Nepal Maoists step up pressure to abolish monarchy

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Maoists stepped up demands Monday for the immediate abolition of the Himalayan nation’s monarchy, rejecting a new proposal to replace an unpopular king with a four-year-old prince.Nepal’s prime minister, a political moderate seen as sympathetic to the idea of keeping the throne, said King Gyanendra and his equally unpopular son, Crown Prince Paras, should step aside and make way for young Prince Hridayendra, the next in line. The new infant king would therefore have a strictly ceremonial role, and this could also reconcile ordinary Nepalis with an institution that has been badly damaged by Gyanendra’s failed attempt to cling to absolute power.

The Maoists, however, angrily rejected Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s proposal. “Our party will not accept any form of monarchy, whether that is a child king or his grandfather,” Ananta, the deputy commander of the Maoist’s People’s Liberation Army, told AFP. “Our party totally rejects the prime minister’s remarks, and this goes against the spirit of the eight-party alliance,” said the official, who like many of the ultra-leftists only uses one name.Other partners in Nepal’s coalition government were also wary about the proposal. “Koirala’s attempt to save the monarchy is unacceptable for our party,” said Jhala Nath Khanal, a senior leader of Communist Party of Nepal. “Our party has always been in favour of abolition of the monarchy and will not review our decision in the future,” said Khanal whose party, like the Maoists, has 83 MPs in the 330-seat interim parliament. Palace officials refused to comment on the prime minister’s remarks.

Meanwhile, about 300 relatives of people who disappeared during Nepal’s decade-long Maoist conflict protested in Kathmandu on Monday demanding to know the fate of their loved ones. Protesters carrying placards bearing photographs of their relatives sat outside Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s official residence demanding the whereabouts of family members detained by troops in the civil war. The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has received reports of 943 people who went missing - presumed kidnapped and murdered - in the war. Nepal’s Supreme Court asked the government this month to pay compensation to dozens of families of the missing people and investigate disappearances. Last week, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists said Nepal’s interim government should quickly investigate thousands of disappearances. agencies

Source: The Daily Times, June 19, 2007

Nepal budget to cut Gyanendra's funds

KATHMANDU: A year after his fall from power, Gyanendra's fortunes continue to decline with the new budget set to drastically reduce the allowances of the palace. On the other hand, the Maoists' red star is touching new heights with chief Prachanda readying for his maiden trip abroad. On Saturday, the 51-year-old rebel chief heads for Switzerland for a week-long sojourn when he will interact with Swiss government representatives, intellectuals and members of the public.

The rebel leader's interaction with European officials comes after ex-US president and Nobel peace laureate Jimmy Carter met them in Kathmandu and urged the US to engage them in dialogue. The Maoists' diplomatic blitzkrieg in the West comes after Gyanendra's overtures abroad failed. During his 15-month regime, Gyanendra was snubbed by US president George Bush, which resulted in his not attending the UN General Assembly in New York while Nelson Mandela pleaded other engagements and declined to meet him in South Africa. A fresh blow will befall the palace on July 13, when finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat announces the budget for 2007-08. A local daily, Annapurna Post, on Thursday carried an interview with the minister, quoting him as saying that the new budget will allocate just about NRS 30 million for the royal family. Last year, the palace was allocated about NRS 210 million, substantially down from the nearly NRS 6600 million that Gyanendra spent during his own reign.

The Maoists and the Marxist-Leninists had been putting pressure on the government to reduce the royal allowances in the new budget, pointing out that according to the new constitution, promulgated in January, Gyanendra has no official role and therefore, should not have allowances too. The budgetary allocation is meant for “administrative” costs - which means paying the palace staff, maintenance and power and water bills. The palace has been treating the cuts with disdain. So far, it hasn't given the government an account of its properties, so that they can come under the tax bracket.

Source: The Times of India, June 30, 2007

For what it’s worth

The formal announcement on Sunday of a date for the constituent assembly (CA) elections is a historic event. November 22 was also the date, two years ago, when the 12-point agreement between the SPA and the CPN-Maoist was signed. This agreement formed the basis for the decisive Jana Andolan-2, which has given the present government the mandate to hold the CA polls and restructure the state. Many who have doubted whether the CA polls will be held can now probably feel an uplift of their spirits. All election laws, except the one relating to the constitutional court, which will be required at a later stage, have been passed. The Election Commission (EC) had declared that it was impossible to conduct the polls by mid-June, the timeframe that was incorporated even into the Interim Constitution, citing the lack of laws and of time. The two constitutional amendments have also been made to address the various issues having a bearing on the elections.

The CA polls provide a rare opportunity for the voters to build a Nepal of their imagination. But any failure to hold the polls again will be fraught with grave dangers. This time the public will not take any more excuses and buck-passing won’t do. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has shown the determination to fulfil the mandate of Jana Andolan-2. He has often gone on record saying, “The polls are my principal responsibility and I will fulfil it at any cost.” So, there is no need to doubt his commitment. But making the polls free, fair and credible is almost as important as the event of holding them. To this, the attention of all stakeholders should be directed — the EC, the parties, the government and the various agencies working under it, and no less important, the general public. Koirala also said yesterday that, within days, he would clear away the obstacles to the polls by sorting things out with the disgruntled groups.A poor security situation at present poses the biggest threat to free and fair CA polls.

There seems to be unanimity on this. Koirala has often pledged during the past months that with the setting of a poll date, he would deal firmly with all law and order problems. The public expects to see the results soon. Besides, it becomes the duty of all the political parties that act in the name of the people to draw up their poll agendas without delay. At least on the most important issues of the time, including monarchy v republic, those parties which have held their official views close to their chest — for instance, the Nepali Congress and the NC-D — should come out with what they stand for. Then only would the voters have enough time to chew on the comparative merits and demerits of the agendas of the political parties before they decide to cast their ballot. It would be best if the eight parties reached a consensus on vitally important national issues such as this. Even if this were not possible, the importance of keeping intact the alliance at least till the CA polls, and preferably, until the first post-CA general elections, can hardly be over-emphasised.

Source: The Himalayan Times, June 26, 2007

Dissatisfied groups : Multilateral talks for consensus

Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay

The Constituent Assembly (CA) polls have been scheduled for November 22. The Election Commission has also determined the dates for various procedures to be adopted to hold the elections in November. However, there is still considerable doubt if the elections can be held in a peaceful atmosphere.After a decade-long Maoist insurgency, it was hoped that all issues would be resolved through dialogue and other peaceful means. However, guns have not fallen silent in the Tarai and the threat of violence in the Hills looms large as the government has failed to address the dissent among various ethnic groups.While the minister in charge of dialogue with dissenting factions has engaged in a series of meetings, they have so far been inconclusive. The threat of more militant movements has been issued by those dissatisfied with the slow pace of the government to address their demands.

Meanwhile, the Maoists’ demand to ban the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum and the reciprocal MJF demand for the ouster of the Maoists from the government (and for a ban on YCL) further complicate the matter.Imposition of a ban on any political group only accelerates the clandestine work of the banned entity. Moreover, imposition of a ban on any entity cannot be regarded as democratic, particularly after the success of the Jana Andolan II, which mandated the creation of a new Nepal — a democratic, inclusive and dynamic nation.If the elections have to be conducted in November, the government has to do a lot of work to promote and sustain peace in the country. The emphasis of former US president Jimmy Carter on maintaining law and order has to be taken seriously.

Also, in order to increase trust in the government’s intent, the government ought to change its tactics with respect to talks with dissenting parties. An atmosphere must be created in which instead of agreement between two parties, a general agreement emerges between all stakeholders.Looking at our own experience, we find that rigidity on the part of any negotiator is bound to boomerang. When the Maoists were invited for talks for the first time during Deuba’s premiership, the dialogue failed as the government was not ready to discuss the need for a constituent assembly. The same story was repeated during the talks under Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Surya Bahadur Thapa; but the main cause of failure on both occasions was the overshadowing of civil government by the security forces.

The King gave his ear only to the security forces and ignored the political entities, thus torpedoing the dialogue.Today again the peace process hinges on the issue of electoral process. Indigenous ethnic groups, Tarai residents and Dalits are demanding proportional representation in the CA. The government, for its part, is adamant on mixed electoral system. Along with the electoral procedure, the demand is to spell out the details of the new state structure.Though there is a common agreement to adopt a federal system, the composition of the new administrative units is still a sensitive matter. Then arises the question of what type of authority and control would be bestowed on the new units. The general demand of Madhesis as well as various ethnic groups has been the creation of new administrative units on the basis of language and ethnicity.

But the chief government negotiator emphasises how the demand to create states, provinces or districts on the basis of ethnicity will be disastrous. A negotiator has every right to emphasise his point of view, but it is not necessary that the negotiator publicly contradicts and condemns the opinion of others. As long as the government sticks to its own view and the negotiator to his narrow partisan views, there is no hope for a fair dialogue. Its success depends upon flexibility shown with an interest in finding a common stand on important and sensitive issues.The experience of the ongoing process of dialogue has proved that as long as the dialogue remains strictly bilateral, it will exclude the point of view of others who are not a party to the bilateral talks.

Hence there should be a common platform for the discussion of the needs of all the dissenting factions. A political conference for comprehensive discussion of all issues before the stakeholders is the only way to arrive at a common consensus.So, the question of banning any party or group has to be sidelined completely in the greater interest and all dissenting entities ought to be brought together through a political conference which could have open-ended agendas, thus easing the long procedure of constitution-making by the CA. The directives adopted by the political conference would be incorporated in the constitution and so the period of constitution making would be short and smooth. New Nepal cannot be built on old prescriptions. New thought process and courage are needed to build a prosperous Nepal.Upadhyay is ex-foreign minister

Source: The Himalayan Times, June 26, 2007

Inclusive Policy

MINISTER for Peace and Reconstruction Ramchandra Poudel has said that the government would move ahead by satisfying the entire classes of the society including the ethnic groups, Madhesis and others to create a conducive atmosphere for holding the constituent assembly election. At a function organised by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Kaski in Pokhara Tuesday, Minister Poudel, who is also the general secretary of the Nepali Congress, has called upon all the political forces, civil society and general people to remain united and work collectively to complete the ongoing political and peace process.

The constituent assembly election is the only way to resolve all the problems in the country. In fact, the mandate of Jana Andolan II is to institutionalise the achievements of the movement and restructure the state and establish permanent peace in the country through the constituent assembly election. The constituent assembly would write a new constitution of the country, which is the best democratic practice in the world. Thus, the eight political parties and the government have vowed to hold the election in time. The government has already fixed the date for the constituent assembly election for November 22 this year.

There is a demand from various quarters for inclusive democracy. The interim constitution has also incorporated the provision of inclusive democracy, which would ensure participation of all the people irrespective of their caste, ethnicity and faith. This is the spirit of genuine democracy. Although we had a democratic system in the past, we could not completely embrace inclusiveness. As a result, a few people belong to the elite communities and upper class groups took benefit in the name of democracy. Poor, backward communities and ethnic and indigenous people were left out of the political mainstream.

Those who were out of the mainstream did not feel any ownership of the political system and the government. When all people feel ownership of the political system and the government, then only can the political system succeed and command the faith of the people. Because a section of the society remained out of the political mainstream even after the change of 1990, when multi-party democracy was re-established, this gave rise to the Maoist insurgency. The nation has accepted this fact, and the government has vowed to ensure inclusive democracy in which all people would have equal participation and representation. This is the spirit of genuine democracy, which needs to be translated into action. And constituent assembly election will help put this principle into action.

Source: The Rising Nepal, June 30, 2007