Indepth Analysis

Koirala threat to Deuba talks!

Kathmandu: Strong words from the Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka constitute a threat to the Maoists who are now being given clearer messages of the need for productive dialogue in the government-Maoists talks. Equally strong words from the Maoists negotiator Krishna Bahadur Mahara suggest that the Maoists remain adamant refuting new government demands for a surrender of weapons and a cessation of organizational activities. Indications are that both the government and the Maoists are being pressed for tangible returns by the third round. Indications are also that the third round is going to take place soon.

It is perhaps in anticipation of such belligerent tones from both the sides have been taken to a new pitch. The Maoists continue to demand the release and information on more cadres. The government has finally made public the number of people in Maoists captivity. The Maoists threaten the breakdown of the ongoing talks if demands are not to be met. The government threatens harsh action if Maoists continue the belligerence. Somewhere, the note of such public utterances suggests a crisis in the offing in case a meeting point is not reached. It is this that suggests a flurry of homework on part of both the parties to at least give the appearance that the third round is tangible.

 And so the possibility of a meeting point in a new elections with Maoists' participation for the latter to claim in public that their demands are intact and will be met by popular vote is not a remote possibility. For the government, this possibility will open claims that their talks succeeded in bringing the Maoists to the political mainstream.

It is not surprising therefore that the Deuba camp within the congress has suddenly begun voicing inhibitions regarding the actual outcome of the talks. This camp for very practical reasons will want that President Girija Prasad Koirala oversees any such elections. A national government under Deuba would be deemed a setback for Koirala's strength. Once again, if there is a threat to Sher Bahadur Deuba, it will be his own party. The party has already begun imposing demands on the government, which the government may not be able to deliver. Foremost among such will be the Maoists-Government talks.

Deuba's trouble is real: Ruling government ministers' sharply differ on Maoists issue; Koirala strengthens his position

Kathmandu: Some one some where is presumably playing villain to the Government-Maoists talks.

This becomes amply evident from the abruptly changed mood and the stances seen in both the two quarters more so after the conclusion of the second round of Maoists-Government talks held in Bardiya.

While on the one hand contradictory statements and speeches emanate from the government quarters, on the other the Maoists quarter too appear to have gone over confident.

To begin with, let us analyze some of the speeches made in the recent days by two stalwarts belonging to Prime Minister Deuba's cabinet.

Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka's blunt avowal made in Birganj the other day wherein he says that "should the talks fail, the government will deal with the insurgents in a very strong manner and that the government will not heed to the insurgents demands pertaining to the scrapping up of the Armed Police Force, Public Security Regulations and the likes. I will rather opt for resignation if the government led by Deuba decides to do so".

Although Minister Khadka is not included in the government team negotiating with the Maoists but yet his position as the Home Minister of the nation is definitely a weighty one and hence his utterances could in no way be dismissed outright.

Analysts see meaning in minister Khadka's fresh expressions. Firstly, Khadka either has clearly understood that the Maoists issue could not be resolved through colloquy at the expensive jungle "resorts". Secondly, he could have been secretly briefed by his informers at the ministry that the Maoists were simply buying time with a view to come heavily down against the government security machinery by lingering the talks and engaging the government in the peripheral matters. Thirdly, it could be that minister Khadka's preference of including his "men" in the yet to be expanded ministry were not being given due attention and weightage by the incumbent Prime Minister and hence as a retaliatory measure the fresh blunt utterances from him which undoubtedly were aimed at hinting Deuba that he was not happy with the latter for all "practical reasons". Fourthly, it could also be possible that minister Khadka changed his allegiances, in the mean time, from Deuba to Koirala!

To recall, minister Khadka is admired for his "bargaining" capabilities by his colleagues albeit in a negative fashion.

Be that as it may, minister Khadka's statements in no way support Deuba initiated peace-process with the Maoists. More so, a government representative of Khadka's stature must keep himself cool enough in order not to dampen the peace process. However, Khadka did not do so. This means that either Khadka is angry with Deuba for the latter's failure in managing the former's men included in the cabinet or at best Khadka shifted his support in Koirala's favor.

To recall, Khum Bahadur Khadka a few years back too advocated the idea of Republicanism in Nepal. However, when Koirala chided him at the party's CC meeting, Khadka made a U turn from his "radical" statement.

Similarly, let us look what minister Chiranjibi Wagley has to say in these regards.

Minister Wagley, the chief peacemaker from the side of the establishment, Monday evening said that "the Maoists have not at all crossed their boundaries and that they were very much ready for the third round of talks. Let us hope that the next round of talks comes out positive".

Minister Wagley's proclamation made Monday at an all party meeting held inside Baluatar is a responsible one indeed. As chief negotiator he has apparently wished not to annoy the opposite camp. As a seasoned politician, minister Wagley reasonably knows of the damage minister Khadka's utterances could pose to the third round of talks should the negotiating team too go on the rampage in denouncing the Maoists and their recent unacceptable activities. This again means that the negotiating team led by Wagley is yet to get carried away by some hostile forces that apparently were frightened should Deuba succeed in sorting out the Maoists issue. Prestige issue perhaps.

Insiders of the congress who find comfortable with Koirala opine that President Koirala is in a mood to rebound to the Singh Durbar power corridor should the nation decide to form an interim government comprising of the Maoists as well. To recall, the UML and some other potential political parties too subscribe to the view that the Maoists should enter the national political mainstream as and when such interim government meant for the election is formed. The UML, for example, opines that a minor reform could well be effected in the existing constitution which would allow not only the Maoists to enter into the present democratic set up but will also take care of some of the anomalies which have retarded the development of the nation. Going a bit more further, K.P.Woli only recently even dared to allot the number of seats to the members of various political parties as per their present strength in the House in the would be interim order that is to house even the members of the insurgency.

Koirala's wish to bounce back to power by replacing his bete noir Deuba has come to the fore only today, Tuesday, when he picked up a good number of names for the vacant posts of the party's central committee. Those nominated today were all, say Koirala opponents, yes men of the former Prime Minister Koirala. These political overtures indicate that congress' internal politics is poised for a major change which will definitely go against Sher Bahadur Deuba indeed. This perhaps also explain Koirala never ending lust for power.

Summing up, what could be best inferred from these two diametrically opposing statements coming as it does from the government quarter is that not only the ruling party differs with its own government on the resolution of the Maoists imbroglio but also some personalities in the government too subscribe approaches subscribed by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Should this mean that Deuba's days were numbered? Undoubtedly Sher Bahadur Deuba should be in trouble these days. Poor Prime Minister indeed.

Government and Maoists both exceed their functions!

Kathmandu: The Maoists chief negotiator Krishna Bahadur Mahara apparently has gone crazy.

If one were to analyze Mahara's recent political outbursts made specially after the Bardiya talks, what could be deduced is that either Mahara is be-fooling the national population or is talking sense remaining true to the declared stances of his insurgency.

If one goes deep into Mahara's Biratnagar fiery speech, what becomes amply clear is that the Maoists insurgency have not budged even an inch from their avowals of turning Nepal into a Republican state and that they will not enter into this political mainstream unless the 1990 constitution is replaced by another one which enjoys their support.

The fact is that the government which sat for two round of talks with the insurgents possess no mandate and hence question does not arise at all of the insurgents' being obliged. This hard reality the insurgents' too knew well before attending to the previous rounds of talks.

Now therefore a very pertinent question could well be posed to the Maoists as to why they attended the talks with the government when they knew well in advance of the government's inability in meeting their some what awkward demands?

Yet another question could be asked to the Maoists as to why they have been stating that they were fully prepared for yet another round of talks with the government when they beforehand know the results?

This is what has puzzled the innocent brains of Nepali population which has got to be clarified by the insurgents' quarters at the earliest before the national population suspected their real motives.

The fact is that after the second round of talks in Bardiya, both sides, the government and the Maoists-have exceeded their functions. In effect, both the parties already in negotiation crossed their limits and preferred to use terror tactics in order to frighten the other camp.

While the government presumably under instigation from certain quarters or for that matter under popular pressure hinted the insurgents' that its entire security machinery were kept on high alert and that could pounce on the insurgency should the latter continued its insistence on "unacceptable demand" and the ongoing talks failed. In the process, say the insurgents, the Nepali army and police went against the cease-fire agreement arrived at in between the two and harassed their men in various districts.

"Such acts intimidation from the side of the government are unacceptable which might force us to conclude that the agreement of the cease-fire does not exist at all", say the insurgents.

The government is forcing us to again take up the arms, add the leaders of the Maoists insurgency.

Nevertheless, the ground reality is that the national population is yet to understand the nitty-gritty's of the Maoists advocated kind of Republicanism in Nepal. The fact is that a sizeable population do not even understand what Republicanism meant? Therefore, K.B.Mahara's blunt assertion that majority of the population was in favor of a Republic State in Nepal becomes very difficult to digest at least at this stage.

The fact is that the majority of the communists party in Nepal seems against turning Nepal into a republic as desired by the insurgents. For example, the UML is openly against Maoists advocacy.

The surest way for fulfilling the real and internal wishes of the Maoists would be to bag popular support by entering into the system and later swing the people in their favor. Indeed, it would take time.

However, one has to admire the courage and the sensitivity of Comrade Prachanda who summarily the other day apologized from the countrymen for the extortion process acquired by some of his cadres in various parts of the country. In effect, comrade Prachanda should have strictly warned his cadres to refrain from such processes of extortion under pressure and duress that undoubtedly has damaged considerably their popularity or for that matter sympathies what ever the lay men possessed for their insurgency by default.

Comrade Prachanda and his armed compatriots would do well and understand the gravity of the changed situation in and around the region and the world at large and honestly attend the peace process so that the national population could admire their political flexibility made in the name of the nation and its citizens. The government too is advised not to irritate the insurgents to the extent that they may not reenter the jungles. Utterances of the sort of minister Khadka will only disturb the peace process. This applies to Mahara as well.

Responsible quarters do not wish to see a Nepali killed by another Nepali. For the lay men, both lives, be it in the government's security machinery or in the Maoists camp, are very precious.

It is high time that both agree for the dates for the third round of talks.

Monsieur Joy Dewan is NATA president

Kathmandu: The biennial election of Nepal Association of Travel Agents (NATA) was held Sunday, September 23, 2001 in Kathmandu to form NATA Executive committee.

Monsieur Joy Dewan, the energetic Managing Director of Zenith Travels was elected the President of the Association.

Dewan secured 108 votes to return the election defeating Narendra Dev Bhatta, Managing Director of Heritage Travels & Tours and former Vice-President of NATA.

Similarly, S.P.Shrestha (Om Travels), Shashi Ram Bhandary (Shashi's Holidays), Dhurba Narayan Shrestha (Lalima Travels), Kedar Bantawa Rai (Pacific Travel) and Arjun Sharma (Shiva Travels) have been elected as First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary General, Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

Other elected executive members of the association are Renu Bajracharya (Suruchi Travel), Krishna Bahadur Shahi (Krishna International), Basanta Bahadur Hamal (Moon Travel), Gautam Manandhar (Travel Planner), Dibya Prabha Shahi (Dianna Travels) and Madhu sudhan Acharya (Dynamic Services). Out of 177 active members 173 exercised their votes. There were 29 candidates for various positions.

As per the provisions of NATA Gandaki Chapter Statue, which is approved by the Central Committee of NATA, there is a provision of representation of one member in the Executive Committee of the Association. Bhim Pahari (Pahari Travels, Pokhara), representative from NATA Gandaki Chapter was declared enlisted as NATA executive member. Bhola Bikram Thapa, immediate past president will also remain as an office bearer (IPP) in the new committee.

NATA Statue has the provisions of having 15 members in the executive committee. Twelve elected two ex-officio members and the President in consultation with his colleagues in the committee nominates one. This nomination is yet to be done.

NATA election held Sunday was scheduled to be held on September 7, 2001 immediately after the Annual General Meeting. But due to technical reasons it was postponed and was given to the care of NATA ad-hoc committee comprising of five senior travel personalities which included Ambica Shrestha, Yadav Khanal, R.R.Pandey, Basant Mishra and Bhola Bikram Thapa entrusted with the responsibility to conduct the election.

Mr. Joy Dewan is also the General Sales Agent for the Qatar Airways, SriLanka Irways and the Dragon Air, Hongkong.

The Telegraph weekly congratulates Mr. Dewan and hopes that during his tenure as the president of the NATA, the dwindling tourism sector in Nepal gets a real boost.

Consul General in Boston (USA) Sobin no more

Kathmandu: Julian M. Sobin, Honorary Royal Nepalese Consul General for Boston (USA) left for his heavenly abode on August 29, 2001, it is learnt from his family sources in the United States.

 During his tenure as Consul General, late Sobin's personal and official efforts to enhance the bilateral relations were worth admiration.

Worth mentioning is late Sobin's contribution in promoting people to people level contacts between the two countries, more so with the people of Boston (New England area) and Kathmandu valley.

He was 57.

His wife and loving family members survive late Sobin.

The Telegraph condoles the sudden demise of late Sobin and prays the Almighty to offer eternal peace to the departed soul and give the needed courage to the members of the bereaved family.

We hope that Mrs. Sobin will shoulder the entire responsibilities of her late husband and work for the betterment of Nepal-US ties in the future.

Befitting US action against terrorists inevitable

Kathmandu: The Director at the American Information Center, Robert Kerr has said that his country will take "befitting measures" against the perpetrators of the September 11 explosions in America at an "appropriate" time.

Mr. Kerr made these observations last week at an interaction program organized by the Press Chautari.

"It is time that all the peace loving and the civilized-enlightened democratic world forge a sort of alliance to combat the menace of terrorism so that the world lives in peace", added Robert Kerr.

Mr. Kerr who is concurrently Public Relations Officer at the US embassy in Kathmandu also expressed his profound gratitude for the kind sentiments expressed by the Nepalese population over the ghastly incident that hit the United States very hard on September 11 and sent chilling waves in other countries as well.

"Our fight has nothing to do with any religion or whatsoever instead our battle is with the terrorists and those who encourage terrorism", continued Robert Kerr.

To a query of this weekly, Robert maintained that the terrorists could even use biological weapons as a retaliatory measure after the determined US attack on Osama Bin Laden and his cohorts.

The US suspects Osama's hands in the September 11 blasts which devastated the World Trade Center and took many a precious innocent lives.

"This will not deter us from our avowal and we are ready to go to any length in wiping out the ugliest menace from the face of the earth indeed in cooperation with our allies and peace loving nations of the world", concluded Robert Kerr.

Sambhu Shrestha chaired the interaction program.

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