I n d e p t h    A n a l y s i s
King stresses constitutionalism

Kathmandu: King Gyanendra has come out clearer still. His reaffirmation that he will stick to the constitutional process and nudge the country’s polity towards elections sends the political parties to a further scurry of confusion. He has been asking for their cooperation in the formation of an impartial, clean government that can remove the impediments to elections, conduct the elections and restore parliament. In Pokhara, he has set the election date.

The agitating political parties now ridicule the date claiming that the impossibility of elections manifests the King’s regressive ambitions. The fact is that their cooperation in government lacking and the Maoists insurgency being as it is, the elections will not take place. On the other hand, their cooperation forthcoming would set the ball rolling for decisive negotiations with the insurgents to remove the impediments for elections. It is thus that the political parties must take up the election cudgel or be ignored outright. As yet their standpoints help marginalize them in the body politic confusing the peace process. Of this, as Pokhara once again proved, the people are aware. Despite tremendous security constraints imposed purposely by the Maoists blockade and timed with the Royal visit in the region, and despite virulent opposition to the Royal visit by the agitating parties, the success of the Pokhara felicitations very much indicates that the people are increasingly turning to the King for a solution to the national crisis. Pokhara, moreover, indicates that despite the popular pressure, the King can’t but insist on the constitutional process to resume under the current setup.

It is thus that whatever the agitation, it is in the ranks of the political parties that a real assessment of the situation that must force a change in strategy if the people are not to be polarized between the King and the Maoists.

Political parties rigid: King’s tone mild

Kathmandu: The stage is set for a two-way fight.

The wrestlers, needless to say, are from the two diametrically opposite camps. While the government represents the first camp, the other is by the coalition of the five parties.

Both intend to make this fight a final one.

Moreover, there is yet another political wrestler who is invisible physically but very efficiently adding fuel to the tussle in between the previous two fighters.

This means that every one is fighting with the other to extract greater political mileage in its favor.

The King continues to differ with the stances of the political parties and apparently gives the impression that he would not budge from his declared stance until he handover the power to an duly elected government come what may.

The political parties for varied reasons plead that they will not settle for less this time until they force the King to yield and correct his past constitutional blunders. In order to press the King to the wall, they have already declared that beginning tomorrow they will create a havoc in the country which in all likelihood would press the King to follow to their demands in toto.

The Maoists too have their own strategies to secure extra political benefits from the ongoing tussle in between the two forces that till today remain committed to the constitution and the system. To recall, the insurgents take 1990 constitution as a mere piece of paper and conclude that the system in place can in no way address to their genuine demands and hence demand a constituent assembly which will later write an altogether different constitution hoping that the new one will be in their greater interest which will provide some meaning to their insurgency.

The agitating political parties are in a fix as to whether it would be opportune to seek the Maoists support to bend the King or the time for that had not yet come?

The King apparently understands that the political parties will not go closer to the insurgents at this juncture and hence remains confident that finally the agitators will come to see him and seek a sort of compromise that will bring the constitutional derailment in order. The King also remains confident that since he is completely under the limits prescribed to him by the constitution and hence nothing to panic.

The Maoists have been cashing in from each and every political flaws emanating from the two political forces.

The King was mild in his tone and content in Pokhara speech. However, to subside the agitation, he presumably has used his election card hoping that the announcement of the elections might prompt the agitators to think on the electioneering process and thereby the tempo of the agitation will automatically come to a halt.

The King could be mistaken. It might be other way as well.

By default, the political parties now in agitation are being indirectly supported by the Western democracies. A good number of Nepal’s donors have been ventilating that elections are a basic for the system but not all hinting that under the prevailing chaotic security situation, a sort of free and fair elections can’t be imagined. Such expressions certainly go in favor of those who oppose the idea of election. Should this mean that they are negative to the King’s announcements of the elections?

The donor community, as is understood, prefers polls only after the security situation becomes better and when the two guns become silent. Implied is that unless the Maoists are brought to the table and a ceasefire announced, elections can’t be held or should not be held. Unknowingly though, such statements press the government to go in for talks to which the Maoists appear willing albeit under the aegis of the UN. The donors also express their surprise over the government’s blunt NO to UN offer for mediation in between the two warring rivals. ( See interview with Danish diplomat)

Nevertheless, there is some point hidden in the King’s Pokhara speech. Analysts say that King’s announcement provide full one year for the next election to happen. Is it that the King hopes that well within that space the Maoists will have come to the table, agreed for a ceasefire and assure that they will participate in the elections if their demands were met with?

The fact is also that Prachanda’s fervent appeal for UN mediation does indicate that he is willing for talks. However, comes in the way government’s rejection to the UN mediation. Then how things should proceed? It is baffling indeed.

Summing up it all, what comes to the fore is that how the King will react to the agitation that is to begin from tomorrow? How the King’s speech will have its impact on the agitators on count of the elections? How the government will react to the agitation ? Add to this how the international community will have assessed the obtaining situation in the country well after the agitation in its earnest begins? Equally true is how the insurgents will take up the issues that have surfaced of late?

Smaller partners suspect intent of major parties

Kathmandu: Unsubstantiated reports have it that UML leader, Madhav Kumar Nepal, is yet to decide as to whether his association with the Congress and the smaller communist parties in the coalition against regression would benefit him and his party politically or would boomerang his prospects for the post for which he has been presumably struggling since a year or so.

Mr. Nepal naturally got a jerk when his Commander of the coalition, President Koirala of the split congress, suddenly appealed for a unity bid with the other half led by Sher Bahadur Deuba. Thanks that Deuba forwarded certain harsh conditions that put Koirala in the dock. The conditions were such that neither Koirala could afford to accept it nor dare to ignore.

Sources preferring anonymity say that the conditions put forth by Deuba were the brain child of Madhav Nepal. They hasten to add that if the unity move initiated by Koirala materialized, it would have been Madhav Nepal and his party the loser at time of the elections. Moreover, Madhav Nepal knew in advance that if Koirala is told to recommend for the restoration of Deuba’s government, he would summarily reject the offer and this rejection would mean much to Madhav Nepal and his party for varied reasons.

Whether Madhav offered his suggestions to Deuba or not is not that important. What is significant is that the two congress parties have yet to reconcile on so many counts. This means that the UML is still the largest party and will continue to be so till the congress unification efforts take a formal shape.

Naturally the UML has upper hand in today’s Nepali politics.

Informed sources claim that Madhav Nepal is not wholeheartedly in favor of taking the agitation to a new height for his own reasons. However, the fact is also that he is with the agitation partners for fear of being sidelined if he exhibited his reluctance in favor of the agitation.

"The UML leader is experiencing pressure from his own party comrades to make the agitation a grand success. If he does not act as per the party’s dictates, he might be taken as a leader possessing some soft-corner for the Palace", said one non-UML communist leader.

It is not for nothing Comrade Rohit suspects that he was not sure of the bigger parties intents if they were provided with the "power lolly-pop" in the mid of the impending agitation.

Moreover, the UML party understands that if the King yielded upon pressure this time, he would certainly invite either its leader Madhav Nepal to take up the post of the Prime Minister or at best could invite Deuba. The presumption is that even if Deuba is made the country’s prime minister, Mr. Nepal can fair smoothly because of their continuing close friendship. The same is true for Deuba. He too hopes that if Mr. Nepal is elevated to that rank, he too can extract political benefits by forging a sort of alliance at time of the election.

President Koirala is a seasoned political creature. He understands about this possibility and hence appears alert on how the coalition partners perform during the agitation that is to begin from tomorrow.

On a different plain, there is a rumor that hints that there were three good names who are being tipped as next prime minister.

For a free and fair election, the name of a retired SC judge, Mr. Keshav Upadhyaya, is in the rumor. For healing the wounds of the "incompetent" prime minister, the King might think elevating Deuba.

Now that the elections have been announced, even if it were in a vague manner, how the major political actors take up or reject the election challenge will have to be watched.

The ground reality, say analysts, is that all the major forces, the King and the political parties must reconcile and arrive at a sort of compromise and run the country. Such a compromise, if at all that becomes a reality, will have to chart out a plan on how to address the Maoists concerns.

The fact is that the nation can’t afford to remain in a politically stagnant situation as is is today.

Sir Jeffery favors and rejects elections concurrently

Kathmandu: Clearly, the Europeans are not very happy with the present situation in Nepal. Sir Jeffrey James, the special British envoy at a press briefing last week at the British Embassy premises expressed his concerns over the continuing constitutional deadlock, deteriorating human rights situation and the state of democracy in Nepal.

On election issue the British Envoy said, elections require the participation of all democratic parties and a climate free of fear, intimidation and violence. In the same vein Sir james also reiterates the need to hold the elections as, according to him, "the absence of representative institutions, at national and local level, will continue to erode the principles and practice of parliamentary democracy".

With these double-meaning expressions, it becomes pretty unclear whether Sir James is in favor of the elections or is completely rejecting the idea of the same.

Sir Jeffery could be right in saying so as the parties are all set to wage a fresh round of agitation against what they call regression and the prevalence of the ever deteriorating security situation in the country does hint the possibility of having general elections a remote affair if not impossible one.

As usual, the Government appears not to take James concerns very seriously which amply hints that his visit this time too would not cut much of the ice vis-à-vis the government’s stance on elections.

This clearly means P.M Surya Bahadur Thapa, any time from now would set the exact dates for the elections as King Gyanendra has made it clear that elections would be held within the next year of the Nepali calendar.

This he would do to the utter dismay and chagrin of the international community who albeit favor the elections but say that the time was not favorable to hold elections.

Understandably, ignoring international concerns could prove to be a big disaster for the already economically devastated nation, say political analysts.

Question now arises as to whether the government will go in for the elections or will listen to the suggestions of the donor community who prefer belated elections when peace is restored in the country.

Govt. to provide relief to Hotels

-M.A. Lari, Everest International

Kathmandu: Mr. M.A. Lari, the Chairman of the Hotel Everest International, has said better late than never the Nepali government has understood the plight of the Hotel industry in the country due to varied domestic reasons.

According to Mr. Lari, who is one of the senior most Hotelier in Nepal, the Thapa government now has become sensitive towards the problems being faced by the Hotels and apparently has hinted that it would do what was needed to in order to provide a sort of relief to the Hotels.

"All that we demanded from the government is an assurance that the Hotels currently plagued by the financial crisis be allowed to work on its own and the government be kind enough to instruct the banks not to harass the hotels further for at least four years", is what Lari said.

We sought, said Lari, pending of the loans and the interests on them to which the government appeared positive.

The government recently gave its nod and acknowledged Hotel industry in Nepal as a sick-one.

Mr. Lari believes that the government has become serious in this regard which gets reflected from the fact that the government has already instituted a committee under NPC member Shanker Koirala which has been instructed to identify the issues and devise mechanisms which then could be devised to reduce the crises that have of late plagued the entire Hotel industries in the country.

In a pleasing note, Mr. Lari revealed that the terror unleashed by Nepal Bank Limited in the recent months has subsided and that the Banks have not been using pressure tactics to frighten the hoteliers any more. "Pressure is there but not the one that is called undue one", opines Lari.

In the mean time, the Hotel Association of Nepal, has issued a strong worded warning to the government to look into their matters positively well within forty-five days or else the entire hotels will cease to come into operation.

"We are not asking for any sort of subsidiaries, but instead been demanding extension of the loan payment period", continued Mr. Lari.

The Chairman of the Everest International hopes that since the government has already initiated some processes in this regard, things will change for the better.

"Peace must be restored or else the tourism industry will come to a grinding halt", concluded Mr. Lari.

EU members take to task govt and Maoists

Kathmandu: The members of the European Union in Kathmandu have urged the Nepal government to bring into full practice in letter and spirit its freshly declared commitments for the protection and preservation of HR cases in the country.

The EU through a press release issued last week also reminds the Nepal government that the "failure on the part of HMGN to take these( read the committed ones) steps carries the risk of rendering HMGN ‘s renewed commitment to its existing international obligations of limited practical value to the people of Nepal".

The full text of the EU press release reads as follows: "The Heads of Mission of EU in Kathmandu take note of the renewed commitment of HMGN to protect human rights in Nepal, to respect HMGN’s international obligations in this area and to strengthen the mechanisms of the National Human Rights Commission in monitoring their observance. This constitutes a much-needed first step to address the grave human rights situation in Nepal. The Heads of mission of EU however emphasize the imperative need of HMGN providing full and unconditional support to the NHRC in carrying out its statutory mandate, including empowering the NHRC to set up a monitoring body under the NHRC with sufficient national and international technical, financial and logistical support to carry out monitoring nationwide and full cooperation of all State institutions to allow it to perform its task. The government should ensure cooperation and protection of governmental and non-governmental entities for human rights related work. Failure on the part of HMGN to take these steps carries the risk of rendering HMGN ‘s renewed commitment to its existing international obligations of limited practical value to the people of Nepal.

At the same time, Heads of Mission of EU are disturbed at growing evidence of Maoist abuses, notwithstanding their declared commitment to the rules of the Geneva Convention and other international humanitarian laws. Practices such as child abductions, extra-judicial killings, extortion and intimidation, murder of civilians on the basis of their political affiliations and inhumane treatment of captives are unacceptable violations of the enjoyment of human rights. Heads of Mission of EU therefore demand that the Maoists cease such violations and publicly and irrevocably commit themselves genuinely to observing the same standards on human rights as are contained in the HMGN’s Commitment, including allowing access to the NHRC to monitor their observance, and guaranteeing the safety of NHRC in this respect.

NRS 22.58 MILLION INDIAN ASSISTANCE FOR SOLAR ELECTRIFICATION

Kathmandu: Village Ratanpur in District Nawalparasi has started getting electricity using one of the most modern and environmentally clean sources. This project was implemented with assistance from the Indian Government. Under the scheme, 476 homes in village Ratanpur in District Nawalparasi have started receiving light from the home lighting systems using solar electrification. Each of these homes will receive a solar panel, a maintenance free battery and home lighting system of 75 Watts, consisting of 4 lighting instruments of 12 Watts each. The total cost of solar electrification village, i.e. NRs 22.58 million, has been provided as grant-in-aid by the Government of India. Approximately 4800 people will benefit from this programme. This has been the third year running when a solar electrification project has been successfully executed.

The project was executed by Central Electronics Ltd., Ghaziabad, a Public Sector Undertaking of Government of India, in close coordination with Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) under the Ministry of Science & Technology of HMGN. In the execution of this project, the Gaon Upbhokta Samiti (Village Consumer Committee) was specifically constituted and involved in all stages of project planning and implementation. For subsequent maintenance and upkeep of these systems, a pool of six to eight trained personnel from amongst the villagers, has been created by imparting training to them by a technician from Central Electronics Ltd. In addition, a corpus has been created by local contribution, which has been invested in the local banks, and its interest will be utilized for subsequent maintenance of the system. Management of the corpus fund will be the responsibility of the Gaon Upbhokta Samiti constituted to oversee this project.

The project was formally inaugurated and handed over by Colonel George Mathai, Defence Attache, Embassy of India to the Gaon Upbhokta Samiti at Village Ratanpur, District Nawalparasi with great fanfare and enthusiasm of the people of the village. Local officials of His Majesty's Government of Nepal were also present on this occasion.

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