The President Is 100% Responsible For The Mess

Baburam 10 Times More Qualified Than Sushil
Fair Enough
The Implications Of The Madhesi Party Unification
Beyond The Three Parties

Dahal's So-Called Consensus Efforts

Imagine if Dahal had tried to forge so-called consensus with the seven democratic parties and the king in 2005. Would it have worked? No way. The polarization in 2005 between the monarchy and the rest was necessary for the country to see progress. Three poles had to become two poles. That polarization was necessary.

The polarization today is between the federalists and the anti-federalists. Those who do not see this polarization as necessary to the progress are themselves anti-federalists. In capitulating to the anti-federalists Dahal himself runs the danger of ending up an anti-federalist.

Right now when the federalists have the option to go from strength to strength Dahal's moves are inviting weakness. Dahal might be a closet anti-federalist. Worse, he might be an anti-federalist who does not know he is an anti-federalist. He is being played.

Dahal's Capitulation Is Wrong

Prachanda running around like a headless chicken seeking "consensus" is him overcompensating for the fact he was utterly disrespectful of the president when he was Prime Minister. Now he is the opposite. He is subservient. He is seeking "consensus" on behalf of a president who has no right to impose consensus - basically suggesting his parent party the Nepali Congress has veto power - upon the polity. Political progress will be made through political polarization, not "consensus." You are not going to convince Sushil, Jhalanath, Pashupati and Surya Bahadur to the ways of federalism. You are going to defeat them at the polls.

Baidya, Not Bahun. Badal, Not Bahun

It is worth noting that the breakaway Maoist party is led by a Newar and a Magar. Just like Ashok Rai walked away from Jhalanath, Badal walked away from Prachanda. Upendra Yadav walked away from both a long time ago.

The President Is 100% Responsible For The Mess

The president can not dismiss Baburam Bhattarai. And Baburam can not resign. If he does, the president is forced to do what he did last time, which is to request him to continue in a caretaker capacity. Holding elections as soon as possible is the best way to bring the caretaker government to an end.

Elections In April 2013 A Must

If Ram Baran had not made the mistake of not passing the election related ordinances when they were sent to him, by now we would already have had a newly elected constituent assembly, a newly elected government and, yes, a newly elected president. Ram Baran's been in office for more than four years now. That is half a year too many. July 2008 to December 2012 is four and a half years. His time is up too. Maybe Prachanda will be the next Ram Baran, the next ceremonial president. Or maybe Mahantha Thakur.

Bhattarai has shown plenty of goodwill. Offering to give the Home ministry to the NC and the Finance ministry to the UML was as flexible as the Maoists needed to be. After that lies conspiracy. Any flexibility beyond that is to give in to the anti-federalists and to accept defeat when victory is a 90% possibility.

Two Poles

Prachanda is yet to make peace with the fact that his party split into two. He does not yet recognize the Badal-Baidya group as yet another political party. Similarly his Madhesi allies do not recognize Upendra Yadav, Sharad Singh Bhandari and their alliance. The ruling alliance is not doing enough to help Ashok Rai.

What Prachanda is doing today if translated into 2005 would have been the equivalent of talking to the king while refusing to deal with the seven parties.

The ruling alliance today is like the Maoists in 2005. Federalists out of power - people like Badal-Baidya, Upendra Yadav, Ashok Rai - are like the seven parties. And the NC, UML and the monarchist parties are like the king. There are three poles today like there were in 2005. Progress is to be made by merging two out of three poles. Just like in 2005.

The Anti Federal Alliance (AFA)
Broadening The Ruling Alliance
July 2005: Possible Framework For A Maoist-Democrat Alliance
September 2005: Alliance Of Steel
November 2005: Indian Support For Democrat-Maoist Alliance A Must
ICG Report On The New Alliance
Dynamic Agreement, Concrete Eight Party Alliance

The Madhesis in power would like to act like Upendra Yadav is a nobody and Prachanda would like to act like Badal is a nobody. Those are mistakes being made. The cause of federalism is served when the federalists in and out of power come together.

Prachanda has been talking to the wrong people. Instead of talking to Sushil and Jhalanath he should be talking to Baidya, Badal, Upendra, Ashok and Gopal.

The Big Reason Not To Make Sushil PM

Sushil Koirla is the lousiest party president the Nepali Congress ever had. And it will show when elections are finally held. He is too incompetent to be made PM. Ever since he ascended to the party's presidency the various NC factions have been fighting like it was nobody's business.

Baburam 10 Times More Qualified Than Sushil

Sushil has made no effort whatsoever to build an all party coalition. His only thing is that he should be made PM. Projecting yourself as the PM candidate is a ridiculous way to build an all party coalition.

The guy is incompetent, pure and simple. It is between him and Jhalanath. Both are incompetent people hellbent on taking their parties to total defeat at the polls.

Street Strength

The Nepali Congress is yesterday's party. It does not have what it takes to come out into the streets. Call the bluff.

'Bhattarai out to strengthen own faction'

The eagerly awaited extended meeting of party office-bearers [former standing committee members, bureau in-charges and state committee coordinators] held in Kathmandu on Saturday, also increased the confusion in the Nepali political firmament. ..... At the meeting, the Dahal and Narayankazi Shrestha factions voiced strong criticism against the Bhattarai government´s activities, terming them ´anti-nationalist´. The interesting thing is, countering the accusation of the Dahal and Shrestha factions, Bhattarai faction leaders have proposed Dahal as candidate for PM. But the Dahal faction immediately countered that, saying it was just a ´ploy.´ ....... the Bhattarai faction could make things very hard for Dahal if he pushes such a proposal. He would be acused of being anti-federalist. Bhattarai faction leaders have been projecting Koirala as anti-constituent assembly and anti-federalism but this is indirectly aimed at Dahal. ...... The Dahal and Shrestha factions criticized the Bhattarai government, saying it entered into anti-national agreements with India. Deputy Prime Minster Shrestha himself has criticized the awarding of tenders for Tribhuvan International Airport and Upper Karnali to India.

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प्याकेजमा सहमतिका लागि मोर्चाको ९ बुँदे प्रस्ताव

तत्कालिन राज्य पुनः संरचना तथा शक्तिको बाँडफाँड समितिले तयार गरेको १४ प्रदेश, राज्य पुनःसंरचना आयोगले प्रस्तुत गरेको १० र अल्पमतको रुपमा आएको ६ प्रदेशको प्रस्तावमा सहमति नभएकाले त्यसलाई विवादित रुपमै ग्रहण गरी अन्तिम निर्णय आगामी संविधानसभाबाट गरिनुपर्ने मोर्चाको धारणा छ । .... सहमतिका आधारमा संवैधानिक निकायमा रिक्त पदहरुमा नियुक्ति तथा शान्ति प्रक्रियाका बाँकी कामहरु पूरा गरिनुपर्ने

In a first, Bhattarai asks Dahal to take up top job, if that helps

Dahal briefed the meeting on the progress made in the cross-party talks on a package deal to hold polls in April-May.He said the opposition parties have agreed to amend the Interim Constitution, fix the election date, make appointments to constitutional bodies under the incumbent government and take the ownership of the issues agreed upon by the dissolved Constituent Assembly. In the meeting, PM Bhattarai said the party chairman “was not committed to the party’s official stance.” .... “The chairman is simply being too flexible with the opposition parties at the cost of the party’s agenda,” a leader quoted Bhattarai as saying.

Bhattarai rigid; NC-led govt not on the horizon

“If I step down without the elections being guaranteed, a crisis will hit the country,” Bhattarai said. PM Bhattarai dismissed claims made by Dahal that the parties are inching closer to that end..... “There may have been some progress in informal cross-party talks, but nothing substantial has come out of it,” said Bhattarai.

MK Nepal holds PM responsible for deadlock
सत्तामा रहिरहने भट्टराईको शक्तिको स्रोत के ?

विपक्षीहरूले त आठ महिनादेखि नै प्रधानमन्त्री बाबुराम भट्टराई नेतृत्वको सरकारविरुद्ध मोर्चाबन्दी गरिरहेका छन् । त्यही मोर्चाबन्दीमा थपिन आइपुग्यो प्रधानमन्त्रीकै दल एमाओवादीबाट अलग्गिएको नेकपा-माओवादी र मधेसी जनअधिकार फोरम लोकतान्त्रिकबाट फुटेको राष्ट्रिय मधेस समाजवादी पार्टी । केही दिनयता त उपाध्यक्ष भट्टराई पक्षधरबाहेक एमाओवादी नै सरकारको विकल्प खोज्न थालेको छ । तर प्रधानमन्त्री भनिरहेका छन्, 'म छाड्दिनँ ।' .... मधेसवादी दलको एउटा हिस्सा र केही स-साना पार्टीमात्र यतिखेर उनको पक्षमा छन् । ..... एमाले उपाध्यक्ष वामदेव गौतमका अनुसार भट्टराईले भन्ने गरेका छन्, 'दक्षिणी छिमेकी भारतीय सद्भाव, सत्तारूढ मधेसी मोर्चाको समर्थन, नेपाली सेनाको विश्वास र पार्टीका पुराना निर्णय मेरा शक्तिका स्रोत हुन् । यस्तो अनुकूल अवस्थामा मैले किन छाड्ने ?' ...... २०६७ सालमा एमाओवादी अध्यक्षलाई सात पटकसम्मको प्रधानमन्त्रीको प्रतिस्पर्धामा असहयोग गरेको मोर्चाले अर्को वर्ष नै भट्टराईलाई सहजै सहयोग गरेको थियो । कतिसम्म भने एमाओवादीले भट्टराईलाई उम्मेदवार तय नगर्दै मोर्चा नेता विजयकुमार गच्छदारले २०६८ भदौ २ गते अबको प्रधानमन्त्री बाबुराम भट्टराई हुन् भनेर सार्वजनिक अभिव्यक्ति नै दिएका थिए । ...... सरकारमा ठूलो सहभागिता र महत्त्वपूर्ण मन्त्रालय पाएकाले पनि मोर्चाले भट्टराईको साथ छाड्न नचाहेको हो । ........ प्रधानमन्त्रीको प्याकेजमा वैशाखमा संविधानसभाको चुनाव गर्ने, निर्वाचनका लागि संविधान संशोधन गर्न बाधा अड्काउ फुकाउने, निर्वाचनलगायत संवैधानिक आयोगहरूमा नियुक्ति गर्ने, शान्ति प्रक्रियाका बाँकी काम सेना समायोजनमा दर्जा निर्धारण गर्ने, सत्य निरूपण तथा मेलमिलाप आयोग गठन गर्नेलगायतमा सहमति भइसकेपछि राष्ट्रिय सरकार दुई चरणमा गठन गर्ने आदि विषय समेटिएका छन् । त्यसका लागि केही समय आफ्नै नेतृत्वको सरकारमा कांग्रेस-एमालेलगायतलाई सहभागी गराई राष्ट्रिय सरकार बनाउने र त्यसपछि सरकारको नेतृत्व कांग्रेसलाई दिने अडान लिए । .... 'बाबुरामजीलाई अछूत मान्ने, निषेध गर्ने अनि त्यही बाबुरामले माला लगाइदिएर कांग्रेसलाई प्रधानमन्त्री बनाइदिनुपर्ने ? यो हुनै सक्दैन । .... कांग्रेस नेता शेखर कोइराला देखिने हिसाबले मधेसी मोर्चा नै भट्टराईको प्रमुख शक्ति भएको मान्छन् । ..... प्रधानमन्त्री भट्टराई र प्रधानसेनापति गौरवशमशेर जबराबीच राम्रो सम्बन्ध छ । तेस्रो व्यक्तिसँगको कुराकानीमा उनीहरू एकअर्काको मुक्तकण्ठले प्रशंसा गर्छन् । प्रधानसेनापति हुनुअघिदेखि नै दुईबीच राम्रै हिमचिम थियो । सेनाको दोस्रो वरीयतामा रहेका जबराले भट्टराई प्रधानमन्त्री भएलगत्तै भेटेर गुरुचरन दासको 'द डिफिकल्टी अफ बिइङ गुड' शीर्षकको पुस्तक उपहार दिएका थिए । नेपाली मामिलामा भारतीय भूमिका बुझ्ने सवालमा पनि दुवैको समान दृष्टिकोण रहँदै आएको छ । ..... पछिल्ला राजनीतिक छलफलमा प्रधानमन्त्रीले सेना आफ्नो पक्षमा रहेको अभिव्यक्ति दिने गरेका छन् । ..... उनलाई प्रधानमन्त्रीको उम्मेदवारमा पार्टीको केन्द्रीय कमिटीले प्रस्ताव गरेको थियो । र, पार्टीको पछिल्लो निर्णय पनि भट्टराईकै नेतृत्वमा राष्ट्रिय सरकार बनाउन पहल गर्ने भन्ने छ । त्यसैले भट्टराईले पार्टी केन्द्रीय कमिटीले संस्थागत रूपमा गरेको निर्णय कुनै व्यक्ति विशेष (अध्यक्ष) वा समूह (पदाधिकारी) ले उल्ट्याउन नसक्ने बताउने गरेका छन् । साथै सरकार निर्माणमा सहयोग गर्ने मधेसी मोर्चा र साना दलसँग पनि परामर्श गर्नुपर्ने उनको तर्क छ । ..... 'राजनीतिक रूपले कमजोर बन्दै गए पनि राष्ट्रपतिले उनलाई हटाउन सक्ने अवस्था छैन । संवैधानिक र कानुनी रूपमा पनि त्यसको वैधता हुँदैन । भट्टराई यस्तै प्राविधिक कारणले टिकेका हुन्' .... अहिले राष्ट्रपति र प्रधानमन्त्रीको मात्र संवैधानिक हैसियत छ । त्यसैले एकले अर्कोलाई क्रस गर्न सक्दैन ।

राष्ट्रपतिको जम्बो भ्रमण टोलीमा छोरा, छोरी, बुहारी र नाति

राष्ट्रपतिको भ्रमण दल २६ सदस्यीय छ । धेरैजसो सदस्य राष्ट्राध्यक्षको भ्रमणमा सामेल गरिनुको कुनै अर्थ नरहेको स्रोतले उल्लेख गरेको छ । भ्रमण दलमा उनकै परिवारका सदस्य र सहयोगीको संख्या ठूलो छ । .... राष्ट्रपतिसित छोरी अनिता, छोरा चन्द्रमोहन, बुहारी रेश्मी र नाति नमन छन् । राष्ट्राध्यक्ष या सरकार प्रमुखले विदेश भ्रमणमा जाँदा पत्नी या पत्नी नभए छोरा या छोरी एक जनामात्र लाने विश्वव्यापी परम्परा छ । .... मन्त्रिपरिषद्ले भ्रमण दलमा सरकारकातर्फबाट सिँचाइमन्त्री महेन्द्र यादवलाई पठाउने निर्णय गरेको छ । .... राष्ट्रपतिको नयाँदिल्लीमा स्वास्थ्य जाँच गर्ने कार्यक्रमसमेत छ । उनी मधुमेह रोग, आँखाको समस्यालगायतबाट पीडित छन् । राष्ट्रपति शुक्रबार स्वदेश र्फकनेछन् । उनको यो तेस्रो भारत भ्रमण हो ।

दाहाल-भट्टराई मतभेद उस्तै

भट्टराईले दलहरूबीच तुरुन्त सहमति गर्नुपर्ने आवश्यकता भए पनि त्यसो नभए कुनै अर्को शक्ति आउन नसक्ने ठोकुवा गरेका थिए । 'हतारमा वैधानिक सरकार छाड्नु भनेको दुर्घटना निम्त्याउनु हो' ..... प्रवक्ता अग्नि सापकोटा र प्रधानमन्त्रीका राजनीतिक सल्लाहकार देवेन्द्र पौडेलले दुई नेताबीच आधारभूत रूपमा समानता भएको भन्दै सहमति गरेरै अघि बढ्ने बताए ।

एमाओवादी निर्णय पर्खिंदै कांग्रेस-एमाले

एमाले उपाध्यक्ष वामदेव गौतमका अनुसार दाहालका प्रस्तावमा वैशाखमा चुनाव गने, बाबुराम भट्टराई नेतृत्वकै सरकारले संविधान, ऐन र नियमावली संशोधनसम्बन्धी बाधा अड्काउ फुकाउने आदेश सिफारिस गर्ने, विभिन्न आयोगहरू गठन गर्ने, विघटित संविधानसभामा दलहरूबीच भएका सहमतिलाई फेरि प्रतिबद्घता जनाउनेलगायतमा करिब सहमति भइसकेको छ । ..... उक्त प्रस्तावमा भट्टराई नेतृत्वको सरकारमा केही समय कांग्रेस-एमाले पनि सहभागी हुनुपर्ने बुँदा पनि समावेश भएकाले त्यसमा मात्र सहमति रोकिइरहेको गौतमले बताए । .... विपक्षी दलहरूले दलीय पद्घतिमा व्यक्तिगत असहमतिको अर्थ नरहने उल्लेख गर्दै राजनीतिक पार्टीहरूबीच सहमति गरी राष्ट्रपतिकहाँ प्रधानमन्त्रीको नाम सिफारिस गर्न सकिने प्रस्तावसमेत एमाओवादीसँग लगिसकेका छन् । तर एमाओवादी अध्यक्ष पुष्पकमल दाहालले पार्टीभित्र अप्ठ्यारो परेकाले बैठकका निर्णय नआउँदासम्म नहतारिन विपक्षी दलहरूलाई आग्रह गरिरहेका छन् ।

मातृका हतियार उठाउने तयारीमा No NC, UML leadership in new govt come what may: UDMF leader

"There is an unanimous view among the leaders to transforming the present government into a national consensus coalition under Baburam Bhattarai´s leadership" .... the Madhes-based parties wouldn´t accept leadership of Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML terming them as anti-federalists´ parties. "We won´t accept NC and UML leadership for the new government even if Baburam Bhattarai becomes ready for that" ..... Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D), Tarai-Madesh Democratic Party (TMDP), TMDP-Nepal, MPRF-Republican and SP are member parties of the Front.

Maoists, UDMF to leave govt only after package deal
Madhesi Front floats 9-pt proposal for consensus

fresh Constituent Assembly elections should be held in Baisakh (April-May) and that the Prime Minister should resign if he failed to conduct the elections by then. Likewise, the Front said that the tenure of the would-be CA should be five years, which would turn into legislature parliament only after the promulgation of the constitution. ...... On constitution, the UDMF has proposed to present the proposals tabled in the erstwhile CA including the recommendations of the State Restructuring Commission on the federal model in the new CA. Likewise, the Front said the 240 directly elected seats should be maintained while the number of proportionally elected seats need to be decided on the basis of consensus. .... the UDMF's first priority will be to turn the current Baburam Bhattarai-led government into a consensus election government or, as second option, form a consensus government headed by another leader of the ruling Federal Democratic Republican Alliance. In the third option, the UDMF will support any party that accepts its proposal to take government leadership

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प्याकेजमा सहमति नभै छाड्दिनं: प्रधानमन्त्री

अध्यक्ष प्रचण्ड र आफुबीच रहेको मतभेद स्वीकार्दै उनले भने, "हामीबीच एकता प्रधान संघर्षको सम्बन्ध हो, थुप्रै विषयमा हामीबीच बहस जारी छ।" .... राष्ट्रिय सहमतिको सरकारले निर्वाचनको मिति घोषणा गर्नुपर्छ। पहिलो चरणमा हाम्रो नेतृत्वमा आउनोस्, दोश्रो चरणमा विपक्षीहरुको नेतृत्वमा जान हामी तयार छौं। त्यसले विश्वास बनाउँछ"

Everest captured in two billion pixel image detail
The Image
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Fair Enough

Baburam Bhattarai's suggestion that the NC and the UML should join the current government and that joint government should make all changes necessary to make elections possible, and only then for him to hand over government leadership to the NC was a fair one. But the NC insisted that government leadership be handed over first. That smelled of foul play. To me it felt like the NC wants to grab the PM's chair so as to not bother with holding elections at all. That would have been a nightmare situation. I am glad that has been avoided.

Now the president has no option but to pass Baburam's election related ordinances as a reward to his having made all efforts to forge consensus. It is that or it is Baburam all the way to April 2014. I don't like the idea.

Looks like the Madhesi Morcha came to the rescue. It is because the Madhesi Morcha is much more interested in federalism than even the Maoists. The Madhesi Morcha smelled rat.

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Present govt should be given national structure: FDRA

With the decision, political crisis in the country has further deepened. ..... "The meeting concluded that if the present government fails to gain national structure, the government's leadership should be given to one of the parties from the alliance."

Deal at threat as PM, Dahal rift widens

the PM's move in the afternoon was a payback as the party boss had declined his early request for a one-on-one in the morning. .... Some leaders urged Maoist Cabinet ministers to quit the Bhattarai government en masse if “Bhattarai continued to violate the party decision” for an early poll. The meeting entrusted Dahal to hold “serious dialogue” with his deputy and urge him to uphold the party's decision. ..... Leaders from the Bhattarai faction, however, said the party's first priority should be transforming the incumbent government into a national consensus one and the second to seek a prime ministerial candidate within the coalition should consensus elude for Bhattarai's continuity. A leader close to Bhattarai said Dahal is exerting pressure on Bhattarai to quit, which he said is against the party's decision. ...... PM's Political Advisor Devendra Poduel said the party has plunged into a dispute after Dahal tried to hand over the government leadership to the NC without a package deal among the parties.

Ring Road upgradation from next March

the road improvement project will upgrade the current four-lane road to eight lanes with a four-lane carriageway that will also include a two-way relief road, two-way bicycle track and two-way pedestrian path.

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Baburam's Options

Baburam can resign. It is a free will thing. He is a free human being. And he could exercise that option. But as a disciplined soldier of the Maoist party he might not take such an action unless he has his party's backing for it.

Baburam could reorganize his cabinet. He could reshuffle it. That is the prerogative of any Prime Minister.

Baburam could also expand his cabinet. He could add a few Deputy Prime Ministers. He could add a few ministers. This might be his best available option right now. And that might just be the step to break the gridlock.

The breakaway Maoists have to realize the current polarization in the country is between the federalist and the anti-federalist forces and they necessarily have to side with the federalists. Federalism has been a gift of the Madhesi Kranti, but the ground for it was prepared by the Maoist movement. It is not possible for Baidya and Badal to see common ground with the NC and the UML.

Ashok Rai and Upendra Yadav also belong in the federalist camp.

Baburam should reach out to these three individuals and expand his cabinet accordingly. That might be the right move for the current polarization in the country. I happen to think that polarization is a positive thing.

Panchayat was a no party system. The thinking was if you allow parties that will fragment the society. Similarly consensus is a regressive concept. Political polarization is a good thing. It leads to progress.

The Maoists were as opposed to the seven parties as they were to the king. But they realized an alliance with the parties was a must to topple the king.

Down the line Upendra Yadav, Ashok Rai and Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal might all compete with Baburam Bhattarai electorally, but for now they have to understand the ground reality and see they belong on the federalist side. They should see common cause.

Instead of harping on the self evident truth that Ram Baran can not dismiss him Baburam should go ahead and expand his cabinet and bring the federalist forces inside to further isolate the non federalists, namely the NC, the UML and the monarchists.

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What Might The President Do?

English: Mr. Baburam bhattarai the 35th Prime Minister of Nepal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I think he is gearing up to take over. That might not be bad news. In India they call it president's rule when the Governor of a state takes over. Something like that is about to happen in Nepal. The president will take over and lead a cabinet of non political people to conduct elections to a new assembly in April 2013. That is a decent roadmap.

The less controversial step would be the deadline passes and the president says the current caretaker government is now the election government. That will allow him to pass election related ordinances.

Both are good options. Direct rule by the president until April will not be dictatorial.

The deadline will come and go. And the president will step in.

Nepal President wants consensus Premier in a week

The president has given parties a deadline of November 29, 4 pm, to come up with consensus. ...... Soon after the term of the CA ended on May 27, the president had ‘relieved’ the PM of his ‘post’, on the grounds that he was no longer a member of the legislature-parliament. But the president had asked the PM to continue performing his duties till another government was constituted. ..... this was like the October 4, 2002 move of King Gyanendra when he dismissed an elected PM for failing to hold elections. “The interim constitution does not give the president any such right. He has to act on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, which has the responsibility of finding consensus.”

Prez gives 7-day deadline for parties to find consensus PM

President Yadav had reduced Prime Minister Bhattarai, who announced fresh CA election for November 22, to a caretaker after the CA was dissolved on May 27 as per the Supreme Court verdict. The president´s move comes at a time when the opposition parties have been demanding that the president set a deadline for the parties to form a national consensus government as per the Article 38 (1). ..... the president will have to either pick an independent leader as head of a neutral election government or end the process without any result and let the present government continue ...... it will turn out to a blessing in disguise for Baburam Bhattarai.

EC demands amendment of constitution, laws for election

According to the EC, officials met President Yadav at Seetal Niwas in the evening and Prime Minister Bhattarai in the morning at his office at Singhadurbar and also requested them to fix the exact date for the voting.

The road ahead
Road to prosperity

The acclaimed historian Niall Ferguson, backed by extensive narrative of the last 600 years, writes in his brilliant book Civilization: West and the Rest, that the Western countries, prior to the threshold year 1500, were much behind the civilization of the East. Since then, particularly after renaissance and reformation, the Western civilization developed values based on individual freedom, private property, and rule of law and free trade, which led to its ascendancy over much superior regimes of the East.

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Dahal's Capitulation Is Wrong

UCPN (M) proposes oppn parties to name PM candidate

In the meeting of the major four political forces held on Friday as part of their attempts to seek possible way out of the current political impasse, the Maoist chairaman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed to name the PM candidate after the leaders of Nepali Congress and CPN-UML refused former's proposal to convert existing government into national consensus government, according to UML leader Bhim Rawal

This is ridiculous.

Prachanda has to stop pretending that there is going to be a "friendly" election. When the elections are held in April there will be a major ideological tussle between the pro federalism forces and the anti federalism forces. The pro federalism forces have to win a two thirds majority. That is the work cut out before Prachanda as the leader of the Federal Republican Alliance. That alliance has to forge an electoral alliance with the smaller alliance that Upendra Yadav has managed to forge together to bring forth an alliance of alliances. That joint alliance should be able to garner a two thirds majority in the next assembly that is needed to give Nepal genuine federalism.

The NC and the UML are welcome to join the current government. If not, the current government has to move ahead full speed. The Prime Minister has to confront the president and remind him he is not an executive president. The Ram Baran Yadav drama has gone too far. It is not his job to try to bring the political parties together. That is the Prime Minister's job to try.

Consensus is a Panchayati concept. It sickens me to see Prachanda acting like unless the NC and the UML agree nothing can happen in the country. Those are the two parties that need to be soundly defeated at the polls and Prachanda as leader of the Federal Republican Alliance has to start acting like it.

If the NC and UML choose to go for street demonstrations and mass meetings, the ruling coalition has to go for street demonstrations and mass meetings. Violence is not an option, but street action and mass actions are options.

Ram Baran Yadav's activism has to stop. The budget has to be brought through an ordinance. Election related ordinances have to be brought forth. Let the NC and the UML go to the people in April. Those are the two parties that did not let two thirds of the members of the last assembly give Nepal the federal constitution it deserves.

Talks falter over govt leadership

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