Friday, June 02, 2006

Dr. Tara Niraula

Deuba At Columbia
March 22 Event At Columbia
Symposium At Columbia
My Proposal To The Saturday Symposium At Columbia

I had the opportunity to have lunch with Dr. Niraula earlier today. Two of the audio files went corrupt, so I am having to do a summary write up. The second file was especially revealing. The questions I asked were as follows.
  1. How do you like the idea of dividing the country into three states based on the three river basins? Kosi, Gandaki, Karnali.
  2. If there were 180 seats in the lower house, how about having 60 seats in the upper house, three seats for the lower make up one for the upper? All directly elected.
  3. How about reserved seats for the DaMaJaMa in the lower house? Dalit 5%, Madhesi 10%, Janajati 9%, and Mahila 12%. One fourth of their purported shares in the national population.
  4. How about having the parliamentary affairs ministry translate the statements by MPs into three languages to be put online? Nepali, Hindi and English.
  5. How about barring the political parties from raising funds? Instead they get state funds in direct proportion to the number of votes they earn.
  6. Everyone on the state payroll has to put their family property statements online.
  7. All state expenses are kept online.
  8. Every elected official should get a decent monthly salary.
  9. How about having direct elections for president? If noone gets more than 50% of the votes, there is a second round between the top two candidates.
  10. Direct elections for the governor of each state.
  11. Party tickets should be distributed by members of the said party who are at that level in the party or below.
  12. How about direct elections for district chairperson, chief police office, chief judge, and attorney general?
  13. 10% of the federal budget to the 25 poorest districts.
  14. All parliamentary constituencies of roughly equal population.
  15. Tri-lingual education policy.
  16. Elections on Satudays.
He said we need more than three states, maybe more like five. He is for direct elections also for members of the upper house. He has reservations on the reservations issue. Instead he thinks there should be policies and programs to positively impact the entire groups of people in the marginalized categories. On languages he is more for the local languages in the various local areas. On transparency issues, and issues of direct elections, we are in tandem. He is also for party primaries deciding who gets the party ticket. He is not so sure we should be directly electing police officer and judges. Those ask for technical expertise, and should be treated like a meritocratic civil service. On the language issue, we had divergent viewpoints, not on principle, but on specifics and technicalities. Elections do not have to be on Saturdays. The day, whatever it is, could be declared a holiday. If we can take a day off for the king's birthday, why not take a day off for elections, he said. He was also weary of my over emphasis on the internet. Most of that will have to be district level and above, he said. We might even want to start out only at the state and federal levels. And even in America, politicians send snail mail, he pointed out. The online medium has serious limitations in a country like Nepal.

I wish you could hear him elaborate on these points. The second file was more than an hour long.

Audio

Tara Niraula 1
Tara Niraula 4












Audio


Ram Chandra Poudel
Pampha Bhushal
Amik Sherchan
Malla K. Sundar
Sitaram Tamang
Dr. Om Gurung
Sanakman Maharjan

Paramendra Bhagat: Madhesi Rights (00:15:00)
Somnath Ghimire (00:41:29)

In The News

Maoist mass meeting concludes peacefully NepalNews
EC asks Maoists to renounce violence
People pay homage to late royalties
PM Koirala to visit India from June 6-9; cabinet scraps one-door advertisement policy
Maoists for immediate dissolution of parliament, incumbent government: Mahara
Singh welcomes split in PFN
Fear of the future CK Lal

Reclusive Leader of Nepal's Rebellion Makes Public Appearance Voice of America Still Mahara says there may soon be an agreement on another sticking point: a temporary disarmament by both the rebels and government forces - a key step ahead of any future polls.
Nepal's misunderstood movement BBC News
Nepal’s king set to lose more powersDaily Times Nepal’s parliament is expected to consider stripping the king of his remaining parliamentary roles ..... But any bill passed by parliament still needs the king’s signature to become law. He also opens and closes sessions, and reads out the government’s annual policy programme. “All this will end now,” said Narayan Man Bijukchhe ..... bills will not need the king’s signature to become law. .....
Rhino, tiger populations in western Nepal decline due to warfare Monsters and Critics.com, UK
Concern over Nepal bank robberies BBC News, UK
Income, savings decline in Nepal People's Daily Online, China
Nepal's agricultural growth rate declines People's Daily Online, China
Yet another ITC official in Nepal under threat India eNews.com, India
NEPAL: Despite ceasefire, displaced unready to return Reuters AlertNet, UK
Nepal again plans to humble king Deccan Herald, India The king will no longer be the appointing authority of ambassadors and chiefs of constitutional bodies like the chief justice and chief election commissioner. Foreign diplomats will no longer present their credentials to him at the Narayanhity Royal Palace but instead meet the prime minister at his office..... The royal seal will no longer be needed to enact a new law; instead the Speaker can proclaim a resolution law after it is passed by parliament. Nor will the king’s assent be required to deploy the army. Finally, in another blow to the chauvinistic nationalism advocated by the royalists, the national dress — the daura suruwal and cap — will no longer be obligatory at government functions and events attended by the king...... The committee has also axed the tradition of a royal address to parliament before tabling the budget, authorising the prime minister to do the honours instead. Indeed, when the budget is presented next month, it is likely to give another blow to the royal family as Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat is reportedly pressing to reduce the palace’s allowances to about NRS 200 million from the current NRS 750 million........ Nepal’s Parliament decided unanimously on Tuesday that, in future, children would be able to get citizenship on the basis of their mother’s identity and the government would have to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in all government bodies...... the summit talks cannot begin unless “our senior party leaders in Nepal and India are released”
King's motorcade bump costs commoner - royally NewKerala.com
Nepal: Maoists Threat Incresing HIV/AIDS Los Angeles Chronicle, USA
Here is the view of Gagan Thapa, a student leader and a member of ... BBC News, UK
Maoists for immediate dissolution of parliament, incumbent government: Mahara Stopping army mobilization and restructuring of the state to ensure just participation of Madhesi, Dalits, women and all suppressed people were the other demands stipulated in the release.