I n d e p t h    A n a l y s i s
Mainstream parties stake claim to talks

Kathmandu: That our mainstream parties are now desperate to catch up with the sensational government-Maoist cease fire breakthrough is evinced in their revised welcome of the events qualified with reservations regarding participation and content of talks. As politicians claiming the monopoly of organized politics in the country, they chose to question the very intents talks that have evidently sidelined their participation.

As if in response both government and the Maoist have begun contacts with the political parties which had previous to the breakthrough treated both as pariah. Government, as the party standpoints goes, is an unconstitutional extension of the usurped powers of parliament. The Maoist are undemocratic forces intended to overthrow the constitution itself.

Insinuations and innuendo apart, the unholy alliance suggested by the parties have not prevented their staking a claim to the talks and protesting with suspicious at the suddenness of it all. The talking parties on the other hand appear to be going about their business with occasional postures of public allegations at each other and the odd public gestured of reaching out.

Notwithstanding, these transparent moves, actual transparency on the contents of the talks and agreements on the coming developments have seemingly deliberately been kept a preserve of the talking partied alone. At one level, this would be a wise strategy of discretion given the stakes and previous experience. At another level, however, this grist for partisan talks of conspiracy.

It is predictable therefore that the coming days will see the mainstream political parties claiming more say in the talks for fear of being bypassed totally. The Congress has begun blowing hot and cold on the seemingly widening distance between themselves and the government. It awaits a UML response to their efforts for a united standpoints. The UML having concluded their convention would want to keep their options open. Nevertheless, the coming days would see the two mainstream parties coalesce in moves to nudge into the talks in the guise also a pressuring government. It will thus be safe to say that the immediate weeks may reflect such double-pronged postures in an attempt to rile up the streets. For the moment, the public at large remain anticipatory and thus will maintain a watch and see approach. Unfortunately, the government has yet to cash in.

What ‘alarms’ most the six-party political alliance ?

Kathmandu: Nepali politics, visible and invisible both, is on the move.

At times the ongoing politics gives the impression that some one somewhere is twisting the politics to favor its side.

Those hatching conspiracy could be, among other several forces within and without, from the established political parties too for it is these parties , opine analysts, who not only were neglected but also were totally ignored at time of arriving at a ceasefire thus already announced by the government and the Maoists rebels some fifteen days back.

In having been sidelined these political parties feel that their roles were ignored to the extent that now if they do not effort at asserting their roles in the present day changed context, they would either lose their credibility among the eyes of their own voters or the entire political scene would be dictated by yet another political axis which is yet to take a concrete shape.

So far nothing of that sort has come into existence but yet the political parties fear of that impossible to become possible should they do not endeavour to bring the country’s politics under their grips.

The congress led by Girija sees as usual a "grand-design" in the entire affair that all of a sudden managed a ceasefire declaration in between the establishment and the unbending Maoists rebels.

A panicked Girija sees the sudden turn of events a "threat to democracy", a system that he himself disfigured during his Prime Ministership.

A clever UML has kept its options "open" analysing that the party could use the card in a manner that would suit its most. This means that the UML as a party could encourage the rest of the democratic forces to forge a joint struggle if country’s politics ignored its politics. In the same vein, the policy of keeping the options open also provides it with an opportunity and leverage to bargain with both: the establishment and the Maoists rebels. The corollary of it could be also derived that should the moment so desire it could assist the constitutional monarchy should he provide "political concessions" or for that matter facilitates a way for greater roles to the UML in the affairs of the state.

But what couldn’t be ignored here is that the newly elected General Secretary of the UML, Monsieur Madhav Nepal has suddenly stepped up his political activities vis-à-vis the government-Maoists ceasefire. In the process he has been meeting practically all leaders of Nepal’s major political parties either in his house or in the office and urging them all to remain alert from the would be designs of those who brought about a ceasefire in between the two warring rivals.

Madhav Nepal also sees a threat to the "gains" of the 1990 popular movement in the sudden announcement of the ceasefire and has been urging all to unite to safeguard the same.

The rest of the political parties have been following him like their own party leader. For the lay men, what is surprising is that this he has been doing after he met a very powerful Ambassador at his residence early this week. UML sources say that the diplomat was there to greet Madhav Nepal for his fresh victory.

Interestingly enough, Madhav Nepal this time invited the two parties too, the RPP and the NSP, which were excluded from their previous "six-party alliance" for commiting a sort of blunder by entering into the Chand cabinet which according to them remains yet "unconstitutional" one.

Not very surprising therefore, the RPP Chairman, Pashupati Rana, utilised Mr. Nepal’s forum fit for making scathing criticisms against his own party prime minister. In doing so, Mr. Rana killed two birds with one stone. Firstly, by attending the meet, he could exhibit his democratic credentials to the rest of the five, and secondly he also exhibited his anger for the Chand government for keeping the party, read the RPP, in total dark regarding the progress in the government-Maoists talks that led to the ceasefire. In doing so, he also hinted his alliance members that his party too had taken the ceasefire in a mysterious manner as the other alliance partners have taken. Mr. Rana also joined the coalition partners and sought the details of the talks that brought the announcement of the ceasefire into existence.

The poor Nepal Sadbhavana Party at the moment is busy in sacking their own party president for his what they prefer to call follies. Mr. Badri Mandal in a day or two would most probably be sacked. Mr. Mandal’s detractors who attended Madhav Nepal forum joined chorus of the alliance partners and demanded transparency in the would be talks with the Maoists.

All in all, the political parties housed in the six-party alliance appear determined to assert their roles in the impending talks with the Maoists. In the process, they have all demanded satisfactory clarifications from both, the government and the Maoists, regarding the process through which ceasefire was announced and the mode of the talks that are likely to follow soon.

The six-party alliance has though hailed the announcement of the ceasefire but have also warned that any talks in between the government and the Maoists excluding the parliamentary parties would meet with proper resistance which means a movement.

In effect, the six party alliance fears the possibility of an alliance of the "two powers with guns" to wipe them out from the country’s political scene.

But will that be possible?

Indian displeasure against Nepal

Kathmandu: Indications are that Nepal’s friendly neighbor, India, is not happy with the events that have started unfolding in this beleaguered Kingdom in the recent days and weeks.

To begin with, our southern neighbor is not apparently happy with the suddenly announced ceasefire in between the Maoists and the government. Or else what could have best prompted The Times of India, a broadsheet Indian daily widely considered to be excessively close to the government of India, to write editorial titled "Royal Rebels" in one of its issues printed some thirteen days back.

As the title of the editorial itself speaks so many things at one stretch, most importantly it does speak that the Indian establishment is not at all happy with the sudden announcement of the ceasefire for obvious and understandable political reasons.

As if the editorial was not sufficient to exhibit its utter displeasure on the unfolding Nepal events, the Indian Prime Minister chose to hit Nepal very hard by alleging that "Pakistan had been expanding its campaign ( implied terrorism) in Nepal.

Though no official denials or rebuttals have come to the fore from Nepal’s foreign ministry but then yet Prime Minister Bajpayee’s blunt remarks made against Nepal has aroused much concern among the informed citizenry who wish to term it as a "regular phenomenon" and appeal the lay men to take it lightly.

In saying so, prime minister Bajpayee implies that Nepal’s Maoists too had been posing threats to India’s security at the behest of Pakistsn.

(To recall, Pakistan Ambassador in Kathmandu was quick enough to dismiss the claims made by Bajpayee and has refuted fresh Indian allegations in very strong words.)

This means that India if on the one hand is not happy with the Maoists-Government deal for a ceasefire then she is equally susceptible of the Maoists being used by Pakistan tom pose a threat to her security concerns.

Indian allegation have had two fold benefits to Nepal politically speaking.

While this allegation will bring the Maoists and the government more closer than ever, it would also distance the Maoists with India.

Indications to this effect have already come to the fore from the write ups of the two top hats of the Maoists insurgency, Prachanda and Babu Ram Bhattarai.

While Comrade Prachanda says that such references might have appeared in the foreign media because they fear that their "expansionist" policies will take a back seat if Nepal restored peace and stability in the country. Apparently, in communist vocabulary, the term expansionist is used to denote India for unknown reasons.

Like wise, Dr. Bhattarai laments in one of his freshly printed articles wherein he says that why some sectors wish to cage them either in the Narayan Hiti camp or the Delhi camp. He questions as to why those who prefer to defame their insurgency do not see their presence in the huts, in the villages, and in the hearts of the poverty stricken people of the country. According to him, the insurgency is popular in the huts and villages.

A quick look at these two separate statements coming as it does from the two top hats of the insurgency which has appeared after the editorial Royal Rebels and much later after Bajpayee’s fresh allegations against Nepal becomes food for thought for the Nepali intellectuals.

Does all this mean that India exhibited its displeasure simply because its role was ignored? Or is it that the present ceasefire in any way goes against the interest of neighboring India? Or is it that Nepal wished the prolongation of the hostilities in between the State and the Maoists in Nepal?

But then India too has welcomed this new development.

Be that as it may, it is time that Comrade Prachanda and Dr. Bhattarai double their efforts in restoring peace and stability in their own motherland and foil the efforts of those who apparently wish to see a weaker Nepal for unexplainable reasons.

Nepal’s Parliamentary parties suspect Maoists explanations

Kathmandu: Nepal as a nation-State is definitely in a very crucial phase.

It has to decide at the earliest whether it would afford a prolonged war or a permanent peace. It has at the same time to decide as to whether the Maoists and the government should broker permanent peace in the country alone or the rest of the parliamentary parties too should be allowed their due and respected representation at the talks which is to determine the fate of the nation.

The government says it is ready to invite all the major political actors in the process of talks that is yet to begin. For the government says that it would be futile to expect a major breakthrough in the talks with the Maoists without their participation. In saying so, the establishment wishes to hint that a total transparency would be observed, as demanded by the parliamentary parties, so that that would exhibit the establishment’s total commitment for the democratic system.

Exactly this is what the Maoists top hats have been saying so.

But there is panic among the political parties who consider themselves to the lone protector of the system forgetting that it were these political men who forced the Maoists to the jungles.

These panicked ones feel that the monarchy and the Maoists have already struck a clandestine deal which time permitting will sideline their politics and that a new axis will come into vogue soon.

This fear is forcing them all to have sleepless nights.

The suspicions of the parliamentary parties gets doubled when they read Comrade Prachanda as saying that the ceasefire they announced a few days back is the sole result of theirs having agreed to this with the King.

But in the same vein he says that his insurgency as per its established rule had no other options than to negotiate this deal as it is this institution which wielded power at the moment and hence the talks with this very institution. In the same vein, he however, assures that this in no way should mean that they will proceed the talks without their due participation. In effect, Comrade Prachanda has appealed all, including parliamentary parties, civil society members and other responsible citizenry, to be a part of the talks that will follow soon.

The parliamentary parties do not take Prachanda’s declaration at its face value and seek more clarification from him on the secret events that dawned the ceasefire.

Prachanda’s fresh interview which says that since the "old power" has installed Chand in government and thus his insurgency would initiate talks with the niminee of the King. "It matters little whether it is Chand or someone like tom, dick and harry. He however, assures all that this should not be construed as providing "legitimacy" to the Chand government.

The political parties now in the six-party coalition got yet another jerk when they were forced to read Dr. Bhattarai’s fresh article printed in various newspapers wherein he says: " it is time that the political parties in parliament must now decide as to whether they chose to side with them or the other camp.

Dr Bhattarai gives only two options to the parliamentary parties. Which they would prefer to side with given "Two power; two military force and two ideologies".

Definitely, Dr. Bhattarai in saying so does amply hint that they amount to a forceful power; they possess their own army and that they also possess their own ideology.

A panicked parliamentary parties too have retorted back with more or less similar question to the Maoists.

They have asked the Maoists: whether you wish to side with the parliamentary parties in order to make forward looking progress or wish to side with the regressive forces.

It is these verbal duels that is perhaps consuming much of time and energy of the politicians in both the camps: the parliamentary parties and the Maoists.

The Maoists appear in a mood to convince the parliamentary parties of their good intentions.

The parties suspecting the fresh overtures in the country would perhaps forget every thing the moment they are given their due role which they were deliberately or other wise denied at time of the announcement of the cease fire. And what is the harm in it after all?

In doing so, Nepal’s national interests would be better served and nationalism enhanced.

Little Nepal in Munich, Germany

Kathmandu: A Nepal Promotion Center, NPC, has recently been established at Wiesent-Martiniplatte located in Munich, Germany.

Established and to be operated, funded entirely by the Implementing Experts Group that comprises of a group of Nepalese entrepreneurs, professionals and artisans and Mr. Heribert Wirth, the founder Chairman of a VERY FAMOUS German social organization called "Water for the World.

According to the personalities involved in the establishment of the NPC, the NPC would endeavour to contribute in the economic and social development of Nepal and also will strive for the promotion of trade, investment, tourism and technological development between Nepal and Germany.

It should be noted here that it is this group which managed the successful transfer of the entire Nepal pavillion of the Hanover Expo 2000 from the exhibition site Hanover to Munich. The group was sentimentally assisted by Mr. Heribert Wirth to Munich.

The temple is erected in the center of an area of 25 hectares land, the Nepal Himalaya Pavillion now being called, presents together Swayambhunath Stupa and Changunarayan temple with Laligurans garden in the compound and adjoining to this a pond and a meditation center, among others.

Mr. Amrit Shakya, one of the brains for this venture, addressing a press meet last week hoped that the pavillion in Munich would act a cultural ambassador of Nepal not only in Germany but in the entire Europe.

German Ambassador, Rudiger Lemp hoped that the Nepal pavillion, also called Little Nepal, would be able to present Nepal in all of its aspects for the Europeans and hoped that this would contribute in promoting German tourism in Nepal.

Mr. Wirth, a German national who becomes sentimental and can’t control his tears as and when he comes across Nepal and her citizens, said that Nepal can have proud in her artisans and craftsmen.

The total cost of the management of this pavillion would be borne by Mr. Wirth, he disclosed at the press meet.

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