Indepth Analysis

Stalemate furthers chaos: Crisis deepens

Kathmandu: There is little indication that the political situation is on the mend. Prime Minister Koirala has launched his promised attempt at dialogue with other parliamentary parties but with little response. The Sadbhavana which has claimed publicly that it will oppose the renewed ordinances when it comes up for parliamentary approval is hardly a beginning. The RPP has drawn up its own opposition campaign claiming a "mediatory role" in the widening gap between the opposition and the government. The UML that now heads the other minor left parties outside the ML has already announced the continuity of its street campaign with promises that it will step-up the opposition in the streets if the PM doesn't resign within a month. This is so much so that the UML says the budget session expected in May next month will be as disturbed as the winter session. The ML continues its lone agitation in various guises and the Maoists continue their insurgency.

It is widely expected that the current scheme of thing will lead to a point of no return. The government's package program that seeks a role for the army in the Maoist disturbed area has failed at the very outset with the army demanding accord in Parliament for it's intervention to receive constitutionality and not to appear partisan. The government is once more on the warpath asking the King as Supreme Commander in Chief to provide the Army the role the government seeks. As an option government whips up allegation that the Maoists have "Palace" support as demonstrated by the unwillingness of the army to take part in the package program. The army on the other hand is professional when it seeks parliamentary mandate and assemblance of non-partisan consensus if it is to be effective in the counter insurgency move that the package program seeks.

This dangerous stalemate is leading to state of disarray. The consensus is that Girijababu's government is clinging to its lame duck status on grounds of constitutionality provided by the majority the congress holds in the parliament. The fact that that the majority is itself in disarray with a sizeable chunk oppose to the Girija leadership is no constitutional question here. The fact that that opposition to Girija will not want to make its position in the congress more precarious than currently is hardly a constitutional question. Nor for that matter is the question of constitutional practice challenged when the sitting congress parliamentary majority is unable to allow parliament to do business. These constitutional questions remain unanswered in the current scheme of things and so it is the Palace that must again be whipped for a role all Parliamentary political parties seek for partisan gains regardless of their standpoints on constitutional monarchy.

Indeed willy-nilly the past month and the coming ones will see politics conducted in the name of democracy seeking a partisan role from the Constitutional monarch. The widespread discord on the Maoist issues between government and the opposition and between the factions in the government itself will seek a solution from the monarchy. The Maoists for examples have themselves publicly welcomed the opportunity to take on the Royal Nepal Army. The Girija government wants to use the Army regardless of the opposition standpoints. The opposition including those within the congress don't see this as a situation and even oppose the measures in the Royal Ordinance for the Armed Police and regional administrators that are key components of the government's anti-insurgency package. The army on the other hand insists that its role be sanctioned by parliament and hardly likely to be enabled to do business. As the system remains thus paralyzed, the Maoists make gains further rendering the situation precarious.

Strip News:
Tamil guerillas get millions in Norway

Kathmandu : As we have been given to understand, Norway is an acclaimed mediator in the conflict between Tamils and Singhalese in Sri Lanka. However the fact is that the Tamils in Norway get to collect millions to the armed guerrilla organization the Tamil Tigers, LTTE.

In Great Britain the Tamil Tigers were this week put on the list of 21 banned terror organizations. In USA, the LTTE has been banned for more than five years. To collect funds for them is prohibited in both these countries writes Tor Arne Anderson for the Aftenposten,a weekly newspaper dated 05.04.01. The details of which are printed below.

The same organization gets huge money-gifts in Norway every year, and no one does any thing to stop it. Here this has been considered perfectly legal.

"One million NOK are collected in every year and sent to LTTE in Sri Lanka" Rajah Chelliah estimated in 1995. At that time he was spokesman for the Tamil Coordination Committee (TCC) in Norway. Now he is a journalist in NRK's Mirgrapolis program. In 1995 he had no scruples about supporting the armed fight is Sri Lanka financially. Now he won't give an interview about the LTTE,"because he is no longer a spokesman for the Tamil Coordination Committee".

-NO COMMENT:

Aftenposten tried to get a comment from the present leadership of TCC Norway, but they are not willing to give an interview. Instead they have sent a fax to Aftenposten in which they write that they have no comments to give at present.

'"From experience we know that certain Singhalese media in Sri Lanka use our comments to cause sensations. The comments are often twisted and blown out of proportion. We fear that this will give nourishment to ultra national forces who are against the peace process in the country, which now is in a decisive phase".

TCC further writes," it is a fact that LTTE has declared cease-fire four months ago, and is still practicing it. The Sri Lankan Government has so far not responded to this constructive initiative from LTTE.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS:

The fundraising in Norway is still going on. This is confirmed by sources who wish to be anonymous, and by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). "We are collecting 200,000-300,000 NOK to humanitarian work in Sri Lanka. TCC are collecting money to LTTE." The leader of TRO in Norway, Thurairajaah Sangaran says to Aftenposten.

When the British put LTTE on their list of terror organizations, the Foreign Ministry rejected that there is any plans to do the same in Norway.

"Norway has no plans to propose a similar ban of LTTE or support activity for LTTE", State Secretary in the Foreign Ministry Raymond Johansen said to NTB one month ago. Instead Norway has regretted the ban of LTTE in Great Britain. One year ago Norway agreed to mediate in the conflict in Sri Lanka and appointed Erik Solheim to peace mediator. LTTE's main office is in London, where the Tamil Tiger's chief negotiator Anton Balasingham is based. Norway has expressed concern that the peace process might be more difficult to carry through with the British ban of LTTE.

WELCOMED THE BAN

At the same time the authorities in Sri Lanka have welcomed the ban of LTTE in England, and strong forces in Sri Lankan politics want a similar ban in other European countries. Norway was welcomed as peace mediator by the authorities in Sri Lanka and Erik Solheim has been given a lot of tribute. But several nationalist Sri Lankan politicians have also criticized Norway for being too LTTE-friendly.

HOW LTTE COLLECTS FUNDS:

The about 10,000 Tamils from Sri Lanka who are in exile in Norway, are on a regular basis collecting money to the armed fight in the home country.

Normally Tamil families get a visit at home and pay an amount. After what Aaftenposten is informed this is done voluntarily. The collection also takes place during the cultural activities, which receive public support. Ahead of fund raising to LTTE and the armed fight is the worldwide organization Tamil Coordination Committee. The organization is governed from London. The Norwegian main office is in Oslo and there are local departments of TCC in several cities where Tamil live in Norway. The "offices" is usually in the homes of Tamils who are active in the organization.

HUMANITARIAN WORK

In close cooperation with TCC and the fundraising to LTTE's war effort works the organization Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). This is also a worldwide organization, governed from Australia. In Norway TRO have local group in Oslo, Bergen,. Trondheim, Stavanger, Varda, Molde and Ulsteinvik, the leader of TRO in Norway. Thueairajh Sangaran tells Aftenposten.

On the question whether they cooperate with TCC he replies that they "do not cooperate, but help each other".

Box News:
Army's changed stance a new headache for Koirala

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Koirala who was relaxing in his hometown must have felt a tremor of higher intensity and scale when he learnt of the Chief of the Army Staff Prazwal Shumsher Rana talking in a manner quite contrary to his expectations and assumptions.

Monsiur Rana only the other day point blank told a Royal Nepal Army gathering that his troops were physically and mentally ready to go in for any sort of actions against the Maoists insurgents provided an "all party consensus" is reached in between the major political actors of the country prior to the army is deputed in the troubled areas.

The fact is that only a week back, the Army chief had tentatively acceded to the demands of the Prime Minister and his team that had went to the Palace to convince the King of the Army's support in order to materialize the new scheme charted by the Koirala.

The sudden change in stance of the chief of the army unfortunately very glaringly explains the kind of relation that exists in between the government and the army at the moment.

The Prime Minister who remained confident that the Maoists insurgency will soon disappear from the national scene the moment the army enters into the areas where the Maoists rule the roost with carrot and stick. However, with this new condition put forth by Prazwal Rana, Prime Minister Koirala's dream to tame the Maoists with the use of military force has all gone to the dogs.

A dumb found Koirala could not respond to a query of a media man in Biratnagar when he was asked to comment on Mr. Rana's new vexing proposal. He however, assured the journalist that "he would talk" to Rana and then only can tell the rest.

To recall, the Nepali army has repeatedly been saying in the past that it would obey the government orders provided it is equipped with all party consensus.

Be that as it may, the puzzling condition put forth by the Army chief has come at a time when the Army fully knows that the Koirala regime is in a total mess and that the government can not garner the required support from an opposition which is in an almost inimical position with the regime and hence the deployment of the army were simply remote at least at this juncture as wished by Koirala.

In the meanwhile, two former Army Chief , Sacchit Shamsher and Gadul Shamsher, too through an interview in local weeklies have indirectly supported the views of the incumbent Army chief.

Notably, the agitating UML and its allies have already told the government that they would not come to the meeting where the government wishes to inform them all about the new package meant for the Maoists affected areas.

"' The talks with the government at this juncture is simply futile", said a UML leader to a newspaper recently.

More shocking is the divulgence of Comrade Prachanda when he says that his party will not come to the table to discuss peace formulae with a government that is being discredited by all and sundry.

Summing up, the Army apparently prefers delay in the whole affair. This could mean that they do not wish to kill the Maoists. This finally should mean that Nepali army would prefer not to kill Nepali Maoists at least under Koirala's command.

The Army's changed stance might have emboldened the insurgents for obvious reasons.

RPP seeks a 'mediator role' in national politics

Kathmandu: As the luck would have it, the conglomerate of the former Panchas-the RPP at the moment- has come out with a formulae which they claim could bring about a dramatic change in the country if brought into practice.

The RPP the other day disclosed its six point formulae and appealed all the major political actors of the nation to "forge a national consensus" to get out of the present mess.

In other words, the band of the former Panchas have fixed for themselves a sort of "mediatory role" and have thus signaled to the champions of the last popular movement that their days have gone and that it is only the RPP which could act like a "judge" in settling the present dispute in between the ruling congress faction and the entire opposition.

The six-point prescription forwarded by the RPP touches upon on how to contain the threats of the Maoists; checking corruption and, among others, providing good governance in the country.

The gist of their prescription revolves around the need of the "'benevolent support" from the constitutional monarch in order to get out of the present chaos and stresses the need for a broad national consensus.

"'Our analysis has been that not any single party could be able to solve the country's problems and hence the constitutional monarch should be brought in the picture"', said RPP leader S.B.Thapa Monday afternoon.

He however, hastened to add that his party remained confident that a solution could be obtained from well within the constitution now in force.

The congress and the UML and other parties have yet to forward their exclusive comments on the new RPP proposal.

Deliberate or otherwise, RPPs new formulae are almost similar in content with that of the Army chief's fresh views on forging a national consensus.

The million-dollar question is who will initiate talks with other parties for this consensus, more so with the congress and the Communists, when both the parties behave each other almost like enemies.

Be that as it may, the initiative for bringing about a peaceful atmosphere in the nation has been snatched by the former Panchas. Oh! The clever RPP wallahs.

Whether they succeed in their mission or fail will have to be watched.

Finally, how the Palace reacts to this new RPP overture will also have to be carefully watched.

UML to confer a title on Premier Koirala

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala remains confident that the street agitation sponsored by the UML and its allies can't shake his chair and hence he will not have to resign as demanded by his detractors belonging to the opposition camp.

The UML and its allies, however, remain equally more than confident that their fiery and would be violent street programs ultimately force Girija Prasad to quit the chair.

Till Sunday afternoon, Koirala was lambasting at the activities of the UML dubbing their street agitation to be unconstitutional.

The UML, in the meanwhile has charted a series of programs all aimed against Koirala and his regime. As per the new set of action program, the UML has planned an one hour fifteen minutes Chakka Jam ( Motionless vehicle) scheduled for tomorrow at 5pm. This includes a 30 minutes "'No lights" from 7.30 till 8pm the same evening.

Likewise. Saturday and Sunday will be a day when the abusers of the government owned vehicles will be taken to task if found plying on the roads. However, the vehicles of the Red Cross, Ambulance and those of the Army will be spared.

On Tuesday next, the six left parties including the UML will address a mass meeting at the open theater organised by the UML affiliated GFONT-a trade union.

The climax of the new program will be on next Thursday when the entire communist forces will confer upon a tilte entitled "Corrupt-The Great" on Prime Minister Koirala. To accomplish this event, a ceremony befitting to this occasion will be held nation wide.

The last leg of the new program will commence on Saturday next when the UML and its allies will hold a torch demonstration at 5 pm in some of the important towns of the country.

This means that the UML is determined to go ahead with its one point avowal and that being the summary ouster of Prime Minister from the chair.

Analysing the determination seen in Koirala and in his opposition what could be said that the nation would have to suffer for long time to come-politically and economically both.

A revolutionary's strange pledge

Kathmandu: A former veteran communist, Mr. Kedar Prasad Arjyal, through a press statement has appealed his near and distant relatives not to observe the traditional Hindu rituals after he leaves for heavenly abode.

Mr. Arjyal, a resident of Biratnagar sub-metroplitan city, has bluntly said that since "I do not believe in these expensive and rigorous traditions and hence my dead body be burnt at the nearby river or whatsoever comes as comfortable for my relatives".

The former communist has also said that the money thus saved be utilized in creating a scholarship for a Nepali student belonging to the Morang district's Tharu community at the Mahendra Morang Campus.

The statement which is almost in the form of a will also requests his own family members to arrange a luncheon in honor of those who would accompany his corpse to the river where the funeral ceremony will take place.

This is perhaps first of its kind will coming as it does from a traditional Brahmin.

Perhaps it is Mr. Arjyal's revolutionary spirit that still appears to be very much alive and kicking.

Notice

I thank all of my friends who consoled me and my family at time of my grief due to the sudden demise of my beloved mother, Mrs. Chija Devi Arjyal, who left us all alone in this material world.

My thanks are also due to all friendly diplomats who offered their condolences through letters or emails.

My father along with two elder brothers also join me in extending thanks to all those who offered us the needed courage to bear this mishap at time of deep crisis in our family. My thanks are also due to those professional colleagues who covered the news of this most unfortunate event and exhibited their solidarity with me and my family.

Narendra Prasad Upadhyaya
Kathmandu

| National | 5 Question  | Editorial | 2nd Impression | International | Past |