The King Should Abdicate

Let's cut a deal. The king abdicates, and he will be allowed to become a private citizen who will not be subject to any legal inquiries as to what might have happened over the past few years. He gets to keep all he owned before he became king.

How does that sound?

The country does not need to go through another fermentation on the monarchy question. It already did. Now the country needs to be holding discussions on the issues of the people, like inclusive democracy, social justice, and so on.

I think it is such a waste that the country might have to debate if or not to keep the monarchy.

The debate all the way to the constituent assembly and inside that assembly has to be about the people, not the king.

But then, will he do it? Will he get the idea? Will someone tell him?

Pahadi Army

The Nepal Army is a Pahadi army. The Maobadi Army is a Pahadi army. If you integrate the two, you just end up with a bigger, badder Pahadi army.

Abolishing the two armies has got to be key to the Madhesi movement.

What could be some of the issues a Madhesi movement could coalesce around?

1. Federal Republic.
2. Hindi.
3. Citizenship certificates for the six million Madhesis, almost half of all Madhesis.
   
4. Abolish the two armies.
   

13 Million Madhesis

That is a lot of Madhesis by any count.

Half get treated as non citizens. The other half get treated as second class citizens.

In The News

Second-round talks conclude with 4-point agreement NepalNews agreed to hold high-level talks between the head of the seven-party government and the top Maoist leadership very soon..... agreed to form a 31-member ‘ceasefire code of conduct monitoring team’ headed by Dr Devendra Raj Pandey, a civil society leader ...... a five-member peace talks monitoring team would be formed comprising former Supreme Court Justice Laxman Prasad Aryal, former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana, rights activist Padma Ratna Tuladhar and civil society leaders Dr Devendra Raj Pandey and Dr Mathura Shrestha. ...... agreed to urge the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)-Nepal to monitor the human rights situation in Nepal during the talks process...... The talks that began at around 2:15 p.m. went for nearly two hours.
Students protest against PM Koirala's remarks Students burnt the effigy of premier Koirala at various colleges...... Students disrupted traffic for more than one hour. The leaders said they would intensify their protests if Koirala did not withdraw his remarks...... The students also demanded Koirala's resignation claiming he should not give such statements as he was made prime minister on the grounds of the people's movement........ Koirala, addressing cadres of Nepali Congress in Biratnagar on Wednesday, said that king should be given place in the new political system. He had said that the parties, Maoists and the king have come to the roadmap of Congress regarding new political system in Nepal.
NA forms taskforce for disappeared people; detains Colonel Nepal Army (NA) has taken into custody Colonel Raju Basnet of the Bhairavnath Battalion for investigation into the alleged disappearances of 49 people detained at the Battalion...... the taskforce was headed by Director of Army Training Directorate 2nd Lieutenant Sarad Neupane...... The report of the OHCHR in Nepal concluded that the Bhairavnath Battalion of NA under the command of Basnet played a leading role in disappearance of people and tortured detainees in Jagadal, Yudhabhairav and Bhairavnath Battalions of NA under the number 10 Brigade.
Rayamajhi vows to punish everyone suppressing people’s movement Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, has vowed to punish everyone involved in using excessive force for suppressing the recent people’s movement....... the list of people involved in suppressing the movement will be published after his return to Kathmandu.......
Nepal's rough road ahead Ashok K Mehta Direct budgetary assistance of Rs 1 billion, increase in Delhi's annual budget outlays for Nepal from the present Rs 650 million to Rs 1.5 billion, soft loan assistance of US $ 100 million... write off debts worth Rs 1.5 billion from Nepali Defence Ministry ..... decided to defer the recovery of dues of about Rs 5 billion from Nepal Oil Corporation..... "unlimited seat quotas" be granted to Nepali airlines operating in various Nepal-India sectors. India also renewed its commitment to develop infrastructure projects like the 1,500-km Hulaki Highway in the Terai region, Budhi Gandaki hydroelectricity project, the East-West Railways and set up a Polytechnic School in the far West....... Rather like the way India tried to impress George Bush (but left him amused instead), the visiting Nepalese Prime Minister was drowned in hospitality and attention. A cavalcade of 40 cars, exclaimed Finance Minister Ram Saran Mahat with awe. For us! This is the kind of reception George Bush got! ....... "You are South Asia's most towering leader. There is no one like you in the subcontinent..." ......... he can be stubborn, doctrinaire and appear shortsighted. But a man who has been part of a struggle for 60 years must know his way around....... The only other parallel that comes to mind is JR Jayewardene, the complex and enigmatic President of Sri Lanka who coincidentally also at 84, managed to lead the 40-something Rajiv Gandhi to an impossibly sorry dance....... Koirala is direct and straight ..... Koirala is seemingly rigid ..... Neither spent too much time grooming successors. ..... as India had helped draft the 12-point letter of understanding between the political parties and the Maoists, it needed to take this process further...... India should contribute to the Cease Fire Mechanism as well as the exercise of handing over arms by Maoists before the election....... Gorkha Signallers in the Indian Army helped with Nepal's first multiparty elections in 1960......

Nepal's Prime Minister to Meet Maoist Rebel Leader Voice of America
Nepal rebel chief to king: abdicate or face execution Reuters South Africa if the king does not abdicate he could end up facing trial and even execution ...... Gyanendra and his son Paras are goons and smugglers .... "If he abdicates then the people may accept he has room for survival. But if he does not, people will take action, and he may be executed." ...... The bespectacled Prachanda, barefoot and dressed in a white check shirt and olive green trousers, spoke firmly and confidently for well over an hour, often smiling as he set out the Maoists' vision for the nation and fended off questions about human rights abuses....... "We have never taken a policy of killing anyone without a fair trial," he said, when asked about the alleged killing of informers. "We have lawyers, legal experts. Due to the pressure of war there have been some mistakes, but we have self-criticism and, if there is peace, legal processes will be followed." .... often sounded more like the radical schoolteacher he once was than the leader of one of the world's most feared guerrilla armies. ...... We want to reorganise the whole state structure .... "We are not dogmatists. We feel we are a new type of communists." ..... he accepted the principle of multi-party democracy and his party had learned from mistakes made in the name of communism in the 20th century ....... Peace talks resumed on Thursday, and Prachanda said the process, after an initial crisis of confidence, was now picking up speed...... the question of disarmament, something the rebels are resisting fiercely. Prachanda suggested that rebel forces -- as well as the government's -- should be confined to their respective barracks or camps during constituent assembly elections, and be under international supervision...... Ultimately, rebel and government armies should be "reorganised" or merged...... "We don't want anyone to take up arms in Nepal after the constituent assembly" .... "But if the old army is intact and continues to spread terror, if it is still loyal to feudalism and autocracy, and it does not accept the results of the constituent assembly, then we will take up arms again and we will lead the struggle of the people." ..... Arranged after dozens of mobile phone calls, the meeting took place under a shroud of secrecy, the Reuters team guided to the house by two men on a motorbike and asked not to report anything for at least four hours, until Prachanda had a chance to move on.
Nepal Police publicizes new policy People's Daily Online, China 11-point future policy priorities ... Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Om Bikram Rana .....
IGP Aims At Revamping Valley Police System Himalayan Times "Nepal Police wants to establish a Police Service Commission so that it can select meritorious candidates which will also be at par with the Public Service Commission" .....
All Acts pertaining to Army being revised Himalaya Times The government is revising all Acts and Regulations related to the Nepalese Army to make them relevant to the declaration of the House of Representatives, 2006. Apart from the Military Act, 1959, Act related to the Duty, Rights and Service of the Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS), 1969, National Cadet Corps 1970 and the Army and Delegation of the Authority Act, 1958, are being studied by the officials at the MoD...... The revision will also see the changes in the organisational structure as per the international standard. Currently, there are 19 levels from followers to the General, while the position of Field Marshal is also being scrapped soon...... “We are ready to give our lives for a republican Nepal,” said Navaraj Poudel, FSU president, while addressing students after burning PM’s effigy. The students also demanded the resignation of PM Koirala claiming that he was not supposed to give such irresponsible statement being the Prime Minister on the ground of popular people’s movement for which some 20 people gave their lives and thousands injured.
Nepal Premier favours ceremonial role for King Hindustan Times, India
Nepal PM's remarks on king spark protests in Kathmandu Hindu
Fresh Nepal peace talks resume amid student fury Telugu Portal
UN asks Nepal govt, Maoists to sign ceasefire agreement Zee News, India
UN awaiting Nepal's invitation for ceasefire Hindustan Times
UN ready to mediate for end of conflict in Nepal Gorkhapatra
Nepali gov't-guerrilla truce needs more specific provisions: UN People's Daily Online
Nepal Plans to Ban Smoking in Public Places Dog Flu Diet and Diseases, Canada

Students protest against PM's remarks Kantipur Publications
Army will not be spared: Rayamajhi the Commission will not spare anybody, including army personnel...... the Commission would start to interrogate the officials involved in suppressing the people's movement in the second phase of their investigation...... the Commission would complete its task within the given timeframe.
UML stresses on interim govt, constitution the formation of an interim government to draft an interim constitution on the basis of agreement among all the political forces.
We are ready to move ahead with parties, civil society: Mahara the Maoists were ready to merge the Maoists' "People's Liberation Army" with the Nepali Army after the formation of a democratic republic....... Mahara added that his party had opposed the existence of the House of Representatives as "regressive elements" are also represented in the House.
King should be given ceremonial role: PM Koirala Hinting at the monarchy, Koirala said if not provided with some room, any force could opt for an "unpleasant path" due to the resulting frustration. "That's why we have been saying that the king should be made ceremonial," he said...... it leads to disappointment and unpleasant incidents may take place, adding, "Anything could be done once the transition period was over." ...... arms management was an issue of "concern". .... the government had talked to the United Nations regarding providing food to the Maoist army ..... Koirala said that his party would put forth its stand on the agenda of constituent assembly and federal governance system on the negotiating table itself....... He also informed that he would accomplish the task of the reunion of the Nepali Congress and Nepali Congress-Democratic "before retiring from life." .....
ँराजालाई सेरेमोनियल दिऊँ’
संविधानसभा ढिला भए सात सालको नियति'
सेना पनि जाँचबुझको दायरामा’
ँसंविधानसभाका लागि तत्काल अन्तरिम सरकार’
शाही मन्त्रीहरूको बयान आउँदो साता
गाउँले स्कुलमा कम्प्युटर
छिट्टै अन्तरिम सरकार बन्छ’
मत प्रतिशतका आधारमा संविधान सभासद्'
विस्थापितलाई माओवादीको स्वागत
नगरपालिकालाई कर उठाउन आदेश
जनजाति आन्दोलन जारी’ सिन्धुली, जेठ ३१ - जनजातिको समस्या समाधान नभएसम्म लोकतन्त्र बहाली भए पनि आन्दोलन जारी रहने जनजाति महासंघ महासचिव डा. ओम गुुरुङले बताएका छन् । आदिवासी जनजाति महासंघले मंगलबार आयोजना गरेको कार्यक्रममा उनले जनजातिको संविधानसभामा सहभागिता नभए समस्या समाधान नहुुने बताए । 'नयाँ संविधान बनाउँदा सहभागी, समावेशी र समानुुपातिक प्रतिनिधित्व हुुनुुपर्छ' उनले भने । जातीय, भाषा र क्षेत्रीय आधारमा निर्वाचन क्षेत्र घोषणा हुुनुुपर्ने बताए । जनजाति सम्मे लनका केन्द्रीय सदस्य चिरन पुुनले संविधानसभा निर्वाचनमा जान कसैले प्रारूप तयार नपारेकामा असन्तुुष्टि व्यक्त गरे । एमाले जिल्ला उपसचिव खड्ग खत्री, कांग्रेसका प्रेमचन्द्र दाहाल, कांग्रेस प्रजातान्त्रिकका माणिक ढकाल, जनमोर्चाका रामकुुमार पौडेल, बाममोर्चाका योगेन्द्र पराजुुलीलगायतले संविधानसभाबारे चर्चा गरे ।
मिडियाप्रति माओवादी
असान्दर्भिक टिप्पणी
गणतन्त्रको बाटोमा जयतु संस्कृतम्
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Involve The UN In The Peace Process

Govt-Maoist truce code of conduct needs more specific provisions: UN the current ceasefire agreement (code of conduct) between the Nepal government and the Maoists is too general and needs to include many specific provisions........ doesn’t talk about the number of armies on both sides, who are commanding the armies, where are the soldiers kept, is their uniform identifiable or not, who are actually in the armies etc ....... the numbers of guns, tagging those guns with numbers, keeping them inside an alarm enabled armour with as much as three keys- “two of them will be with the two sides and one will be with us ........ a detailed process ...... disarmament is different than that of arms monitoring. “That is a subsequent process which could be done in second phase.” ....... two sides should agree on a joint commission where both are represented and that commission should jointly monitor the ceasefire agreement....... disarmament, arms monitoring, decommissioning, demobilizing ..... If both sides want UN involvement in the peace process, Kahane said, the world body would be very willing to provide assistance. “First we will provide advice on how do you write a ceasefire agreement,” he said. “Technical terms should be mentioned. ....... waiting for the Nepal government’s official and written request for UN involvement ....... Lauding the 12-point understanding reached between the seven-party alliance and the Maoists as much more detailed as compared to those agreed upon previously, Kahane said that the talks should be held in private environment for effective outcomes....... any solution to the problem should make the fighters feel that their role in the war was right........ the issues of human rights violations shouldn’t be left untouched. ....... updating the voters’ list would be the biggest technical problem for constituent assembly election. “Many people have grown up since the list was updated last time and many haven’t got citizenship certificate. Several million such people will have to be added in the list.” the UN had nothing to do with Indian role in Nepali peace process.

The UN will not charge for the services: they are free.

The UN does not take over. The seven party alliance and the Maoists will still be in control. And they will answer to each other, not to the UN.

"I have heard many jokes about the UN, but nothing beats the real thing," Bob Dole said during a 1996 presidential debate with Bill Clinton. The right wing in the US despises the UN, and it is because they know the UN is the only hope countries like Nepal - even India - have for a genuine empowerment on the global stage.

Kofi Annan has taken a keen personal interest in Nepal for years now. He has really gone out of his way. And of course Kul Chandraji is our own person. His presence at the world body has made a world of difference for Nepal.

Nobody knows the intricacies of a peace process like the UN. They are as good as they come. A peace process is nothing short of heart surgery. When one heart surgery fails, one person dies. When a peace process fails, hundreds, maybe thousands die.

India is not opposed to the idea. Not that it matters. But it helps.

The UN is part of the 12 point agreement. To exclude the UN would be to veer away from that agreement.

This is not an issue of pride. This is not about the SPA and the Maoists not being able to do it on their own. That has been tried a few times before. Did not work. Why take a chance?

UN's involvement will pave the way for involvement by the big powers, and we sure need that. We will need their funds for parts of the peace process. Those funds will come easier if they are part of the peace process.

Call the doctor. This is surgery.

The UN will be a conduit for lessons learned from the constituent assembly process in other countries.

The UN's presence will make sure the process does not get overshadowed by the big powers.

Involving the Nepali civil society is just as important.

All along the SPA will stay in the lead. All the way to it becoming formally an eight party alliance. EPA.

In short, there is nothing to lose, and much to gain.

This is a rather large high profile peace process that is destined to succeed. It will succeed better and faster if the UN is involved. And the UN will have to be accorded its fair share of credit.

UN Mediation Is Key (May 12, 2006)


Award Dr. Brian Cobb An Honorary Citizenship

This is an email I sent out to many top leaders in Nepal yesterday.

I think Dr. Brian Cobb should be granted an honorary citizenship for
being the only medic out in the streets during the April Revolution.

http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2006/04/gongabu-massacre.html

Brian Cobb: "I need a long term visa and my medical council
registration changed from limited to one institution temporarily to
permanent and unrestricted.  I am already registered since 2002. Just
need status changed. My program will be multiinstitutional so I need
latitude to work. I just want to be able to do my work."

http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2006/05/dr-brian-cobb-speech-at-gongabu.html
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2006/04/cobb-to-leahy.html
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2006/04/brian-cobb-savagery-on-roof-of-world.html
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2006/04/brian-cobb-brave-man.html

(1) He is a street hero from the April Revolution. He was the only
medic out in the streets.
(2) His request is minor. It is a very done thing in India, for
example.
(3) If his request goes through, that will tell me Nepal is getting its act
together for its next big challenge: rapid economic growth in the face
of globalization.
(4) He is a Nepali at heart. He is reverse "brain drain."

So please help him. He has been running around for weeks now. Petty
bureaucrats have been giving him a hard time. Granted you politicos
have bigger things to worry about, like the peace talks, this can not
be ignored.

Thanks for your time.