Burma Option Or Pakistan Option

I skim through the news today, and looks like the king is actively looking at both options. I think he would have preferred the Pakistan option whereby he makes hay in Nepal and the international community largely supports him, or turns a blind eye at the least. That not forthcoming, he has been touting the Burma option today. That is a tough stance for a country that is essentially India-locked. This withdrawal symptom only adds to the image of the autocrat he has been garnering. The Burma option is not an option for any faction in Nepal.

Looks to me like the democrats have their organizational work cut out for them. As I have said earlier, the two-word mantra of Democratic Republic to bring all forces except the Monarchists together. And if the Monarchists keep acting up, then skip the second phase two-word mantra of a Constituent Assembly, and just stick to the Democratic Repubic until it is realized.

The Nepali people will have to earn their democracy plain and simple. It is an uphill climb, but worth it. The seeds of freedom reside in every heart.

• Nepal 'can solve' Maoist crisis Hindustan Times, India Gyanendra seemed intrepidly unmindful of possible international sanctions while disbanding democracy ..... the present cabinet set-up that he surveys has, it seems, completely ignored India, and in the process the UK and the US ..... Nepal on Tuesday ruled out 'international mediation' to resolve the Maoists crisis. It also said that it is capable to meet its defence needs...... asserted that 70 per cent of its defence procurement and spending was financed by internal sources......
  
• Nepal says arms cut unfortunate, could help rebels San Diego Union Tribune ....poorly-equipped Nepali army..... "We are the ones fighting for democracy in Nepal. If they don't provide us with military aid, it will indirectly benefit the Maoists," he said...... the vice-chairman of the ruling council, Tulsi Giri, and Gurung said they had no information on the suspension of arms supplies...... The Maoists have imposed a nationwide transport blockade to mark their protest against the royal power grab, disrupting road transport and supplies of foodgrains and vegetables in the mountainous nation for the past 11 days.
• External powers must act to save Nepal Financial Times ..... in crushing fledgling democratic institutions and locking up mainstream politicians, journalists and human rights activists, it is the king who has strengthened the rebels' hand......
  
• Maoists rule Nepal highways Calcutta Telegraph Maoists have crippled Mahendra Raj Marg, Nepal’s main highway and link to India..... last week, 65 tankers carrying petroleum products from Gonda and Allahabad in India took 11 days to cover 10 km along Rupardih-Nepalgunj road in western Nepal..... Over 18 trucks on way to Kathmandu with food and other essentials offloaded their material after seven days of waiting near Nepalgunj..... Last night, Maoists detonated a bomb at the Kohalpur-based power substation of the Nepal Electricity Authority and disrupted power supply to four adjoining districts — Banke, Bardia, Surkhet and Dailekh...... the Nepalgunj-Kohalpur and Nepalgunj-Surkhet roads are eerily deserted..... Nowhere does the Mahendra highway look so desolate as when it leaves behind the mini industrial zone of Nepalgunj and enters the hilly jungle terrain.
• Nepal defiant on military aid cut BBC News Nepal says it will approach other countries for military supplies if India and the United Kingdom stopped such assistance...... Nepal could approach its giant communist neighbour China and India's traditional rival, Pakistan......
  
• Uneasy days ahead for Nepal's crown Times of India, India Growing international pressure, the regrouping of democratic forces and renewed protests and blockades by Maoist insurgents have imperilled the survival of the institution of monarchy in Nepal. ..... public opinion in Nepal is sharply polarised on the issue ..... the continuation of monarchy is being openly questioned for the first time in the country's history. ...... the Nepali Congress (is) publicly demanding the abolition of monarchy ..... Nepali political leaders who fled to India in the wake of the king's action have demanded convening of a constituent assembly elected by the people to decide the future of monarchy ..... Pradeep Giri of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) also stressed on the creation of an elected constituent assembly as the top priority of the political parties. ..... The acceptability of a constituent assembly has kindled the possibility of a grand alliance of the Maoists with political parties, though fundamental ideological differences between them persist. ..... the Maoists are said to have extended their control to over 60 of the country's 75 districts where their writ is supreme...... Chaos and instability work to the advantage of Maoist insurgents who are shrewdly moving into the space previously occupied by notoriously fractious political parties. ...... "If the king is adamant on using Royal Nepalese Army as a tool in dealing with the Maoists, he runs the risk of a popular uprising," warned security expert Major General (retd) Ashok Mehta. ..... "The only way to deal with the Maoists is through a legitimate political authority. This could take the shape of an all-party government. Let's face the fact: the king is not a legitimate political authority," Mehta said...... the political parties have already formed a broad political front ..... The international isolation of the king is near complete ..... there are reports of France, Denmark, Norway and Germany doing likewise...... Unless he changes course, he will be dumped into the dustbin of history
• Nepali parties decide to launch united fight Sify five political parties of Nepal have decided to launch a united agitation for restoration of democracy in the Himalayan Kingdom as they sought to mobilise the support of Indian parties in this respect...... The Nepali Congress, Nepali Congress (Democratic), Sadbhavna (Anandi), Janmorcha and the MCP (United) have passed a resolution, deciding to work under the leadership of former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala for ending emergency in their country..... efforts were on to bring other parties in the fold...... leaders who attended these meetings included Sujata Koirala, daughter of G P Koirala, and her cousin Shekhar Koirala (both Nepali Congress), Pradeep Giri (Nepali Congress-D) and Rajendra Mahto of Sadbhavna (A)
• Journalists slip information out of Nepal International Journalist's Network One example is a Web site named Radio Free Nepal: http://freenepal.blogspot.com/. ..... the king has begun shutting off Internet sites .....
  

The King's Best Option: Go Back On TV One More Time

If The King Himself Were To Take Initiative For The Constituent Assembly.

I mean, he could go on national television and say something like this. That way Nepal will be spared the humiliation of India, on its own, arranging mediation between the "rebels" and the king. Even if he fails to bring the Maoists around, he will at least bring the democrats together. I have a strong feeling the Maoists will come around. Peace making is a skill, like playing soccer. You can't just wish it. You have to work it. Coalition building requires a certain relentlessness.

The king's two biggest enemies are: (1) the ex-Panches, and (2) the top brass of the army. Neither care if the monarchy stays or goes. All they care is in terms of their short term career advancements. And neither can deliver. The army can not deliver a military victory over the Maoists. And the Panchayati ghosts like Giri and Bishta can not deliver law and order or peace talks.

Beloved Countrymen and women.

I come back to you today to make an announcement that I hope will bring together the various political factions in the country. I had to dismiss the previous government since it had failed in its mandate to hold talks with the Maoists. The subsequent emergency that was imposed was a choice of last resort on my part. It was not something that made me happy. But it was a compulsion under the circumstances.

The political parties that participated in the multi-party framework of the 1990s, for all their deficiencies, are our vanguards for democracy, as they themselves will evolve and perfect the democratic experiment over time, as long as periodic free and fair elections can be ensured.

The Maoists come from an entirely different ideological background, but there are many from the communist movement, like our own late Madan Bhandari, who have managed to make room for the multi-party framework without giving up on their ultimate socialist utopian dream. Ideological purity is not a precondition for participation in a democracy, a commitment to peaceful co-existence is.

I must say the Maoists have raised some valid social issues. But it is not my place to get involved in those details. It is for the democratic process to deal with all political and social issues.

Diversity in viewpoints, opinions, and ideology is possible within the democratic framework. The western free marketeers themselves have been perfecting the market economy forever. There is no one fix-all, either in politics or economics.

There were many patriotic Nepalis who made valuable contributions to the country during the Panchayat era as well. Diversity of opinion should make room for that as well.

I love my late father King Mahendra, and take great pride in my ancestors, like the founder of the dynasty, late King Prithvi, as I think all of you should in terms of your own individual families. I think it would be wrong to judge those from times past with our perspectives available today. And I greatly miss my late brothers and their families and I will continue to do so for the rest of my life. Kings have sentiments also.

Today we live in a different world. As I have said before, the monarchy in the 21st century can only stand for democracy. This is a different time we live in compared to where the world was 50 or 250 years ago. The history of other countries carry the same message. The oldest continuous democracy America itself was a very imperfect democracy as little as 50 years ago.

The first thing I did after taking over was to extend an open invitation to the Maoists. It was made very clear we were willing to seek all options including that of the Constituent Assembly.

As the heir to the throne, I consider it my duty to seek the continuation of the monarchy. And I am confident that if the Nepali people are given a chance to vote in a free and fair manner, they will express their support to keep the monarchy around. And I can live with the opinions of those who might disagree.

With this proclamation, I hereby restore all fundamental rights. And I invite all political parties represented in the last parliament as well as the Maoists to form an all-party government to which I will also make a maximum of two nominations. That government will have a two-point agenda. One, to restore peace in the country. And, two, to hold elections within a year of taking over for a Constituent Assembly. People will vote for parties and coalitions. And the percentage of votes each might get will determine the number of seats each gets in the subsequent 205-member Assembly.

That Assemlby will elect a government and draft a Constitution, to be put to a referendum within a year. If passed, that document will become the fundamental law of the land.

To participate in the all-party government and the subsequent elections, the Maoists will have to agree to lay down their arms. We can not have them continue with the insurgency so as to pressure the government in ways they might see fit, or to disagree with the outcome of the Constituent Assembly, should they find it not in their favor. That possibility can not be allowed. It might be possible to integrate the Maoist fighters into the army, but not as separate battalions. Their cadres will have to go through the same screening process that any other Nepali might have gone through before. And the subsequent expansion of the army will have to make budgetary sense.

If the Maoists can not come around to the Constituent Assembly then, I am afraid, we will have only the military option left to bring the insurgency to an end. I hope we do not have to fall for that last resort.

For now I invite all political parties to come together and join hands and form an all-party government that will have the executive powers.

On my part, as heir to the throne, I hope to reform the monarchy. Future generations will marry individuals of their choice and not necessarily within a few select families, or even within the country. The first born, son or daughter, should ascend to the throne. The royal budget should go back to the level it was at in 2001. I hope to keep an active interest in the affairs of the country, and keep in touch with political leaders of all persuasions. But that will still be a
Constitutional Monarch. The parliament will be running the country. And I hope to open up variuos holdings of my family for public viewing so as to generate enough tourist revenue for the state that it might offset the state expenditures on the monarchy. We are a Hindu family that hundreds of millions of Hindus all over the world relate to. That will continue to be so. But it will be just fine if in the new constitution the country is declared a secular state.

Of course, the political parties will be free to campaign for a republic, or for a Constitutional Monarchy, as they might please. But I hope many will campaign for a reformed Constitutional Monarchy. The monarchy is the most deeply rooted institution in the country that adds to the country's uniqueness in the eyes of our neighbors and the world.

I have always thought in terms of the best of the country and its beloved peoples. I hope we can all come together and unleash the potential of this great country and put it on the path of rapid economic growth. I personally take great pride in the rapid economic growth and promise of our two great neighbors, India and China. I hope we can benefit from their advances as that of the rest of the world. We may disagree on the particulars, but I hope we will do so peacefully,
and within the democratic framework.

May Lord Pashupatinath bless us all.