COMMENT

Reflecting on the by-elections

 The results of the by-elections that took place last Thursday in three electoral constituencies of the country have already come out. With these results, now the House of Representatives will have its full quota of 205 members. After the Third General Election held a little over six months ago, the seats in the House from these three constituencies were vacated, because the winners had been victorious in other constituencies too. In Jhapa, former Home Minister KP Oli of the CPN (UML) had won from Constituency No: 1 and 6 and he chose to vacate the seat from Constituency 6. Similarly, General Secretary of the UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal had won from Rautahat 2 and 4 and he decided to vacate the seat from Constituency No: 4. In Morang, party president of the Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala had won from Constituency No: 1, but as he had won from a constituency in Sunsari too, he decided to let go of the Morang seat. According to the House regulations, one person cannot keep more than one seat in the House, no matter from how many constituencies he or she may win. But to come back to the results of the election, many observers were surprised to see the ruling party make a clean sweep in this early tryst with the voters. It is a big boost for the Nepali Congress that its candidates were able to wrest away two seats from the main opposition party. That the seats once belonged to the two top most leaders of the UML, makes the achievement even more noteworthy. Many had felt the voters would go against the ruling party candidates even if just because of the unpopular decisions of the government to hike the price of essential goods. But this did not happen. Also, one must remember that Jhapa was considered an unbreakable communist stronghold. The constituency in Rautahat was also looked upon as a safe place for the UML, as no less than the party’s general secretary had won from that constituency. But the NC candidates managed to post convincing wins, leaving their UML rivals quite far behind.

Yet, the credit for the victories cannot be taken by the present government headed by Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. It has hardly done anything to win over the people. At the most, what can be presumed, is that the voters felt the ruling party candidate could do more for them, than any person from the opposition. This is a pattern of human psychology which can be seen anywhere, not only in a developing country like Nepal but elsewhere too. But this does not mean the government will not benefit. It will. First of all the attack made against Prime Minister Bhattarai and some of his ministers from within the party ranks will be blunted. Even party president Girija Prasad Koirala had said that the by-elections were some sort of a “referendum” on the government’s performance. Now that all three party candidates have come out victorious, the government according to such presumption, has won the “referendum” hands down. But even if NC candidates had not won, it would not have been wise for NC rebels to seek the head of the Prime Minister. Yes, some ministers have not performed well, and they could either be eased out or transferred, but to change the Prime Minister when he has not completed even one year in office, is being too hasty. Of course, this does not mean that PM Bhattarai can sit complacently and not care what he does or says. He must try to fulfill the expectations the people had when they gave a majority to the Nepali Congress. The people till now, have not felt the government has shown any such concern. Further, PM Bhattarai and also party president Koirala must be careful what they say in public. When they seriously make some commitment to the people and those things do not materialise, the leaders lose credibility. For example if PM Bhattarai says he will bring the water of Melamchi to the people within a certain period, then at least the initial works for that to happen must begin. Similarly, Koirala should not say a minister will be sacked, when actually that was not happening. It can be hoped the just concluded by-elections will make the leaders of both the ruling and main opposition parties more serious in their bearing towards matters of the state. The just begun special session of the House should quite easily reflect whether this happens or not. r

To make you ready for Y2K

By Anick Jesdanun

After spending years and billions of dollars to get business and government ready for Y2K, one main task remains: To make you ready.

So here’s some advice from the folks who clean up after floods, hurricanes and tornadoes: Treat the computer bug as you would an approaching storm.

As the year ends, the focus shifts from getting computers ready to getting people prepared. Tests and simulations suggest that there’s little need to worry about widespread disruptions, but sporadic glitches are likely-somewhere.

“No one can say what will happen,” warns Rocky Lopes, the top disaster educator at the American Red Cross. ‘It’s always a good idea to be prepared for anything that may disrupt your life.”

That’s sound advice for natural disasters, he says, as well as “any consequences that Y2K may bring along.”

Y2K experts do not advise buying months of food, drugs and other supplies. In fact, over-reaction could lead to shortages unrelated to Y2K glitches.

The Red Cross does encouraged families to take stock of supplies.

Put fresh batteries in flashlights and radios, and get a first aid kit. Gather extra blankets, coats and hats to keep warm. Top off the tank of gas. Get a refill on prescriptions when you have a five-to seven-day supply left.

Families should also stock several days’ worth of nonperishable food and water-a gallon per person per day is a good guideline. Have portable cooking devices on hand.

And do all this as early as possible to beat any last-minute rush. Also, get extra supplies where local governments do not appear ready. But, no, don’t withdraw all your money from the bank. Some banks will open on New Year’s Day to counter perceptions-unfounded, the bankers say-that ATMs may malfunction.

Even Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, recommends taking only enough for a normal holiday weekend and warns that too much cash could tempt muggers.

The Red Cross has already distributed more than 20 million brochures. Other government and private groups have Web sites and brochures as well.

Among other tips:

1. Check with manufacturers of personal computers, security systems and other electronic equipment to make sure they will work properly. Many fixes for PCs are available on the Internet. Also, back up computer files and install software to block viruses.

2. Keep copies of bank, medical and other records, and list phone numbers for hospitals, police, fire departments and neighbours.

3. Assess items and service that are critical to your family. Consider special needs for infants, the elderly and persons with disabilities.