Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Kathmandu: The ice has been broken finally.

Wisdom appears to have prevailed on all the conflicting sides or else in the absence of which the country not only would have been pushed towards being dubbed as a Failed State but also could have disastrous consequences.

But then yet some compelling and logical questions remain to be answered by the present stakeholders of the movement, including the monarch, as to how the country is to take its future course of action in order to restore peace.

Though the monarch demonstrated his benevolence and acted as per the wishes of the people as demanded and represented by the agitating seven parties, what is for sure is that sans King's positive political gestures, the parties now all prepared to bounce back to the Nepal's power corridors, things would not move as per the wishes of the parties alone. The King's role is still vital and crucial to the future roadmap of the country which the parties in agitation till the other day have claimed that they have charted one.

In a nut shell, the parties need to cooperate the King in his sentiments as exhibited in his previous speeches on how much importance he attaches to the overall well being of the people and of the nation. Equally important would be the support of the King to the parties not only that he is still the Head of the State but also yet he commands respect and honor among his people who had momentarily got annoyed by his delayed actions.

Now a word about the monarch.

Whatever the monarch did by dismissing the elected Deuba government and taking over of the charges of the nation in his own shoulders was admittedly not considered as that bad then than, as allegations are there, he too could not deliver.

Or in other words, a right step in the right direction got lost some where in the Nepal's ethereal medium through the kind courtesy of the King's men whom he trusted for the governance of the nation. The men thus selected by the monarch could neither take up the speed of the monarch nor could even understand his spirit of the February takeover.

Neither he could provide good governance nor he could penalize the declared and the noted corrupts of the past democratic years as was expected of him during the take over.

The result has been that, let's be frank in admission, the corrupts (save a few) of the not so distant past have come out with flying colors. King's desire to provide his countrymen a well-governed society and government with no corrupts in the political arena became a mere a dream.

The fact is that the leaders of the yesterday who in effect contributed their efforts in derailing the democratic system have now again been told to rule and they should rule the nation because good or bad they were the leaders upon whom the people continue to repose trust.

A right decision by the monarch made Monday late evening though might appear that the monarch was the loser but it is not that what some one might have concluded in their minds. In fact he is the real beneficiary in the sense that henceforth he would enhance his prestige and popularity by remaining as a constitutional monarch and will be allowed to act as an umpire in the country's politics.

Analysts see Monday's proclamation by the King as an act that has merely shifted the issues confronting the nation to be henceforth handled by the real political actors.

King's role is over in the sense that he would just be a mere onlooker of the events that follow after the Friday parliament elects its new prime Minister.

However, much remains to be seen on how the seven party alliance strike a balance in between the people, their aspirations, maintenance of law and order and more over bringing the rebels back to the nation's main political stream.

The problem has not ended but it is the beginning of the beginning of the Himalayan problems and issues that have got to be sorted out keeping the monarch and the people in proper confidence. Albeit there is yet another powerful community that is the international community who too would be carefully watching the steps and the very moves of the new government in securing peace by pleasing the rebels and not annoying as before the people.

Analysts presume that since the community of the YOUTH has suddenly secured its role and hence any aberration in the country's politics they would not tolerate and thus what is expected of the leaders now all set to govern the nation beginning next week will not jeopardize the country's interests while discharging their duties as ministers or for that Prime Minister.

Analysts hope that now the country will march towards attaining a sort of permanent peace, which is what had become a rare commodity for all along twelve years.

Oh! those terrible years….

Clearly the rebels' provided new height to the of agitation

Kathmandu: The twenty-day long agitation now has come to an end.

However, how effectively the men now handling the state of affairs will perform and deliver will have to be watched.

If the same sad past gets repeated by the agitating parties then that would tantamount to be a sort of open betrayal to the aspirations and the wishes of the people who came to the streets and added to the strength of the agitation.

Though the agitation got a safe landing but much remains to be done in order first, to bring the derailed democracy to order and secondly but very importantly work towards gaining the confidence and the commitments of the brothers in the jungles for the competitive politics to which they have been saying that they would, if provided ample political concessions, join the mainstream politics.

How the new managers of the new government deal with the Maoists and their armed weapons will be a litmus test of the political men handling the affairs of the state.

Now some thing about the agitation.

Matured political analysts in the capital district conclude that had there been not the presence of the rebels in the agitation, the crusade for the restoration of the democratic order would not have been possible.

Though in an indirect fashion, it were the rebels who managed this victory for the seven party alliances.

This means that the Maoists now have amply shown that they were indeed a force whose Himalayan strength counts in the country's politics.

The parties in the coalition should not nurture any illusion that they attained this height through their own strength.

The indirect support extended to the agitation by the Maoists also does hint that the parties in alliance in no way can betray the rebels and will have to act more often than not as per their wishes, which have been inked in the twelve point agreement. This means that the Maoists possess the power to swing the country's politics their way should they desire it to be so.

Analysts admit the fact that the Maoists were now a formidable force who can swing the politics if any thing goes wrong with them.

Yet another invisible actor's role can't be dismissed.

This actor, though an alien one, blew hot and cold concurrently to maneuver Nepal's fluid politics. This actor spared no efforts in adding fuel to the fire in the ongoing agitation by her overt and covert support.

This imperceptible power was with the King after the first proclamation and will continue to be with the King in the future as well. The same alien force was embracing the agitating political parties presumably encouraging the parties in agitation to provide more strength to the agitation g so that the monarch yielded to the hilt and this force managed the King to yield during the King's second proclamation made Monday evening. Understandably, the same foreign force, presumably, had extended its full backing to the insurgents. Great job accomplished with such finesse that no body could see this actor twisting the arms of practically all the available political actors of this Himalayan Kingdom for his country's gains to be extracted at a later stage.

Unbelievable though it may appear to some but analysts conclude, this is the hard reality.

But then yet the agitations have had a happy ending. The men engaged in the agitation deserve appreciation. All that now remains to be seen as to what in "return" this alien force would demand from all those Nepali political actors whom it in essence extended its support.

It is this fear that has been troubling the minds of the Kathmandu intellectuals lately.

In the diplomatic practices more so in the conduct of country-to-country relations it has rightly been said that there can't be a "free lunch".

Analysts, but then, are hopeful that the new leaders including the two top hats of the insurgency, Prachanda and Dr. Bhattarai, would carefully monitor whether or not some one near or far was poking its nose in the very exclusive Nepal's domestic affairs. Analysts presume that country's politics will now go to the wise and learned ones who could steer the country with proper and adequate political acumen.

Analysts believe that the new leadership, which might see the inclusion of the top brains of the insurgency at a later stage, remains ever alert in safe guarding Nepal's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

Koirala's one point agenda finally gets legal endorsement

Kathmandu: Like it or not, the fact is that he has won the political game he played.

Believe it or not, he was the lone crusader who championed from the very beginning that the restoration of the parliament would ultimately be the real and authoritative panacea for the country's constitutional as well as the crisis brought by the conflict with the Maoists.

He was the one who singly and unilaterally advocated that his one point agenda-that being the restoration of the now dissolved house of representatives, would act as the perfect medicine for the country's entire ailments.

Many analysts including his own party colleagues have had strong reservations on his one point agenda. The UML stalwarts initially rejected his one point agenda for the restoration of the house to the extent that the Maoists too joined the UML in criticizing his "formulae". The Maoists even made comments by saying that such a restored parliament by the King would do more harm than good to the country but instead would allow the King extra-judicial and unconstitutional powers.

Many analysts cut jokes at his agenda but he remained undeterred from his declared stance. He was firm in his determination until it became a reality this Monday late evening.

The personality is none less than the President of the Nepali Congress, Girija Prasad Koirala, who in advance envisioned that his agenda would one fine morning (however, it was though a fine late evening) would be the ultimate result of the agitation.

For some unknown and invisible reasons, at a later stage all those who have had apprehensions to Koirala's agenda began looking into the Koirala agenda with hopes and great expectations.

In effect, Koirala opined that the restoration of the parliament would do the rest political jobs initiated by the monarch and deal with the Maoists by convincing the latter to join the mainstream politics albeit by agreeing to their certain basic conditions.

And finally, what he envisioned in the distant past has come to existence. The practically dead parliament has been revived with a fervent hope that the reinstated lower house would be able to sort out the differences of the State with the insurgents.

The sole credit goes to President Koirala for the restoration of the dead parliament for which he was later assisted by practically all those political animals who initially differed with his plans and the agenda.

Now that the parliament has been restored again by the Monarch, it does speak clearly that the agitating seven till Monday late evening continue to believe that the Monarch still was not only a force that can't be dismissed in any circumstances but also an institution which will continue to remain as a formidable force in the future politics of the country.

Like it or not, the King has made a "legal precedence" which has some hidden meaning and is of great political import.

The agitating seven have by default made it known to all that King Gyanendra's role in the future politics of the nation will be counted even if he has assumed the role of a constitutional monarch.

Some analysts maintain that the agitating seven should have convinced the King to seek the support of the apex court for the restoration of the parliament. The apex court's verdict for the restoration of the parliament would have a different legal connotation.

Analysts wish to congratulate Koirala for his resounding success.

U.S. VISA SERVICES FOR NEPALI CITIZENS
PROVIDED AT U.S. EMBASSY IN NEW DELHI

The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu remains closed for visa services. Until the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu is able to resume visa services, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi will accept non-immigrant, immigrant, and Diversity Lottery visa applications for Nepalese citizens and non-Nepalese citizens legally residing in Nepal effective April 24, 2006.

NONIMMIGRANT VISAS:

The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu will schedule appointments for Nepali residents wishing to apply for non-immigrant visas in New Delhi. Applicants should not contact the Embassy in New Delhi directly concerning visa appointments. Instead, applicants should contact the Embassy in Kathmandu via email at Nepalivisas@state.gov to request an appointment in New Delhi. Due to the already high demand for visa appointments at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, appointments are currently being scheduled for the month of August. Those applicants with an urgent need to travel to the U.S. within the next three weeks may ask to be considered for a priority appointment. The following criteria will be used to assess the urgency of an appointment.

EMERGENCY NONIMMIGRANT APPOINTMENT CRITERIA:

Applicants who need to travel before a regular tourist/visitor’s appointment is available (currently August) may be able to qualify for a special priority appointment. Priority appointments are reserved for those who must travel for urgent medical care, family emergencies (such as death or critical illness), unanticipated business reasons (including recently scheduled meetings and the training of new staff); K visa applicants and returning H and L visa applicants. In addition, all student visa and exchange visitor visa applicants who have not been refused a visa twice within the last six months may also qualify for a priority appointment within 90 days of the date they are required to report to their school or program.

All non-immigrant visa applicants must appear in person at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi to apply for their visa. Prior to applying they must complete the applicable visa application forms at http://evisaforms.state.gov. Applicants should be sure to print the form using a laser or high-quality ink jet printer, and to bring the third page with large black box printed in its center. Applications that do not include the e-visa form may not be accepted. Applicants must also pay the mandatory, nonrefundable visa application by purchasing a draft for INRs. 4600 from any major bank in New Delhi.

Issued visas will be available for collection from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm the next business day.

IMMIGRANT & DIVERSITY LOTTERY VISAS:

The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu will also schedule appointments for immigrant and Diversity Lottery visa applicants. Applicants should confirm and/or schedule appointments via email at Nepalivisas@state.gov

All applicants in Nepal are advised to obtain further information on visa services by consulting the embassy’s website at http://us.embassy.nepal.gov

Applicants who have appointments pending in New Delhi when the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu reopens for visa services will have their appointments canceled and cases transferred back to Nepal.

A News Release issued by the American Center, Embassy of the United States

Yak & Yeti Complex (West Wing), Kathmandu. Tel: 444-5577, April 21, 2006

En Bref

US avoids a Nepal like move in Pakistan

Kathmandu: News reports claimed that when asked, if the US would welcome a Nepal-like move in Pakistan were President Pervez Musharraf to “step down tomorrow”, secretary of state Condoleezza Rice avoided an answer.

She just said, “We welcome the idea, which the King would now turn to the political parties to form a government, to select a prime minister, to hold elections. That’s extremely important … the United States has supported democratic processes in all countries and we’ve been clear with Pakistan that they have elections in 2007.

China urges calm

Kathmandu: "Nepal is a good friendly neighbor, we sincerely hope the situation in Nepal will quickly recover calm and that the political situation will become stable," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement.

"We welcome the nationally televised speech of King Gyanendra and we think that the king's speech will help the political forces in Nepal to engage in dialogue and realize political reconciliation," said the statement.

India: Communists accuses government

Kathmandu: The CPI (Communist Party of India) asked the government to read the ‘writing on the wall’ in Nepal where people are rebelling against the monarchy and accused the Manmohan Singh government of trying to ‘rescue’ King Gyanendra.

However, the King’s decision to give in to the call of democracy, it is felt, would help the government deal with the in-house pressure on the Nepal policy. “No matter how much repression is unleashed by the monarch, they are defying curfew and daring the lathis and bullets as they are determined to restore democracy and overthrow the monarchy,” it said.

India ready to rescue Nepal becoming a failed state

Kathmandu: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India was ready to help neighboring Nepal in every way so that it does not become a “failed state,” news agencies reported on Sunday.

“Whatever we can do as Nepal’s close neighbor and to strengthen it in every possible way,” Singh told, who left for Germany, spoke to reporters aboard his Air India aircraft.

“We cannot afford Nepal as a failed state,” Singh said. “We have to help Nepal with difficulties it has got into.