants, instead encourage use of dishwashers, washing machines, rice-cookers and inter-caste marriages.
86. To encourage female assertivity within marriages.
87. To train the army top brass in the joys of domestic work.
88. Just because there is no parliament in Bihar does not mean Nepal has to follow the lead.
89. For an image uplift.
90. To attract tourists.
91. So the Nepali people get reminded who and what they have been missing.
92. To eradicate poverty.
93. So Girija may plot revenge against Prachanda for killing a thousand of his party workers.
    
94. So it can be proven Girija has been right all along.
    
95. To derecognize RPP as the party of the Panches, and wash away memorie of exile.
96. To debate issues of national and international importance.
97. To hold press conferences and meetups.
98. To form a committe to make sense of the Maoist insurgency.
99. For peace of mind when a parliamentary session ends.
100. If Jesus can be resurrected, the parliament can be revived.

In The News

• Nepal parties reject Maoist offer Times of India, India
• Nepal to become transit point between China, India: official People's Daily Online, China
• Kalapani issue must be resolved bilaterally: China Hindu
• Nepal police arrest refugees demanding food Reuters AlertNet, UK
• NEPAL: 100 days of the govt. complete failure say parties Asia Pacific Media Network, CA
• NEPAL: 100 days successful says Govt Asia Pacific Media Network
• Schools, colleges shut down in Nepal:- Webindia123
• Four Nepal party leaders released Zee News
• Students in Nepal strike to oppose army firing in college Press Trust of India, India
• Protest against the seizure of student body's office Press Trust of India
• US Urges Nepal To Respect Human Rights While Combating Rebels All American Patriots (press release), Sweden
• Parties announce protests in Nepal Xinhua, China
• The King And Mao INSN
• King's 100 Days INSN
• Open Letter To Rocca INSN
• Seven Party Statement INSN
• Nepal: Between A Rock And A Hard Place INSN
• RCCC & International Law INSN
• Siraha Fightings INSN

Baburam: Prachanda's Best Bet, Litmust Test, And Only Option

Prachanda's recent mistreatment of Baburam shows the Maoist party is a dictatorial organization that allows no dissent in opinion. Worse, it shows the Maoists are not capable of a transformation that will allow them a soft landing so they could become one of the largest parties within a democratic, progressive multi-party framework.

My beeline to the Maoists has always been based on the past positions of the Maoists themselves. In recent memory it is the Maoists who have brought forth the idea of a Constituent Assembly. Noone else was talking about it. Even now most others are not. So when I talk Constituent Assembly, I am borrowing a Maoist line.

Let's assume the Maoists mean it when they say Constituent Assembly, that it is not a tactical move to their ultimate goal of a communist dictatorship. The thing is, they are not in any position to make any such tactical move. They are not going to be able to fool anyone even if they tried.

So the Maoists better mean it when they say Constituent Assembly. The last, recent, nationwide, scientific polls (What The People Feel by Krishna Hachhethu) conducted show the majority of Nepalis want to retain a Constitutional Monarchy. So if you are for a Constituent Assembly, you pretty much are going to agree to the verdict of this poll. Which means, the Maoists are going to have to come around to the idea of a Constitutional Monarcy. Now. The polls also show overwhelming support for a multi-party democracy. There is minuscule support for an absolute monarchy, and even less for a communist dictatorship.

So if you are for a Constituent Assembly, Prachanda, you are basically saying you are for (1) Constitutional Monarchy, and (2) Multi-Party Democracy. That is not me putting words in your mouth. That is me hearing you right. That is if you are being honest when you say you are for a Constituent Assembly.

And if you are for a multi-party democracy, you basically are agreeing to move away from the central organizing principle of your organization, that power flows through the barrel of a gun. You and your team are going to have to revise your ideology, and come up with something new: Power flows through the ballot box.

That ideological shift will have to be made. And the person among your ranks best able to do it will be Dr. Baburam Bhattarai. So you need to release Baburam from "protective custody" and discontinue the "purification" operation you are subjecting him to, and stop blaming him for your recent military defeats. He is not the reason for the tough times you are going through.

That will be your litmus test. If you can not treat Baburam right, forget teaming up with the democrats. Not going to happen.

But then Constitutional Monarchy can mean many different things. If you allow a progressive transformation of your organization, you will become a major force that makes sure the Constitutional Monarchy gets devoid of all political power.

I have been circulating this proposed constitution, and I hope to get back on my phone marathons soon, faxing people around, emailing. This document is a broad framework. All political players on stage, including you, are being encouraged to give your feedback and criticism. What do you like? What do you not like? This is already the most progressive of any constitution I know on the face of the planet. It can be made more so, with your participation and help.

But first, release Baburam. And both of you get down to work.

Or you could continue down the track you are on. That path leads to the Gonzalo fate for you. The noose has been tightening around you. It might actually end up being worse for you. Because if the progressive transformation is achieved without your participation, your political and social thunder will already have been stolen, and the democrats, all of whom are mighty angry at you in the first place, will not feel any need to collaborate with you. Basically what I am saying is you are under tremendous time pressure.

Option 1 leads to you possibly becoming a Deputy Prime Minister in an interim government. If you can fundamentally transform all your cadres for work for peaceful organization and party building, heck, you could even become Prime Minister on your own after elections.

Option 2 leads to oblivion and worse. Even with a military takeover of the country - totally impossible - you will not be able to offer the Nepali people anything better or more than this progressive constitution will be able to. So why not skip a few steps, and make sure you are still politically relevant in 2015!

I guess the choice for you is between history and hell. Get Baburam out and get him working and get into the history books. That is what I suggest.

This is what I see happening:

1. You ideologically transform yourself to the point the central dictum of your organization is Power Flows Through The Ballot Box within a framework of this progressive constitution. Then nothing prevents a partnership between your organization and the democrats. But the transformation comes first.
   
2. Both you and Baburam get berths in an interim government.
   
3. You disarm all your cadres, and retrain them to become the best organizers of any party in the country to see if you can become the largest party. I think it possible.
   
4. No, they are not going into the army, instead the army itself is to be downsized so there is more money for education and health. Instead of getting salaries from the army, your workers should seek to get their salaries as elected officials.
   
5. Funny. If you become Prime Minister, you find yourself Commander-In-Chief!