I n d e p t h    A n a l y s i s

The monarchy retains centre-stage!

Kathmandu: Continued preoccupation with the congress rift plays havoc to national priorities which demand attention on the fundamentals of good governance. Government promises a budget but discussions on it have yet to come public. Much capital is being made by government from the evidently widespread international support for its anti-insurgency priorities. But, that it comes attached with the very precondition of good governance apparently remains lost in the midst of the clamor for supremacy in the ruling party.

Naturally of course, public attention for solace must go to the Palace which seems equally preoccupied with the King's first visit to the two immediate neighbors. These visits appear also to have dominated media concern for quite understandable reasons.

Amidst these preoccupations, the UML seems to have capitalized fully from the visible benefits of a fragmented congress and the confidence of a reunited, UML-ML, vote which together they claim is the largest in the previous elections and manifests the inevitability of any future government being of their making.

It is not surprising therefore that UML sources now claim that the UML will lead government whether the House be reinstated or whether the polls take place. It is also not surprising that public utterances of the UML shy away from any other topic than the compulsion for free and fair elections.

In other words, an election not subscribing to the UML scheme of things now can easily be termed not free and fair. It is this standpoint that meets with the Girija congress claim that the elections can't take place. This in other words means that elections if and when they do take place will not be free and fair. This linkage thus will have to be watched.

Not beyond public scrutiny at all is the discussions in the Supreme Court on the dissolution of the House. The case, one might add, is clearly subjudice. But everybody in office takes public standpoint on it and the hearing court appears silent regarding this. from the right honorable Speaker onwards public comments on the case go unpunished. They do however reflect the individual's actual ignorance of democratic and judicial practice as also their taste in partisan loyalties. Among other things, one is even more confused when in defense of the dissolution none less than the Attorney General makes a plea that the dissolution was backed by the King's wishes and the army's demand. To lay constitutionalists such as us, the constitution prescribes that the Prime Minister commanding a majority in the parliament recommends dissolution and the King is bound to oblige. One legalistic argument is that the government's lawyer made the plea he did to fortify the action with the constitutional clause that says that the King's action may not be scrutinized by the public. But the dissolution of the House is clearly constitutionally prescribed and the AG's plea would seem hardly a constitutional interpretation to be placed before the court. It is these subtle actions that continue to fuel the gleefully orchestrated partisan dispute over the dissolution of the parliament which does not refrain from dragging the constitutional monarchy into a political debate. It is this partisan loyalties that must be condemned.

Strip News/Analysis:
Deuba's party may collapse if declared illegal by EC!

Kathmandu: The fate of the Congress(K) and congress(D) hangs in balance.

The Election Commission is yet to decide as to which one of the two was the genuine congress.

Both the political entities are wrestling with each other in order to get their respective parties certified by the EC as a genuine one and in the process have been furnishing documents at the EC to prove that theirs was the real congress and the other competing one was a bogus one.

Who wins the game will have to be watched.

The Koirala congress claims that since the congress(D) had been formed bypassing all the existing party rules and the norms and that there were certain processes to be complied with prior to the convening of the General Assembly and since the congress-D had not complied with the rules could in no way be declared the genuine congress.

The other side rejects the formers' theory. It says that since the General Assembly is the highest organ of the party and that sine the GA has replaced Koirala from the congress presidency and installed Deuba as the new president and hence the decision of the highest organ of the party has got to be honored. This means that Congress-D claims that it is the real congress but not the one currently being headed by Koirala.

Koirala congress remains adamant and claims that no force on earth could challenge their legality and legitimacy.

Definitely the adamancy exhibited by both the political entities on the issue of the legality of their respective parties is causing headache to the men at the election commission. The EC has to make a choice shortly and that must be a convincing one or else a furore against the declaration of the EC itself can't be ruled out. Challenging the ruling or the verdict made by competent authorities has become a regular phenomenon in Nepal should the verdict go against their taste or liking.

Nevertheless, a section of the intellectuals see no weightage in Deuba's claims. For example, Deuba only the other day while talking to a select group of journalists made it clear, knowingly or even unknowingly, that in the process of forming his party, he had bypassed certain existing rules and regulations of the party. But, says Deuba, this he had to do because he ran short of time for the registration of his party at the EC . This implies that Deuba does admit that certain lapses were there and hence his party, albeit a new one, could well be declared a bogus one.

Yet another complication has gripped the Deuba congress. In effect what happened is that the Deuba congress in haste included in its new central committee all the twelve central committee members of the former congress who had got themselves elected in the last Pokhara convention. The group of the 12 congress men expressed their loyalties with the Koirala congress which has made Deuba's case weaker at the election commission.

Pretty annoyed by the sudden shift in the loyalties by the group of 12, the Deuba congress instantly expelled them all from its new party. It is this sudden turn in congress politics that might cause panic in the Deuba camp and apparently this factor might influence the ECs verdict regarding the legality of the two congress party which it is expected to decide in a day or two or at best by early next week.

But then yet president Koirala too has sleepless nights these days. For if his rival's party is declared genuine would mean end of Koirala's political career. In case the EC decision goes against Deuba would prompt many a congressmen currently in the Deuba camp to switch their allegiance in favor of Koirala for every congressmen would wish to contest the elections with genuine party's flag and emblem. In that case Deuba would be the number one loser. What would happen in such an eventuality is any body's guess.

Box News/Analysis:
Monarchy, constitution and government under constant attack

Kathmandu: Pundits of political science conclude that Nepal's two institutions were under constant attack in the country by the internal as well as external forces.

They also see the government equally being pressed by international donors and by the nation's political forces as well.

In sum, Nepal's Monarchy, Nepal's constitution and the government were all under attack from internal as well external forces for varied reasons.

To begin with, Nepal's constitutional Monarchy is under attack from, above all, Koirala camp for it sees the role of the monarchy increased after the dissolution of the House. In effect, the Koirala camp indirectly hints that the King by not initiating consultations prior to the dissolution of the House has exceeded his constitutional functions, In the same vein, Koirala camp also sees the backing of the military forces to the incumbent prime minister for reasons known only to Koirala and the men in his coterie.

The monarchy is under attack also from the South. If one were to look at the Times Of India Editorial dated 27 June, 2002 entitled Royal Challenge wherein the newspaper supposedly close to the South Block, India, questions the very "purpose and content of (King Gyanendra's) mission (to Delhi)".

The editorial has appeared at a time when Nepal's monarch was in India and that King Gyanendra was in New Delhi at the invitation of the Indian government itself. Under such circumstances, the TOI's questioning King's mission to New Delhi is not only surprising but very offending as well.

More surprising is the fact that the editorial has been presumably penned by a person who has interviewed the King twice, first for the TOI and later for the Door Darshan.

The editorial and its content could have been summarily dismissed had it be not known to the Nepalese intellectuals that the said paper more often than not represented the Indian establishment's views.

It is like Nepal inviting Indian president and seducing the Gorkhapatra or the Rising Nepal to question the very motive and the intention of the visiting Indian dignitary of his Nepal visit.

Nepal's foreign ministry officials do agree that the editorial piece were of an aggressive nature but reject that such write ups warranted strong objections from the Nepali side.

"We read the editorial and that's all", said a foreign ministry official to this scribe. He however, also maintained that King Gyanendra's fresh India visit has brought the two nations closer.

The Nepali monarch has also been the target of no less than nation's Speaker Tara Nath Rana Bhat. Mr. Bhat recently said that the King has committed a blunder by accepting the recommendation of the prime minister for the dissolution of the House. Thus the monarch is under attack from a host of national leaders who mostly belong to the congress camp. In doing so, the Nepali politicians were directly hitting the 1990 constitution as well. The constitution is being interpreted by a section of the congress leaders that is suiting to their partisan political interests.

The fact is that while on the one hand the monarch is silent over such criticisms, the constitution, on the other can't defend itself because it is speechless.

Coming back to the criticisms of the government, what could be best said is that the government is being attacked by its own former party men plus by UML leaders. While Koirala camp has reasons to explode against Deuba, the UML says that from the negotiating table to the jungles, the government of Deuba has miserably failed to tame the Maoists and hence urges the prime minister to quit the chair.

On the other plain, the international donors in London albeit expressed their solidarity with the Deuba regime insofar as the Maoists insurgency was concerned, but concurrently warned the Nepali establishment under Deuba that their support would continue provided the government performed and that too efficiently.

All put together, the monarchy, the constitution and the government have been the target of various forces within and without.

Miscellaneous:
EU team visiting refugee camps

Kathmandu: Perhaps for the first time the Ambassadors of the European Union based in Nepal are heading towards eastern Nepal to look for themselves the plight of the Bhutanese refugees languishing in Nepali camps for well over a decade or so.

The EU delegation is leaving today morning to Biratnagar from where they will proceed to Beldangi, Khudnabari and Sanischare refugee camps.

During the course of the visit to these camps, the visiting EU dignitaries are expected to talk to the refugees in various camps regarding their sad stories which forced them to leave their motherland and will also get information about the resumption of the now pending joint verification process.

To recall, the Bhutanese side is dilly-dallying the repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees who have already been certified as Bhutanese nationals by the joint verification team some six months ago.

The EU team upon return to Kathmandu is also expected to issue a statement and will perhaps appeal the Bhutanese side to speed up the verification process so that the Bhutanese national residing in Nepali camps as refugees could re-enter their motherland with honor and dignity.

Katmandu's political watchers opine that the present visit of the high-powered EU members to the refugee camps in eastern Nepal will definitely put pressure on the Bhutanese side which might result in the resumption of the dialogue in between Nepal and Bhutan.

The EU team will be assisted by the UNHCR office, it is learnt from the EU sources in Kathmandu.

Peace rally for restoration of peace in Nepal

Kathmandu: A peace rally is being organized this Saturday morning by the "Peace Rally Organizing Committee" headed by Mr. Narayan Shrestha.

Mr. Shrestha also is the founder of Helping Hands Nepal and Studies of Ancient and New Nepal, SAAN Research Institute based in Kathmandu.

Talking to the Nepali media men, Mr. Shrestha dwelt at length regarding the importance and the prevalence of peace in this beleaguered Kingdom which once was considered to be Shangri-La on the earth.

"Why peace has become a rare commodity in a country which until a decade back was considered to be a Zone of Peace and that why we the Nepalese people remain terrified these days when we see our own brethren?" asked Shrestha in a voice choked with emotion.

Definitely he was hinting at the ongoing fight-to-finish struggle that was going on in between the Maoists and the Security forces..

He however appealed both the Maoists and the government to come to the negotiation table and restore peace at the earliest.

"Resumption of the dialogue will only contribute for the restoration of peace in the country", Shrestha opined.

55th Anniversary of NCWA

Kathmandu: The Nepal Council of World Affairs, NCWA, celebrated its 55th Anniversary last week amidst a colorful function.

Speaking on the occasion, the president of the NCWA, Mr. Keshav Raj Jha, dwelt at length on the activities of the NCWA in the past. He also praised the incumbent prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in having been able to garner international support in order to combat the menace of terrorism in the country.

Dr. Gopal Pokhrel and Himalaya Kumar Singh also spoke on the occasion.

Nepal's prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the chief guest of the function, highlighted the salient features of Nepal's foreign policy.( See second page for the full text of Deuba's speech made on the occasion).

Fashion art from Korea

Kathmandu: The Ambassador of Republic of Korea, Mr. Ryoo See Ya has said that the "art of fashion is an artistic approach to costume and clothing which also displays the history, tradition and culture of a nation".

Ambassador Ryoo made these remarks at an exhibition entitled "Fashion Art-Air of Korea" which began last Friday.

The exhibition has been organized under the joint collaboration of the Korean Embassy and Nepal Art Council.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest of the function and the General Secretary of the Art Council, Lain Singh Bangdel, opined that such exhibition do contribute in propagating the culture and traditions of a country. He also said that Nepal and Korea had many things in common more so in existing culture and traditions.

On display are the creations of 26 renowned Korean artists at Nepal Art Gallery, Babar Mahal, Kathmandu.

Park Meegnee, President of the Korean Fashion and Culture Association and Professor at Kyung University said that the exhibition will serve as a turning point for exchanges of wider scope including more cultural and industrial activities.

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