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Chand Challenged by overly politicized bureaucracy

Kathmandu: Politics is as if it is taking the now seemingly normal route of tracks and concern on talks. The Government-Maoist, the Government – all party talks, the palace – party talks, and party – party talks are agenda for public posturing and politicizing. This week holds one more talks for public consumption the talks that are expected to be held between the king and the Indian leaders in course of His Majesty’s private religious trip to India next fortnight.

In the meantime, however, public concern grows on the slow pace of delivery of government and the evident lack of concern of its impact on the Palace. The "Daudahas" sent to speed up the administration have yet to receive positive media coverage and there is evidence, it seems, that the congress staff civil service is not too malleable to government priorities on performance.

This is likely to be a stumble to public anticipation of speedy delivery and assertive governance. When the cabinet makes moves to extend the retirement age to be sixty, the principle secretary who must table the proposal to the cabinet refuses to do so and precipitates the early retirement of possible rivals. The impact of this on the body politic is lost on the media amidst charges if government tampering in civil service initiated by non-less than the bureaucracy.

It is lost on society that government must rely on a purposively politicized bureaucracy to cater to the widening expectations of a public hopeful of performance change. This demonstration of blatant defiance is an indication that not all is too well in the Chand government that has been empowered by the palace to correct that aberration in governance of the past years.

Koirala fails to read King’s mind regarding the current situation

Kathmandu: The temptation to meet the King and that too in "private" couldn’t be resisted by the two senior politicos of the country despite the fact that they both had tentatively agreed that they would not meet the monarch henceforth in private but instead as and when the former invited them all together.

What is most interesting of it all is that both Koirala and Madhav Nepal decided so a month back and the witnesses of it all were the rest of the leaders who claim that they were all in a chain against the "regressive" acts of the King and also against the "unconstitutional" government thus installed by the King a few months back.

Promises are made to break is what has come to true.

Despite their earlier avowal stated above, both Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala of the Nepali Congress and Madhav Nepal of the namesake communist party-the UML, met the King at the Royal Palace and "exchanged" views with each other.

Those who frequently meet the King say that Nepali Kings prefer to listen more from the personalities paying courtesy call on Him rather than expressing their personal or for that matter the internal views. If it were a tradition then what could be best guessed is that King Gyanendra apparently remained a silent listener than a personality who could have hinted the attending leaders about his future "schemes" and plans in steering the country. This means that only Koirala and Nepal ventilated their personal and very private feelings, which the King "attentively" listened.

What the Nepali politicians could have told to the King is any body’s guess.

For instance, Koirala, for one, is talked to have told the King that the country’s ailments could be managed if the monarch restored the now dissolved parliament. In effect this is what is the Congress under Girija’s stand. The King listened but made "no" comments on Girija’s million dollar proposal which is what said one of Girija’s aide to media men upon return from the Palace Monday evening.

The fact is that the King apparently is in no mood to oblige Girija for it is this personality who has been bringing heaven down the earth against the King and has gone to the extent in dubbing the King to have represented the forces who wish the existing system to collapse. The King perhaps is in knowledge of what Girija has been saying against him.

This means that Girija went to the Palace, ventilated his internal feelings and returned with a "hope" that the King would not deny his fervent "requests" made this time of the courtesy call.

A beaming Girija upon return expects that the King will act his way. Could be hoping against hope or might ponder over Girija’s proposal for the restoration of the parliament. But will the King do this which goes against the nation’s apex court’s verdict?

That the monarch only listened to Girija becomes clear from the duration of his stay in the Palace at the tête-à-tête. Newspapers differ about Girija’s stay inside the Palace. Some say it lasted for thirty minutes. Others say it went for about forty-five minutes.

Be that as it may, what is clear from the duration of Koirala in the Palace is that there could not be a sort of two-way dialogue in between the monarch and president Koirala. If that would have happened, at least president Koirala could have captured a bit of the monarch’s internal feelings. How sad!

But there is pleasing news for Koirala as analysts have been given to understand by one of his aides upon return from the Palace.

The King reportedly told Koirala to support him as he was one of the senior most political leader of the country.

If this is so then Koirala has reasons to rejoice. But would that be all for Koirala? Or the King would oblige? Remains to be seen after the monarch concludes his impending India trip.

To recall, Koirala, Madhav Nepal, Rohit and one more leader of the four party joint alliance had met at Koirala’s resident Monday mid-day. What was decided here was that those meeting the King would propose an all-party government and the instant dismissal of the Chand’s government. Koirala too promised.

However, Koirala pushed his own "parliament restoration" theory, which has already become his and his party’s one-point agenda.

Senior analysts say that the King might have invited Koirala to express his sincerity for the constitution and the system. The invitation to Koirala could also be a mode of keeping enraged politicians closer giving them the impression that their views, even negative ones, were being heard attentively.

It remains also to be seen how Koirala makes statements upon his return from the Palace.

Is Madhav Nepal the next Prime Minister?

Kathmandu: A clever Madhav Nepal, comparatively speaking, too went against the four-party alliance which had in the recent past vowed that the major political parties grouped in this alliance would turn down any request from the Royal Palace for a royal audience if it came on a separate basis and that they would see the King only if the request came for a group meeting.

The UML leader, now a very powerful man almost close to what the then Lyonid Breznez had been for the then Soviet Union, Madhav Nepal too finally sneaked into the Royal Palace Monday afternoon and is learnt to have in real sense "exchanged" views with the monarch on the contemporary events.

During the meet, Mr. Madhav Nepal too offered his "prescriptions" to the monarch’s perusal and impressed upon the latter that if his prescriptions were brought into practice, the nation’s burning issues could well be addressed.

Fortunately, Madhav Nepal and his party has been demanding the replacement of what it calls an "unconstitutional" government of Lokendra Chand with an all-party government which will later take up the national issues, for example, the Maoists imbroglio, restoration of peace and finally conducting the elections to the parliament.

This is exactly what Madhav Nepal told the monarch and according to Mr. Nepal the King told him that he was not "averse" to his proposal.

Sources close to Madhav Nepal say that the King also assured the visiting communist dignitary that he will continue to "preserve" the constitution and thus urged Madhav and his colleagues not to suspect the monarch’s intentions.

During the talk, Madhav Nepal is supposed to have convinced the monarch that there were "secret bids" that were on to corner or for that matter sideline the "political" roles of the major political parties from the national issues and that until and unless the potential parties were not allowed to play their due role in the process of governance and Maoists imbroglio resolution, the nation’s crisis will remain intact.

In effect, Madhav Nepal appears to have impressed upon the King to use his good offices in instructing the Chand government not to minimize the four party alliances’ role in the current scheme of things in the country. If further analyzed, Madhav Nepal and Koirala would pleasingly accept any offer from the Chand government that comes in the form of an appeal to these politicos to take up the lead.

This also means that both Koirala and Madhav Nepal had started feeling totally "humiliated" for having been totally sidelined by the Chand set up at time of the announcement of the ceasefire with the Maoists. Its corollary could be drawn that Koirala and Nepal could have concluded that if the process of theirs being sidelined continued for long moght affect their future political career. In effect, it is minister Narayan Singh Pun who is everyday hitting the media headlines and not Koirala and Madhav Nepal.

The fact is that if one wished to know what Madhav and Koirala had been doing these days, one has to buy newspapers affiliated to these two politicos. The fact is also that the congress and the UML had not even imagined that a day would come in Nepal when their role would be so drastically cut. The ground reality is that the government is all set to initiate the peace negotiations with the Maoists some time this week. The four party alliances’ boycott of Monday all-party meet will apparently not deter the government to keep the process on. And this is what the Maoists too apparently wish which means that the negotiating parties would not mind the talks continuing even in the total absence of the major political parties’ participation.

The fact is that the government invited them Monday for an all-party talks but these parties declined the invitation stating that any meeting called by an "unconstitutional" government would be unacceptable for them.

However, the fact is also that Madhav and Koirala rushed to the Palace to see the Monarch who has formed this government whom they both call an unconstitutional one.

Sources close to the UML say that the King told Mr. Nepal that he would think of Nepal’s proposal for an all-party government upon his return from India. And that was all from the King.

By and by, the King also hinted that time permitting he would see the leaders of political parties’ in a group.

Finally, Madhav Nepal has returned from the Palace. His utterances does hint that he have had two-way dialogue with the monarch which the monarch denied Koirala. This means that Madhav Nepal must have read the King’s inner minds regarding the existing situation.

Analysts say that the monarch appears to have taken Madhav’s proposal very seriously whose effects could be seen when the monarch returns from his impending India sojourn.

Some analysts say that Madhav Nepal’s stay in the palace for about two hours is meaningful and significant as well.

If an all party government is formed by the monarch in the near future would mean that Madhav had been able to convince the monarch. If that does happen, is it Madhav Nepal the next prime minister?

If he obliges Madhav Nepal then would not the move mean yet another "unconstitutional" measure by the King for he would do so by the utilisation of the "residual powers" and the executive powers that the King is supposed to have in his own personality? And this is what the political parties have been demanding that a government be formed which possesses executive powers of the monarch.

This would mean that to satisfy Madhav’s ego, the King is being prompted to act in a different manner but which is of its liking to the political parties.

For example, the King forms an all party government and utters that he now devolved his executive powers to the government thus formed. And what if the King dismisses the government thus formed and says that the executive powers now again in his own hands? This would mean that if it were of the liking of the political parties, even if the King acted unconstitutionally should mean constitutional. Here lies the paradox indeed.

Indian interests in Government-Maoists talks increasing

Kathmandu: Friendly India declared the Maoists as "terrorists" much ahead of the Nepal government’s declaration.

Now that Nepal has lifted the terrorist tag from the heads of the insurgency, India is yet to lift the same.

Whether for India the Maoists continue to be as terrorists or not remains yet to be answered given the ground reality that the Nepali establishment is all set to bring the Maoists to the negotiating table at the earliest.

Perhaps India will continue to treat the Maoists as terrorists because she considers that Nepali Maoists still continue to have links with some groups in India, which create problems inside their territories.

Be that as it may, that India wishes to be a part in the Government-Maoists dialogue became clear when Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibbal demanded last fortnight that talks in Nepal must be transparent. The Indian dignitary also instructed Nepal not to sideline the major political parties at time of the talks which meant that India preferred the active presence of NC and the UML at time of future negotiations with the Maoists for it felt that the present regime in Kathmandu totally had ignored the parties mentioned above. This ultimately means that India favors the NC and the UML participation at the talks for unexplainable reasons.

All put together, the Indian leadership wishes transparency in Government-Maoists talks; it also wishes the major political parties to take active part in the talk process; she also would very much wish to be a part of the whole process that restores peace in Nepal.

Analysts maintain that India’s concern in this regard is bit puzzling. India’s concern for maintaining transparency is unthinkable as such susceptible issues apparently proceed through quiet diplomacy. Regarding its favoring not sidelining the major political parties is understandable for analysts in Kathmandu too would wish their active involvement at the talks. But what is surprising here is India’s extra sympathy shown towards Nepal’s major political forces. This has not yet been explained.

Regarding its tacit preference for a role in the talks is what is puzzling the Nepalese intellectuals from the day it was aired in Delhi by Mr. Sibbal. Sibbal is yet to clarify as to what sort of role India would wish to have in the talks? Is it that India would wish to remain as a witness to the peace process? Or is it that India would wish to push its own agenda, if any, for the perusal of both the negotiating parties? So many things need to be answered here.

Having made clear its susceptibilities through Kanwal Sibbal, New Delhi is more than sure to push its agenda when King Gyanendra would be greeted there.

Intellectuals here question as to how King Gyanendra would react to Indian proposals or for that matter the hints it aired in the recent past when pressed by Delhi at time of the official level meetings? Will the King give a nod? Or will the King reject the Indian concerns out rightly?

What is for sure is that as usual the Nepali King will be told to clarify the recent Nepal events in details by the Indian leadership.

These would be clear on how the talks proceed upon King’s return from India.

Question is being raised here: Whether we the Nepalese ourselves can sort out this imbroglio or we need third party mediation? Do we lack that competence that we need invite foreign parties, more so India?

Last but not the least, question also arises how the Maoists would react to recent Indian overture? Will they accept Indian role or reject it?

Much will also depend on how the rebels react to these pertaining questions.

Analysts maintain that all that Nepali side can do is to assure the other side of the border that her security susceptibilities will be taken proper care of.

Telegraph adds : His Majesty’s India visit will assume official status while being in India.

Giscard d’Estaing Honoured

Aachen : The French Statesman is to receive the Charlemagne Prize for his services to Europe

The President of the European Convention and former French president, Valery Giscard d’Estaing 77, will receive the 2003 International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen. The award was recently announced by Prof. Dr. Walter Eversheim, the spokesman of the Charlemagne prize Board of Directors. The prize will be presented in the Coronation Hall of Aachen City Hall on May 29, 2003. As Eversheim explained, Giscard d’Estaing will be honoured as a great statesman and European "Who has rendered outstanding services to a united Europe in different positions over many decades and who has now assumed the task, together with the members of the Convention, of reshaping the European community by drafting European constitution. The Charlemagne Prize is considered one of the most important European honours. It has been awarded to personalities and institutions since 1950 and celebrates services to the unification of Europe. 

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