Democracy For Nepal: Gurung Not Katawal For Army Chief

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Gurung Not Katawal For Army Chief

Gurung Not Katawal For Army Chief

Katawal has been made acting Army Chief. Let him have his month. But he should not be appointed for good. There is some Gurung right up there in the ranks. Appoint him. That will be a first time. Otherwise that top slot has been a Chhetri fiefdom. Gurung is a Janajati.

Katawal is a track record royalist. We don't need him in the top job.

UML Maoist Active Coalition, Possible Unification

If the two Congress factions are to become one party all over again, the only way the left parties can provide serious competition is by either forging a coalition or going ahead and unifying the two parties.

A merger of the UML and the Maoists looks a little too imaginative at this point in time, but they could always contest elections as a coalition.

Smaller Parties

If the two Congress factions become one, and the UML and the Maoists were to forge a coalition, the smaller parties are going to come under a lot of pressure to pick sides.

Or all the smaller parties could forge a Third Front.

So there would be the Nepali Congress, there would be the Left Front, and there would be a Third Front. More likely there will be only two fronts, the Left Front, and the Congress and its allies.

But I don't think the Congress is that generous. It will try to eliminate the smaller parties rather than giving them respectful space.

Free Fall

Or you are looking at all parties competing with all the rest, and let the chips fall where they may.

US Law And Arms Management

Arlen Specter is one of the top 10 Senators in America according to Time magazine. He was in Nepal recently and compared the Maoists to Hamas and Hezbollah.

I don't agree with that comparison. Or perhaps I should study the political goals of the Hamas and the Hezbollah more closely.

US law does not apply in Nepal.

But the seven party leaders do have to say what exactly it is that they feel about the Maoists.

Some Maoists come into the news as bad guys on a daily basis. But that means the ceasefire implementation is not 100%. That does not mean the ceasefire has been bogus.

My style is to try and focus on the political agenda of the Maoists. By that count, Girija Koirala is a status quoist. He wants to retain the monarchy. He wants to keep the army as it is. That right there is proof Girija can not take credit for the April Revolution. How can you be so out of tune with the April Revolution's street slogans and take credit for it?

Nepal's Maoists have to be compared to the Irish, to the South Africans. Both those places had violence. The political agenda and the arms agenda have to go together.

You can not ask the Maoists to surrender. But you can engineer the peace process in a way that you detach soldiers from both armies from their arms. But then that would be too proactive and imaginative and creative by Koirala's standards.

In The News

Koirala’s remarks on party merger positive: Deuba NepalNews Deuba said he had “always been in favour of respectful reunification” of the two parties ......
No interim govt., house dissolution before arms management: PM the civil society and the Maoists have been demanding immediate dissolution of the parliament.....
Maoists, JTMM militants clash in Siraha A turf war seems to be intensifying between the Maoists and Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) ....... Hundreds of bullets were fired during the encounter..... The encounter occurred in ward no. 8 and 9 when a district level meeting of the JTMM was going on. Reports quoting Shyam, the Siraha coordinator of JTMM, said the clash ensued after hundreds of Maoists suddenly opened fire at JTMM cadres when the meeting was underway. ...... The armed outfit is active mainly in parts of Siraha and Saptari districts.
UML for deciding the fate of monarchy through referendum
Rights activists protest appointment of Katawal Twenty three human rights activists representing various human rights organizations have protested the government’s decision of promoting Lieutenant General Rukmangad Katawal to the post of acting Chief of the Army Staff. ..... Katawal was involved in human rights violations when he was the chief of the mid-western regional headquarters of Nepali Army. ...... Sushil Pyakurel, Dr. Gauri Shankar Lal Das and rights activists Dr. Arjun Karki, Subodh Pyakurel, Dr. Gopal Krishna Siwakoti, Mandira Sharma, Kunadan Aryal .......

Abducted Indians freed in Nepal Times of India, India
Activists reject Nepal army chief BBC News, UK Lt Gen Rukmangad Katuwal was responsible for excesses during April's crackdown against pro-democracy activists. ...... Nearly two dozen rights activists affiliated to leading groups have also alleged that Gen Katuwal was responsible for serious rights violations when he was chief of the regional headquarter of the Nepali Army in mid-western region.
Japan cancels Nepal debt People's Daily Online, China
Japan cancels Rs 1.6 B debt Gorkhapatra
India provides 15 ambulances to Nepal People's Daily Online, China
Nepal Army Chief: Find a General With Clean Image United We Blog, Nepal This nomination comes at a time when the whole country is eagerly waiting for reforms within the army and democratization of the armed force of Nepal. ..... In addition to the allegation of violating human rights, Katwal has also been accused of decreasing his age illegally so as to lengthen his stay in the army. This issued has now reached at the court.
Indian firms in fray for Nepal power project DailyIndia.com, NY The 300 MW Upper Karnali hydropower project, once considered a risky venture because of the presence of Maoists in the region, has become an attractive proposition for Indian investors as the rebels have signed a pact with the government to allow the industrial sector to operate without hindrances. .... New Delhi's Jaypee Group, Andhra Pradesh's GVK and the Bangalore-headquartered GMR Group ..... India's National Hydroelectric Power Corp .... the understanding that NHPC would have a majority stake (80-85 percent) with the produced power being sold to India. ..... the Jaypee Group, which has interests ranging from construction, hospitality, engineering and IT and boasts of an annual turnover of over $650 million, already has the experience of running a hydropower project outside India. ...... Besides operating 12 hydropower projects in six Indian states, it is also involved in the Tala hydroelectric project in Chukha Dzongkhag in western Bhutan...... More Indian investors could turn their attention to Nepal with the Confederation of Nepalese Industries and Independent Power Producers of Nepal planning two separate hydropower marts for small and medium-size projects...... While the Hydropower Invest Mart 2006 would be held Aug 21-23 to identify small projects up to 10 MW and match them with investors, later during the year a mart would be organised to identify medium projects, ranging from 10-100 MW.
Two Indians abducted by Maoists in Nepal India Defence, India
Maoists seek India's help in abolishing monarchy Zee News
Civil Unrest: Between democracy and the deep red sea Indian Express G P Koirala was the first to voice his resentment at civil society treating political parties as Pariah. In their first public meeting under the banner of ‘Citizens for Peace and Democracy’, nearly six months after King Gyanendra took over in February 2005, civil society had kept its dais ‘sanitized’, no top leaders from political parties had found place in it........ Koirala and the international community agree that the inclusion of Maoists in the interim cabinet without effective separation of weapons from combatants would not only legitimise ‘terrorism’ as an instrument of politics, but will also make its impact beyond Nepal’s boundaries. ....... Maoists are using their political muscle and political tactic deftly. ...... another senior civil society leader has joined the Maoists’ campaign for creation of ethnic autonomous states that would restore some of the pre-1768 political geography - with right to self-determination...... All these parallel moves make Nepal’s peace process unpredictable......
Oli lauds India's contribution to modern Nepal Gorkhapatra, Nepal
Koirala appreciates India's support for democracyHindu

50 Nepalis stranded in Malaysia, demand action against manpower companies Kantipur Publications
Activists protest acting Army Chief Katuwal's appointment
Workers threaten to shut down Khimti Hydel Project
No dissolution of parliament unless management of Maoist arms: PM Koirala
53 groups default Rs 25b with banks Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) today disclosed that 53 business groups have defaulted on their banking loan amounting to Rs 25 billion and said financial sector cleansing was impossible unless the defaulters were forced to pay back loans....... top 10 defaulters ..... challenges posed by willful defaulters to the overall management of the economy and urged parliamentarians to make the issue of defaulters a national agenda to avert the "looming crisis"........ bad loans stand at 18 percent of the investment, almost four times higher than international standards....... blacklisting alone is not enough to deal with powerful defaulters because of their strong political and other connections....... "Even after being blacklisted, we have found no fundamental change in the lavish lifestyles of willful defaulters. So there is need for concrete actions, like seizing passports and cutting off state-provided services to force them to clear their financial liabilities" ...... alarming financial condition of Nepal Bank Limited (NBL) and Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) .... "Capital worth Rs 30 billion needs to be injected in these banks to raise their capital fund as per NRB requirement." ...... at least three private banks namely Nepal Bangladesh Bank, Nepal Credit and Commerce Bank and Lumbini Bank are in serious financial problems. ...... the issue of willful defaulters has dampened the spirit of financial sector reform thereby affecting the extension of financial services to rural areas. .......banks' officials who sanctioned loans without detail study of the project should also be punished. .....

Top ten defaulters Name Net amount (Rs in million)

Amatya Group (NBL/RBB) 3,621

Mangatu Ram (NBL/RBB) 1,820

Basulinga Sugar Mills (NBL/RBB) 1,026

Bir Kirat (RBB) 852

Momento Apparels (RBB) 709

Maha Laxmi Garment (RBB) 609

Sanyam Veg & Oil (NBL/RBB) 595

Mahalaxmi Sugar & Chemical (RBB)516

Rohit (NBL) 490

Mahendra Sugar (NBL) 480

Maoists ban NGO activities in Salyan
26,000 health workers to go on strike from Thursday
Injured UML cadre in Maoist firing brought to Kathmandu
PM instructs security officials to ensure fear-free environment
५३ व्यापारिक समूहले पच्चीस अर्ब तिरेनन्
वीरेन्द्र र धीरेन्द्रका जग्गा राजाका नाममा
सुरक्षाकर्मीकै अगाडि महिलामाथि हातपात
माओवादी पीडितमाथि लाठीचार्ज
तराईका वन साझेदारी व्यवस्थापनमा
मुलुकभर स्वास्थ्य संस्था ठप्प हुने
गण्डक सम्झौता पुनरावलोकन माग
सांसदद्वारा कणर्ाली राजमार्ग अध्ययन सुर्खेत-जुम्ला सडकको ८५ किलोमिटर सडक
माओवादीद्वारा अपहरण
संविधानसभाअघि राजतन्त्र छिनोफानो’
गाविससचिव पुनः लखेटिए
माओवादीद्वारा आरोप पुष्टि गराउन निर्मम कुटपिट
कांग्रेस एकता कोइराला कुनै नयाँ विचार सार्वजनिक गर्नुपरे विराटनगर पुग्छन् ....... जहानियाँ राणाशासनविरुद्ध सशस्त्र आन्दोलन गरी ०७ सालको क्रान्तिको यश कांग्रेसले सँगाल्दै आएको छ । ०१७ सालको शाही कूविरुद्ध निरन्तर आन्दोलित कांग्रे्रसले ०४६ सालको आन्दोलनमा नेतृत्वदायी भूमिका निर्वाह गरेको हो । ...... संविधानसभा चुनावसम्म पुग्दा शासन पद्धतिको स्पष्ट खाका लिएर कांग्रेसले आफूलाई सबैभन्दा ठूलो लोकतान्त्रिक दलको रूपमा प्रस्तुत गर्न सक्छ/सक्दैन, त्यो प्रश्नसँग पनि एकीकरणको मुद्दा जोडिएको छ । ...... सभापति कोइरालाको स्वास्थ्यस्थिति ध्यान दिने हो भने उनी समय छँदै कांग्रेसलाई पुरानै अवस्थामा फर्काएर आफ्नो उत्तराधिकारी स्थापित गर्न चाहन्छन् भन्नु स्वाभाविक हुन्छ । अर्कातर्फ कांग्रेस एक भई समयअनुसार सच्चा लोकतान्त्रिक राजनीतिक दलका रूपमा उभिनसक्नु देशको माग पनि बन्दै छ ।
आरक्षणका तर्क वितर्क हैकमवादी पुरुष मानसिकताले ग्रस्त हाम्रा टेलिभिजनका हास्य शृंखलाहरूले ३३ प्रतिशत सहभागिताबारे तल्ला स्तरका व्यंग्य गरे । नेटीभीमा चर्चित मानिएका तीतो सत्य, जिरे खुर्सानी र केही अन्य टीभीका कार्यक्रमले पनि आरक्षणको भद्दा विरोध गरे । यसको प्रमुख कारण कार्यक्रम निर्देशकदेखि लगानीकर्तासमेत पुरुष हुनु हो भन्न सकिन्छ । त्यहाँ पुरुष हैकमवाद प्रकट हुनु अनौठो नहोला । ...... माओवादी नेतृ हिसिला यमीले आरक्षणको विरोध गर्दै महिलालाई 'विशेषाधिकार' दिइनुपर्ने बताइन् । नेतृ पम्फा भुसालले भने ५० प्रतिशत आरक्षण मागिन् । संसद्वादी दलका महिला भने ३३ प्रतिशतलाई कार्यान्वयन गर्दै जाने हो भने महिला मुक्तिको सुरुवात यसैबाट हुनेमा विश्वास राख्छन् । ....... जनसंख्याको आधाभन्दा बढी हिस्सा ओगटेका महिलाको सामाजिक र आर्थिक सहभागिता औसत पाँचदेखि दस प्रतिशतसम्म छ । .... गणितीय हिसाबमा मात्रै समावेशीकरणकै कुरा गर्ने हो भने त शाही सरकार सबैभन्दा बढी समावेशी थियो भन्दा हुन्छ । त्यसमा खपांगी, थकाली, शेर्पा, मण्डल, दलित र महिलासमेत थिए तर त्यसको उपार्जन कस्तो रह्यो ? .....

Alliance Working On Electoral System For CA Polls Himalayan Times the Nepali Congress (NC) is for proportional representation ..... work on the issue was "not going ahead at a desired pace." .... proporational representation in which the parties have to come up with their list of candidates prior to the actual voting. ......
Govt Collecting Data On Landless: Minister
UML for front advocating democratic republic The CPN-UML came a step closer to the CPN-Maoist as it stressed the need to forge a front of political parties, which will go for a “democratic republican order as a matter of ideology.” ..... growing disillusionment with its coalition partner the Nepali Congress (NC) and its policies. ..... the NC is moving more towards the right and hence should be shunned as an ally for a long time. ..... Nepal came down heavily on the government for pushing the Royal Succession Act ..... criticised the government for favouring the status quo ..... The party has also decided to cultivate ties with the Maoists in such a way that they prove a friendly force. “Unity, struggle, and fertile unity is the hallmark of the party’s ties with the rebels now,” senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal told The Himalayan Times. ........ a republican democratic order, restructuring of the state and progressive reforms

Visitors

7 August 2006, Monday	329
	8 August 2006, Tuesday	179
	9 August 2006, Wednesday	154
	10 August 2006, Thursday	167
	11 August 2006, Friday	125
	12 August 2006, Saturday	155
	13 August 2006, Sunday	134
	14 August 2006, Monday	206
	15 August 2006, Tuesday	187

1.	16 August	05:44	Ireland (tcd.ie)
2.	16 August	06:08	British Broadcasting Corp., United Kingdom
3.	16 August	06:10	The Internet Solution, South Africa
4.	16 August	06:22	Hong Kong S.A.R. (infolink.hk)
5.	16 August	06:34	U.N. Development Programme, Norway
6.	16 August	07:40	Communications and communicate, Nepal

16 August