Monday, June 20, 2005

Full Democracy Soon?


Looks like the threat of a Maoist-Democrat alliance is already working. We have a top Indian minister claiming Nepal is on the verge of restoring full democracy, although I would like to know where he got his information from. On the other hand we have a senior Nepali minister threatening the democrats, that they will be treated like the Maoists should they form an alliance. Carrot and stick? Empty threat? So if the Maoist-Democrat alliance comes together on the issue of Constituent Assembly, you are going to send the army after the democrats? Come on.

Isn't this minister guy the same one that routinely gets into trouble with the Supreme Court? Looks like he is speaking out of his back pocket. Isn't this the guy that imposes imaginative sackles on the press, and when the press asks the king about it, his reply is that such decisions have yet to reach his desk? I mean, this minister guy, does he think he is the modern day Jung Bahadur or what! He sure is going on a tangent on a routine basis.

As for a restoration of full democracy, I will see it when it happens. Frankly, I don't see it in the cards. Although it would be wise of the regime to head that way.

The Maoists have taken their attacks to a whole new level. They are now targeting district headquarters, it seems. If only a few of those were to fall, that would be a major blow to the regime. The war is psychological.

The Maoists are not pretending they have given up on their original goal. And that is why engaging them is the better route to go. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer, as the saying goes. If you engage them, you stand a chance to tame them. If you stay away, they run amok. Besides, if the consensus is for a political solution to the civil war, that translates into engaging them. So do what you say you will.

If the Monarchists keep digging their heels, the foreign powers will continue to stay away. And I am not sure the recent RNA stunt of trying to buy arms and ammunition from private global markets is exactly a great move on their part. First, the US routinely passes laws prohibiting American companies from doing business with regimes it disapproves of. I would think other democracies do something similar, or are capable of the same. Second, India-US-EU holding back military supplies is not a military move, it is a political move. If the Monarchists see it purely in military terms, they stand to challenge powers like India into changing gears.

Monarchists Invited To The Maoist-Democrat Alliance

The Monarchists have been alarmed by the gelling Maoist-Democrat alliance around the idea of a Constituent Assembly. They need not feel excluded. They are very much welcome to the same alliance. It is not some exclusive club.

Peter Pan Giri and company, stop whining and instead turn the Maoist-Democrat alliance into a Monarchist-Maoist-Democrat Grand Alliance. Seize the moment. It's called Constituent Assembly. It is called going to the people.

E-Mail From Gagan Thapa

I received an email from Gagan Thapa earlier today. I am thrilled. He got arrested when Dinesh (Prasain) was on his US speaking tour, and we all took it very personally. It is good to know Thapa now is beyond arrest, and is politicking freely.

Thapa's point is the four point agenda of the seven parties is a great starting point, but not entirely enough. And that as the movement chugs along, more progress is to be made.

In The News
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CPI (M), CPN (M)

Communist Party Of India (Marxist), Communist Party Of Nepal (Maoist).

CPI (M) is destined to become larger than the Congress and the BJP in India so as to enshrine a strong Third Front in that ocean of a country. It is the fastest growing party in India. The average age of its member is 40. It is a young party. Its leadership, Prakash Karat, is young.

The Nepali Maoists could learn from the CPI (M). Come into the mainstream and take over the power. That is the surer way.

Actually if the Maoists were to take to heart my proposal for a total, transparent democracy, they might actually have something to export to them communists in India. India should be working to abolish the veto, not trying to become a member of that club that should not even exist in the first place. The UN Security Council is an anachronism.

It is a brave, new world. The future is now.

I was just reading the CPI(M) program. And their 2004 manifesto. Both could benefit tremendously if the concept of total, transparent democracy were to be taken to heart.

In The News
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Sunday, June 19, 2005

Prachanda's Meaningful Statement

This is another thing I like about these Maoists: they will put out press statements in PDF format. My source of their such statements is the INSN site, that Dinesh (Prasain) and his colleagues run, arguably the best, and perhaps only, site of its kind. The Maoists have the INSN on their mailing list.

After this statement, I will no longer try to seek dialogue with Baburam. My questions have been answered. The ground has been laid. Now it is time for business. And that has to be conducted by the representatives of the seven parties. Commentators like me need to stand guard and keep commenting.

Some observations I make:
  1. The Maoists are not like the LTTE, not like the Khmer Rouge, not like the Shining Path. The Nepali Maoists are rather unique.
  2. Of the three camps, they are the most open book. Their organization is the most secretive, but their ideology is the most open book. Compare that to someone like Girija. He is oh so accessible, but half the time not even Girija knows what Girija is thinking.
  3. The Maoists will not give up on their long term goal of a communist utopia, but then that is like saying the Nepali Congress will not give up on its ultimate goal of totally eradicating poverty in the country, nor the other parties. Such goals do not get in the way of the business at hand.
  4. The Maoists do mean rule of law, and multi-party democracy. It is a major disservice to the peace process to doubt their commitment on these fundamental issues.
  5. And they do feel like they have finally found common ground with the seven parties on the idea of a Constituent Assembly.
And that brings me to my newest request. Folks, get into dialogue mode. Talk directly. If Baburam and company are still in Delhi, let them engage the exiled Nepali leaders there. Try some face to face communication. Get on the phone. Meet.

I can understand groups not being able to hold talks when they have no common ground. But that is not the case with the Maoists and the democrats no more.

Why? Because the very idea of a Constituent Assembly hinges on dialogue. Start now. Especially when the third camp - the Monarchists - people are nowhere close to getting into dialogue mode. The only way to tip the balance is for the Maoists and the democrats to engage is some major league dialogue.

Get down to work! That is what it boils down to.

Once such dialogue gains momentum, the Monarchists will also come around to it. They will not be able to stand the isolation.

That is how peace will be made.

I keep offering my Proposed Constitution as the meeting point for all three camps, and I do so again.

Talk, damnit!

In The News
  • Prachanda Statement
  • Maoist Control Right Under Kalapani United We Blog
  • Kathmandu looks beyond Delhi for arms Calcutta Telegraph, India
  • Deuba's detention is "unconstitutional" Hindu, India
  • Maoists hijack bank vehicle, loot Rs 0.6 million PeaceJournalism.com, India
  • Dude, Where's My Parliament? Samudaya.org, AZ
  • Joint Declaration Common Agreement And Commitment People's Democracy
  • Exhibition stalls emptied after King left Kantipur Online, Nepal The much-publicized “Promote Nepal 2005”, exhibition, inaugurated by King Gyanendra in Doha, during his Qatar visit on Tuesday, was emptied soon after the King came out of the exhibition..... There was no significant participation of Nepalis though there are more than 100,000 Nepalis working in Qatar.
  • Experts hail vision for Nepal as transit economy PeaceJournalism.com, India
  • Nepalis near Indian border said using Indian cell phone service Monsters and Critics.com, UK
  • Indian national arrested for supplying Nepal Maoists Monsters and Critics.com, UK
  • Three Nepalese Maoists arrested Outlook (subscription), India
  • King Gyanendra firm on his roadmap Telegraph ..... On two separate occasions last week, His majesty King Gyanendra has firmly reiterated his continuing commitment .... He chose to underline the importance of the judiciary in interpreting the constitution. This is a pointed reference to the tendency of the politicians to interpret the constitution on their own....... the King's moves under Article 127 and 27. ..... the King followed up on his Friday's statement calling for talks with the political parties stating that discussion should center around how the political sector proposes to deal with burning national issues such as peace, corruption, good governance and fiscal discipline....... the King, has been succinct that the restoration of the parliament is unconstitutional and the King's constitutional role can't defy the constitution..... the only constitutional possibility of restoring parliament which is through the elections...... the King has said nothing new ..... the arbitrary closure of FM Radios, the stoppage of government advertisements ...... the government's silence on the proposed press law amendments ..... The King has made it clear, here too, that these regulatory moves have yet to come to his table. Until then, perhaps, the media will be allowed to agitate....... King Gyanendra has abundantly made it clear that he would proceed his way come what may...... King Gyanendra opines that why it is so that only the monarch has to remain in the boundaries of the constitution? ..... maintained that he would not "restore" the parliament as demanded by the political parties for he thought it would be an act thoroughly "unconstitutional" ...... a fierce political confrontation in between the monarch and the political parties is in the cards ...... until and unless the King restored the parliament, no talks with the King were possible...... King is not apparently going to budge an inch from his standpoints ..... The fact is that Nepali leaders would submit themselves to foreign powers willingly but would summarily neglect the Nepali power that is a national power in the hands of a Nepali from head to toe...... Koirala's love for Delhi durbar is so intense that he preferred to land in Delhi straight from Hong Kong after attending to a Chinese invitation instead of coming to Kathmandu...... An innocent Koirala perhaps does not know that how the Indian establishment is extracting benefits from his innocence....... Analysts say that Koirala as a Nepali has every right to confront with a Nepali King for a cause that is genuinely Nepali. But to invite enemies in the solution of Nepali cases or seeking their clandestine favors would be suicidal...... Friends can be changed, not the neighbors. This is Nepali tragedy, a permanent one indeed.... Rule through ordinance: In my view, it’s not a good system to rule through ordinance. But the country now is being governed by rule of law and not by the rule of the jungle..... On Protests: We understand in which season and month protests are conducted....... King Gyanendra is all set to pay an unofficial visit to United kingdom immediately after his trip to Quatar, Doha......... Dr. Bhattarai, a highly intellectual personality as he is, does not allow his rival space to breathe and retorts with equal intensity and magnitude. ...... Analysts in Kathmandu conclude that some sort of fierce personality clash is currently going on in between the two giants of the insurgency and the two appear not to reconcile with each other on their respective positions on the presumed India factor..... Let's wait what the Indian newspapers have yet to reveal in this regard.
  • Need For Tolerance And Persuasion Keshab Poudel Spotlight With the arrogance of power, people at the establishment side are inciting civil society members and politicians saying that they are just a bunch of people with no public support....... American ambassador to Nepal James Moriarty is criticized by a section of people in the ruling as well as in opposition side for pursuing the idea of reconciliation. ...... Even the leader like B.P. Koirala was criticized by them for his call for reconciliation between patriotic monarchists and patriotic democrats....... The government ministers are accusing the opposition leaders and opposition leaders, civil society, media; lawyers are challenging the authority of the government through street....... “We will punish those who violate the law and regulations. If police use force to maintain law and order, there is no question of violation of human rights,” said vice chairman Dr. Tulsi Giri. “The duty of the government is to protect the law to guarantee the rights of the citizens.”....... “This government is unconstitutional. There is no need to respond to statement like those given by a ghost of Panchayat era,” said Oli. “It is everybody’s right to oppose this unconstitutional government.” ..... if political leaders like Girija Prasad Koirala – who has been championing the genuine cause of millions of Nepalese like democracy and freedom - is begging support from Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, why can he not tolerate the arrogance, if there is any, of the King of his own country...... not only took to him to a foreign capital but also made him knock the doors of all shades of politicians of a chaotic democracy of a big neighboring country.... Former deputy prime minister Acharya, who is now isolated from main stream politics, has been very unstable ...... An agitation of lawyers may carry the news for next day but that is it........ “We don’t have time to read and listen to the voice of person like Dr.Giri, whose appointment is unconstitutional. We don’t care what first vice chairman Giri means,” said CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal . “Our struggle is with King Gyanendra as he has to choose the course.” .....
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