Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Coalition Government, But Which Coalition Partners


If the NC and the UML stay away, all the rest will have to come together to cross the 50% mark. It might end up a Maoist and Madhesi Alliance government. Or it might end up a minority government by the Maoists propped up by the rest. The non Maoist parties might go for that to have a better shot at the parliamentary elections when they are held in about two years.

I would urge the Madhesi Alliance to not fall for that logic. Joining the government would be the best way to:
  1. Ensure a Madhesh state.
  2. Hold respectful peace talks with the armed Madhesi groups.
  3. Do good work on the constitution.
  4. Send the message out to the Madhesi masses that power is possible.
  5. Do work on census and citizenship.
Maoists 119 + 125 = 244
NC 33 + 90 = 123
UML 30 + 93 = 123
MJF 23 + 16 = 39
RPP 11
TMDP 7
Sadbhavana 3
NWPP 2
Independent 2
Janamorcha 1

Total 555/601

In The News

When the Maoists Take Over Nepal TIME Not so long ago, few in Nepal believed Pushpa Kamal Dahal actually existed. The Maoist guerrilla leader was a creature of myth — no one knew what he looked like, or in which mountain fastness he hid, or quite how he and his fighters, ragtag and ill-equipped, had managed to plunge this Himalayan nation into a decade-long civil war that claimed 13,000 lives. .... not only a man of flesh and blood, but of suits and expensive pens ...... Nepal's first ever President. ...... Prachanda's rise is testament to the unprecedented political transformation gripping Nepal. ...... the migration of its best workers abroad. ..... Prachanda has gone on record hailing the Chinese Communist Party's pragmatic model of capitalism ...... Chinese companies are aggressively pursuing lucrative deals to tap Nepal's glacial rivers for hydropower, while state officials are cozying up to the Maoists in Kathmandu. ...... the skyscrapers and shopping arcades of Shanghai.
Madheshis make a mark in Nepal polls NDTV.com For the first time, Madheshis .... have a reason to cheer about. .... their long cherished dream of a separate Madheshi state.
India: No nexus between Naxals, Nepal Maoists Times of India, India

Poll Defeat will ‘Prove Costly’ for Koirala Clan Himalayan Times The Koirala family may lose control of the party mantles for "quite some time". ..... the NC has become one of the weakest forces in the country .... The Koirala family has been at the helm of the Nepali Congress since the inception of the party. ..... the new NC leadership will be under intense pressure to democratise the party and lessen factional politics. .... Leaders from the Koirala and Deuba factions, including some influential but neutral figures like Ram Chandra Poudel and Narhari Acharya, may support Deuba in his effort to become the new head of the party.
Maoists want to lead a coalition govt, says Baidhya
Maoists consolidate lead The Maoists ... have secured 53.66 per cent of seats though they have obtained only 31.85 per cent of the total votes.

How seats will be split under PR? Kantipur the MSLM method will give the Maoists 125 seats, the UML 93 seats, NC 90, MPRF 16 and RPP 11 seats respectively.
कांग्रेस-एमाले सरकारमा ँनजाने’ जनादेश माओवादीले प्राप्त गरेकाले उसैलाई एकल सरकार बनाउन दिने मनस्थिति ती दर्ुर्ुइ दलका नेताले बनाएका छन ..... संविधानसभाको पहिलो बैठक बसेको दिन अन्तरिम संसद् विघटन हुन्छ । ..... निर्वाचनले सात दल बाहिरका मधेसी दललाई नया“ शक्तिका रूपमा स्थापित गरेको छ ।
२९ जिल्लामा माओवादी एकलौटी
प्रचण्ड भारत जाने
मेची-कोसीमा माओवादीपछि फोरम
मधेसी सभासद् २९ प्रतिशत ५९ मधेसी चुनिएका ..... मधेसी दलबाहेक सबैभन्दा बढी माओवादीबाट १६ मधेसी निर्वाचित भएका छन् । कांग्रेसबाट सात र एमालेका पा“च मधेसीले चुनाव जितेका छन् । ...... मधेसी जनअधिकार फोरमबाट २१, तर्राई मधेस लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टर्ीीट ६ र सद्भावना पार्टर्ीी दर्ुइ गरी मधेसी दलबाट २९ मधेसी मूलका सभासदले जित हासिल गरेका ..... पा“च मधेसी महिलाले समेत चुनाव जितेका छन् । जित्ने महिलाहरूमा फोरमका रेणु यादव, करिना बेगम, माओवादीका रामकुमारी देवी यादव, रूपा चौधरी र तमलोपाकी सुमित्रादेवी राय यादव छन् । 'करिना बेगम मुलुककै पहिलो महिला मुस्लिम सभासद हुन्,' वीरगन्जका डा.जैन्नुद्दिन अन्सारीले भने- 'करिनाले मुस्लिम समुदाय अल्पमतमा रहेको स्थानबाट जित्नु गौरवको कुरा हो ।' मत परिणामअनुसार ६ जना मधेसी मुसलमानसमेत निर्वाचित भएका छन् । चुनाव जित्ने मुस्लिममा मुहम्मद रिजवान अन्सारी -र्सलाही-२), मो.अफताव आलम -रौतहट-२), करिमा बेगम -पर्सर्ाा), मुहम्मद वकिल मुसलमान -रूपन्देही-७), मोहम्मद इस्तियाक -बा“के-२), सदरुल मिया हक -सप्तरी-५) छन् । ...... यादव समुदायका १३ र थारू समुदायका १४ जनाले चुनाव जितेका छन् । यता र्सलाही र सप्तरीका दर्ुइ/दर्ुइ, महोत्तरी र सिरहाका तीन/तीन, रौतहट र नवलपरासीका एक/एक गरी मधेसका १२ निर्वाचन क्षेत्रमा मतदान रद्द भएकाले परिणाम आउन सकेको छैन ।
एमाले-कांग्रेस पराजयका कारण

Maoists garner one-third votes in PR; NC and UML follow as counting continues NepalNews of the total 45,95,054 votes counted till Wednesday afternoon, the Maoists have pocketed 32.41 percent with 14,89,300 votes. ...... NC and UML have garnered 21.86 and 21.82 percent, respectively. ...... The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) has bagged 153,926 votes to stand in fourth place. Its overall vote percentage stands at 3.35 percent.
MJF ready to support future Maoist govt: Yadav The MJF chief also said that his party wants to improve the relationship with the Maoists. .... the MJF has emerged as a major political force in Terai and appears to have gained a bargaining power as the future Maoist government will need strong coalition support.

CPN (Maoists)
119
Nepali Congress
33
CPN (UML)
30
MJF
23
TMDP
7
NWPP
2
Janamorcha
1
Sadhbhawana (Mahato)
3
Independent
2

NC to take stock of its defeat NepalNews Deuba said NC lost this election like it did during the national referendum of 1980. "NC did not lose; it was made to lose"
Maoists widen victory margin

Surprising results in Nepal giving hope to citizens here Pittsburgh Post Gazette, PA the South Asian nation some 8,000 miles away. ..... 1 million Nepalis living abroad ..... Every morning after he reaches his Downtown office, he scans news from Nepal.
No stopping Nepal Maoists Hindustan Times the Maoists have secured over 32 per cent votes under the proportional system, and are far ahead of the Nepali Congress (22.5 per cent) and Communist Party of Nepal (UML), which secured 21.5 per cent. ..... Re-polling was conducted on Tuesday in 21 constituencies in Saptari, Sarlahi, Chitwan and Rautahat districts. The results of the remaining 27 constituencies are likely to be announced on Wednesday ..... The Maoists have been insisting on a coalition government to ensure a better consensus in writing the new constitution. ...... Toeing the CPN (UML)’s move, Nepali Congress leaders are now engaged in consultation whether to be in the new government or not.
Nepal’s king likely to seek safe passage to India Daily News & Analysis, India the king’s new home could be a palace in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, hometown of his daughter-in-law Himani — wife of Nepal’s crown prince Paras Bikram Shah. ....... the Indian government would accept and provide necessary security to the king if he opts for a peaceful life outside the Himalayan kingdom. ....... leaving him vulnerable to a host of legal action, Gyanendra has few options but to leave the Himalayan kingdom. ...... the king also has property in Gurgaon on the outskirts of Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ranchi, and Varanasi. In Ranchi, the current Raj Bhavan is an old palace of the Nepal royalty. ...... “He is a very smart investor,” says someone very familiar with the royal family, talking about the way Gyanendra has gone about diverting his investments outside Nepal. He also owns property in London and, through his son-in-law, has significant investments in southeast Asia and probably in the Gulf.
Maoists all set to form next government in Nepal Thaindian.com, Thailand
Nepal's Maoist moment
The Observer, UK Even if the Maoists fail to win an outright majority, they will have crushed Nepal's old political elite in a revolution far more sweeping than anyone had predicted: many observers thought they would do well to come third. ....... China scents opportunity in a country with huge natural resources, especially hydropower

Modestly Maoist CK Lal Nepal is all set to get the first Maoist government of the 21st century. A bewildered world is looking askance at the phenomenon called "Prachanda". ...... Foreign diplomats have been lining up at Comrade Chairman's heavily-fortified Naya Bajar residence. ...... Despite their impressive showing in the Valley, the Maoists will continue to be "fish-in-the bowl" for quite a while in the bastion of conservatism called Kathmandu. ....... the support of entrenched elite for former rebels in unlikely to be anything more than half-hearted at best. ...... The Chinese cringe when Maoists insist upon calling themselves Maoists. ...... but beyond a point, there isn't much that Comrade Sitaram Yechury, the most articulate defender of Baburam Bhattarai, can do even in New Delhi. ..... foreign policy .... Suresh Ale Magar or CP Gajurel ...... The main challenge for Dahal & Co will be to fit into consensus politics ...... the state of shock the UML is in. A pall of gloom hangs over Balkhu. ... Despite his victory, the Chairman knows he will need the understanding and support of the NC.

MJF Chief Yadav Asks PM to Quit Himalayan Times Asked how his party would coordinate with the CPN-Maoist that has gained a majority of seats, he said, "We will have to work together for the common good. Rancour is a thing of the past. We have to move with the time." ...... Yadav described the MJF's victory as a victory of the Madhesi people and not that of any narrow sense of regionalism or communalism. Stating that the suppressed aspirations of the Madhesi people had finally found an outlet in the election, Yadav said, "A new Nepal has to be created according to the mandate given by the people. For this, it is necessary to dissolve the present government and install a new one."
Parties Seek Recounting in Mahottari-6 Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum Sharad Singh Bhandari the winner, saying he had won over his closest rival with a 21-point margin. .... "Now, the matter is beyond the jurisdiction of the Election Commission".
थापाको जमानत जफत कमल थापा ..... राष्ट्रिय जनशक्ति पार्टर्ीी राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टर्ीी अध्यक्षहरू भारी मतले पराजित ..... ३५ वर्षो राजनीतिक जीवनमा पहिलोपटक पराजित भए
माओवादीकी व्रि्रोही विजयी सिन्धुली-३ मा माओवादीकी व्रि्रोही उम्मेदवारले विजय हासिल गरेकी छन् । पार्टर्ीी तालमेलमा जनमोर्चालाई सघाउने निर्ण्र्ाागरे पनि माओवादीबाट व्रि्रोह गरेर उम्मेदवारी कायमै राखेकी नीरकुमारी कु“वर दर्लामीले यस क्षेत्रमा जितेकी हुन् । ...... यस क्षेत्रबाट जनमोर्चाका उपाध्यक्ष लीलामणि पोखरेल उम्मेदवार थिए । ..... निकटतम् कांगे्रसका उम्मेदवारभन्दा अत्यधिक मत ल्याएर जितिन् । माओवादीले र्समर्थन गरेका पोखरेलले चौथो स्थानमा चित्त बुझाउनुपर्‍यो ..... 'अरू क्ष्ँेत्रमा गाडी गुडाएर प्रचार गरियो । मैले हि“डेरै भ्याउनुपर्‍यो ।' .... माओवादीका अन्तर्रर्ााट्रय विभाग प्रमुख एवं क्ष्ँेत्र-२ बाट विजयी चन्द्रप्रसाद गजुरेलस“गै दर्लामी पनि विजय जुलुसमा थिइन् ।
पचास वर्षछि कांग्रेस
धा“धली भयो ः राप्रपा
र्सलाही-३ मा तमलोपा विजयी यादव गत वर्षो मधेस आन्दोलनका क्रममा माघ २० गते मारिएका रामएकवाल रायकी पत्नी हुन् ।
लोकतन्त्र संस्थागत गर्र्छौं ः फोरम सप्तरी १ र २ मा स्थगित मतदान केन्द्रमा प्रचार सभामा बोल्दै उनले फोरम सदैव जनभावना कदर गर्दै अगाडि बढ्ने विश्वास दिलाए ।
सुनसरीमा फोरमको पकड कांग्रेसले एक स्थान पनि हात पारेन । एमालेले ६ सिटमै विजयको दाबी गरे पनि एक स्थानमा चित्त बुझाउनुपरेको छ । ..... मधेसी जनअधिकार फोरमले ३ स्थान हात पारेको छ । माओवादीले एक स्थान ल्याएको छ ...... गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालासित १० हजारबढी मतले हारेका यादवले उनकै छोरी सुजातालाई झन्डै १५ हजार मत अन्तरले मात्र हराएका छैनन्, तेस्रो स्थानमा पुर्‍याएका छन् । ....... यादवले २३ हजार ९ सय ३९ मत प्राप्त गरेर विजयी भएका छन् । उनका निकटतम प्रतिद्वन्द्वी एमालेका महफुज अन्सारीले ९ हजार ३ सय ८९ र कोइरालाले ९ हजार ३ सय ४५ मत प्राप्त गरेकी छन् । दोस्रो र तेस्रो प्रतिद्वन्द्वीमात्र होइन, खडा भएका दर्ुर्ुइ दर्जनबढी उम्मेदवारको मत जोड्दा पनि यादवले प्राप्त गरेको मतको नजिक पुग्न सकि“दैन । ....... विगतका तीन संसदीय निर्वाचनमा ५ क्षेत्र रहेको सुनसरीमा कांग्रेसले ४ स्थानमा विजय प्राप्त गर्दै आएको थियो । एमालेले उपनिर्वाचनमा बाहेक सधैं धरानलाई आधार मानेर बनाइएको क्षेत्र-१ मा चित्त बुझाउनुर्ुपर्दथ्यो । ......... 'माओवादी र मधेसवादी दलहरूले स्थानीय समस्यालाई एकोहोरो रूपले उठाइरहे'
मधेसमा माओवादी-फोरम मोरङका नौ निर्वाचन क्षेत्रमध्ये माओवादी र मधेसी जनअधिकार फोरमले ४/४ र कांग्रेसले एक स्थान प्राप्त गरेको छ । ..... सिरहा क्षेत्र ४ बाट मधेसी जनअधिकार फोरमबाट शत्रुधनप्रसाद सिंह विजय भएका छन् ।
आर्थिक चुनौतीमा माओवादीका गृहकार्य
माओवादी सफलताका कारण

Interview With Baburam Bhattarai Kantipur Dr Baburam Bhattarai has emerged as the real leader of this country after the Constituent Assembly (CA) polls. ..... He thinks the Maoists have now taken upon their shoulders a greater responsibility, that of restructuring the country and steering it onto the track of economic prosperity. ...... He argues that the CPN (Maoist) has changed the country’s ground realities. ...... All the political parties that have participated in the CA polls will join the government. ..... Our intention is to establish a presidential system. ...... We must reach a political consensus because the constitution would need to be amended to set up a presidential system. ...... The first sitting of the CA will declare this country a federal republic. ........ other political commitments such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, rehabilitation of displaced persons and revamping and integration of the security forces. ...... The media and the elite missed the picture. As a result, the CA results surprised many. ........ we have achieved more than what we expected to. ....... I personally visited 22 districts and assessed the situation three weeks before the CA polls. I could foresee a massive wave rising in our support. Unfortunately, the media saw things the opposite way. ....... It may take at least 10-15 years ..... We cannot think of rapid economic growth sans political stability. ..... During this interim period, it would be difficult to think of economic prosperity. We can only think of economic growth in the post-CA period. ...... we need external support for technology and skills. We need foreign investments ....... China eliminated the feudal system during Mao’s regime. It established a solid foundation for economic growth. ....... When you inject new technology after the foundation for economic growth has been established, you can achieve such development. We don’t have such a foundation now. Once we restructure the state and involve the private sector, it will be possible to achieve rapid economic growth. ....... We can’t think of developing this country in the absence of domestic and foreign investments. ....... we recognize the legitimacy of management and the participation of labor in management. ...... We don’t want to encourage assembly industries. Business activities should raise productivity and generate employment. ...... The state will play the role of facilitator. The state cannot intervene in business activities. It will encourage investors to raise productivity and generate employment opportunities. ...... We have to, at all costs, restructure the bureaucracy and the judiciary as they have always been tools of the monarchy. ....... We want to reform the bureaucracy and other sectors in a democratic manner. ...... The strength of the security forces after the two are combined would be roughly over 100,000. ...... Now the CPN (Maoist) has established itself as a communist party. We welcome committed communist cadres of the CPN-UML to our party. ....... The king has to quit Narayanhiti Palace immediately after we declare Nepal a republic.

Maoists leading in PR count also; UML stands second NepalNews garnering 37.42 percent votes. ..... the Maoists have got 732648 votes while the CPN (UML) stands second with 546368 votes (27.9 percent). The Nepali Congress is trailing behind the UML with 525942 votes (26.86 percent). ..... Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), which has emerged as a major regional party in Terai with 22 seats under the first-past-the-post election, has managed to get 86903 votes (4.44 percent) while Rastriaya Pratantra Party (RPP) has got 66165 PR votes (3.38 percent). ..... the parties will need about 31,000 votes for a single seat.
NA ready to obey orders of elected govt The army representative in Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC) Shiva Pradhan is learnt to have said so during the meeting of the JMCC held Tuesday in the capital.
NC mulling over whether to stay in the government or not instead of the party remaining in the government, it would from now on give more preference to help draft a "democratic constitution" and take the ongoing peace process into its "logical conclusion". ...... said that the party suffered a humiliating defeat in Morang as the "people voted mainly on the basis of ethnicity". ... Though its traditional stronghold, NC emerged victorious in only one of the nine constituencies up for grabs in Morang. The rest were shared by CPN-Maoist and MJF.
NC gen secy-duo Nidhi, Yadav win election from Dhanusha giving a sense of relief to the party that has seen many of its senior leaders fall flat in the election fray. .... Dr Yadav won the election from Dhanusha constituency-5 securing 10392 votes to his nearest rival CPN-UML's Ram Ratan Yadav who got 5484 votes.
CPN-UML ministers to tender their resignation by evening Tuesday

CPN (Maoists)
118
Nepali Congress
33
CPN (UML)
30
MJF
23
TMDP
7
NWPP
2
Sadhbhawana (Mahato)
2
Janamorcha
1
Independent
2
समानुपातिक तर्फको मत गणनाको ताजा परिणाम
नेकपा माओवादी – ३०.८९
नेकपा एमाले -२३.०५
नेपाली कांग्रेस -२२.२३
राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टी – २.७७
मधेशी जनाधिकार फोरम – ३.९१
अन्य – १७.१५
Maoists widen victory margin NepalNews Maoists have won 116 of the 209 constituencies .... The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) has won 21 seats while Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) bagged 6 seats. ..... the Maoists are very close to garnering simple majority.
Maoists leading in PR vote count Maoists are racing ahead with big lead. .... Maoists have garnered 333,000 votes followed by Nepali Congress at 235,000 votes. .... The vote counting in 18 constituencies have completed while that in 110 constituencies are going on. ..... Maoists have pocketed 32 percent of votes in PR followed by NC at 22 and UML at 21 percent.

Maoists poised to take power in Nepal International Herald Tribune, France voters had chosen to remove most of their veteran politicians from office and seek a radical break with the past. ..... a Maoist landslide, which would defy predictions ... Another party new to electoral politics, an ethnic Madhesi party from the southern plains, which also emerged from armed rebellion demanding greater autonomy, picked up 15 seats. ..... they have no intention of hindering private investment or nationalizing property ..... a young, desperately poor country that had not had elections in nine years
Maoists take big lead in Nepal elections Los Angeles Times Defying nearly everyone's expectations but their own ..... The partial results have confounded analysts, most of whom had predicted before last Thursday's vote that the Maoists would come in third. But without any proper polling data available ...... Many observers still believe that the Maoists, who laid down their arms in November 2006 after a decade of bloody guerrilla war, will find it hard to land an outright majority in the new 601-member constituent Assembly. ...... Throughout the campaign, confident claims by the Maoists' leader, who goes by the nom de guerre Prachanda, that his party would sweep the election were dismissed by commentators as mere bravado. ..... Explanations are flying as to why the Maoists have performed so well....... "People were simply fed up with these parties," said C.K. Lal, a columnist for the Nepali Times. "They lost touch on the ground. The Maoists promised a new kind of politics. The older parties were portrayed as corrupt, people indulging in deal politics, the elite sitting in a room, forming a deal and thrusting it upon the people. The Maoists said, 'No, what we do we'll do in the open.' " ..... during its 10-year-long "People's War," the group was internationally condemned for its vicious campaign of killings, torture and kidnappings. ..... a parade of dignitaries from the United Nations, European Union, India and other countries called on the Maoist leader to congratulate him ...... The Maoists are on record as wanting to establish a presidential system in Nepal, with Prachanda as president. ...... no longer supports nationalization of Nepal's industries and accepts the idea of foreign investment.
Maoist Party Easy Nepal Winner Prensa Latina, Cuba
Nepal Maoists have set an example: Yechury
Hindu, India The Maoists in Nepal have set an example before their counterparts in India by sticking to the path of democracy to ride to power, CPI-M Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury has said.
Maoists Extend Lead in Nepal Election The Associated Press The remaining 44 races for directly elected seats have not yet been declared. ..... they should have a clearer picture of what it will look like later this week. ..... Among the election winners was a fugitive running as an independent candidate from a southern district. ...... police say he will be arrested if he comes to take his seat in the assembly.
Maoists widen lead in Nepal poll Aljazeera.net, Qatar Chandra Prakash Gajurel, a senior Maoist member, said: "We were partially surprised by the result." ..... "We knew we had good support from the people, but we had not imagined the victory on this scale..... the ex-rebels would "try to work together with other parties to form a coalition government".

Madhav Kumar Nepal loses in Rautahat-6 Kantipur
Vote count continues: Maoists secure 110 seats; NC 32; UML 27
Mahat attacked in Nuwakot allegedly by Maoists
Prachanda meets PM, urges collaboration
We will lead next govt: Dr Bhattarai “We targeted the underprivileged, marginalized section of society, including women. We empowered those groups of society and were successful to secure such result.” .... Dr Bhattarai reiterated that his party will promote private-public partnership as part of economic policy. “We will establish good relationship between labor and management,” he said. ..... claimed that the CPN ( Maoist) has already replaced the UML. “There will be only two major political parties in Nepal — Nepali Congress, leading the bourgeois and wealthy people on the one hand, and the Maoists, leading the progressive and poor people. UML holds neither the characteristics of poor nor the rich
UML to withdraw from government
More stalwarts out, more Maoists in Krishna Prasad Sitaula ..... Pashupati Sumsher Rana ..... Sujata .... Chirinjivi Wagle ...... Bharat Mohan Adhikari ..... Another thing perplexing many observers has been the huge margin of victory for the Maoists in most constituencies. ..... some of the major figures of Nepali politics have been dumped out by virtual unknowns. ..... Madhav Kumar Nepal ..... Pradip Nepal ... Bamdev Gautam ..... Sushil Koirala .... NC candidate from Banke district-3 Sushil Koirala received a mere 2292 votes and had to settle for third place in the constituency. Parma Nanda Kurmi of CPN-Maoist received 2528 votes while Sarbha Dev Prasad Ojha of Madhesi People’s Right’s Forum claimed an overwhelming win with 14900 votes.
समानुपातिकमा पनि माओवादी

CPN (Maoists)
113
Nepali Congress
32
CPN (UML)
27
MJF
20
TMDP
6
NWPP
2
Janamorcha
1
Sadhbhawana (Mahato)
2
Others
1

MK Nepal loses in Rautahat, too NepalNews defeated by Maoist candidate Devendra Patel
EC says repolling will be held in 106 centers
Dr. Shashank remains the sole torch-bearer of Koirala clan in CA polls Dr. Shashank Koirala, the youngest son of late NC leader BP Koirala, has won from Nawalparasi-1 constituency.

89:28:23 Nepali Times the mainstream parties as well as the newly-formed Madhesi parties haven't done well at all ..... but said it could be because his party hadn't "gone to the people". ..... Nepal said his party will not take part in the new government. ...... Baburam Bhattarai told the Kathmandu Post in an interview published on Monday that his party would lead the next government, but ministerial portfolio would be distributed among the other parties based on their showing in the lections.

CPN-M's winning streak continues NepalNews Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) has emerged as a strong political force in Terai, winning 17 seats. ...... the Maoists are leading in five constituencies, including three in Rautahat district, while the NC, UML and MJF are leading in four constituencies each. ...... counting of proportional votes has also begun in 110 constituencies where results of direct election have been declared
Repolling concludes in Saptari, Chitwan and Sarlahi Saptari constituency 1, Chitwan constituency-5 and Sarlahi constituency-5. .... The voter turnout is said to be encouraging
'Most wanted criminal' wins election as independent candidate Baban Singh alias Mr. John, the prime suspect of the serial blasts in Kathmandu last September that killed three persons and left dozens others injured was declared winner in Rautahat-1, securing 9201 votes. He defeated his nearest rival, Ajay Gupta of Sadbhawana Party, by a margin of 2613 votes. ..... Baban, who was never seen in the public during election campaigning, used gimmicks that were probability never seen or heard before. His wife, daughters and some relatives did the campaigning for him, mostly asking the voters to give him a chance to correct himself and save him from being hanged to death for his crimes. ...... Posters showed him with folded hands, apparently pleading for 'mercy', with a noose lurching around his neck. "Hamara Ke Bachali" (Save Me) read the slogan on the poster. ...... He didn't show up in the victory rally after wining the election, fearing arrest.

Mahara for cooperation among parties after polls
Shock and awe Prashant Jha The Maoist landslide is a wake-up call to the Kathmandu media. Many thought the former rebels would be a distant third, with 15-20 seats in FPTP. Some argued that the Maoists would do better than the capital's conventional wisdom suggested, giving them about 30-40 seats. ...... To be fair, this has taken even the Maoists by surprise. Why did all of us get it so wrong? ..... the Kathmandu opinion-formers have been insular and disconnected from what is happening in the rest of the country ...... The Maoists had run a parallel state for ten years. They have the best organisation, and the most committed cadre which has been hard at work. ....... a possibility of the Deuba faction emerging stronger. ..... Lila Koirala in Janakpur, Mahesh Acharya and Shekhar Koirala in Morang, and Chakra Prasad Bastola in Jhapa voted out ...... The UML, particularly its top leadership, has been routed. ....... The Tarai results are only slowly trickling in, and it is difficult to interpret the Madhesi mandate so soon. The Maoists have done well in the pahadi pockets of Tarai. Smart selection of candidates, getting caste calculations right, and engaging constantly with the Dalit votebank has helped the rebels win some Madhesi seats as well. But the Madhesi parties, especially the MJF has taken the largest share. Brand recognition of the 'Forum', a relatively better organisation than TMLP and SP, established faces, support of Yadavs and Tharus in many constituencies in eastern Tarai helped Upendra Yadav's men. ..... With all three Madhesi parties already winning 20 seats, it is likely they will end up with more than 50-60 seats once the PR tally starts coming in. ..... India is in panic mode. From a policy high of seeing successful elections on the evening of April 10, New Delhi was 'depressed' the next day. Completely taken aback, the diplomats are in a tizzy. ...... Baburam Bhattarai, possibly in the running for the next PM


Nawalparasi
Constituency No. 6
Winner: Hridayesh Tripathi | Party: TMLP | Vote Count: 10029
Closest Opponent: Devkaran Kalawar | Party: NC | Vote Count: 9856

Mahottari
Constituency No. 6
Winner: Sarad Sing Bhandari | Party: MJF | Vote Count: 6862
Closest Opponent: Sita Ram Bhandari | Party: NC | Vote Count: 6841

Monday 14th of April 2008 08:04:19 PM
PARTY WISE RESULT STATUS
Candidate
Total
Elected
Leading
S.no Party Name Female Male
Female
Male
Total Female Male Total
1 Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) 42 198 240 19 86 105 2 5 7
2 Nepali Congress 26 214 240 1 29 30 0 4 4
3 Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) 26 213 239 0 24 24 0 9 9
4 Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal 3 100 103 1 15 16 1 5 6
5 Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party 4 90 94 0 4 4 1 1 2
6 Nepal Workers and Peasants Party 27 71 98 0 2 2 0 0 0
7 Sadhvawana Party 4 83 87 0 1 1 0 1 1

1 Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) 333504
2 Nepali Congress 235131
3 Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) 224879
4 Rastriya Prajatantra Party 28207
5 Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal 27654


CPN (Maoists)
110
Nepali Congress
32
CPN (UML)
27
MJF
18
TMDP
4
NWPP
2
Janamorcha
1
Sadhbhawana (Mahato)
2
Others
1


111 Maoists
33 NC
32 UML
22 MJF
5 TMDP
2 NWPP
2 SP

CPN (Maoists)
96
Nepali Congress
30
CPN (UML)
25
MJF
15
TMDP
4
NWPP
2
Janamorcha
1
Sadhbhawana (Mahato)
1
Others
1

Monday 14th of April 2008 10:13:44 AM
3 Morang 1 Tulu Ram Rajbansi Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 7710

1 Saptari 3 Mahesh Prasad Yadav Sadhvawana Party M 466
2 Saptari 3 Anish Ansari Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 415

1 Saptari 4 Renu Kumari Yadav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal F 7678
2 Saptari 4 Jismul Kha Nepal Sadhvawana Party (Anandidevi) M 4875

1 Siraha 1 Padam Narayan Chaudhari Nepali Congress M 3277
2 Siraha 1 Laxman Mahato Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 2989

1 Dhanusha 1 Ram Chandra Jha Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 12183 Elected
2 Dhanusha 1 Jog Kumar Barbaria Yadav Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 9608
3 Dhanusha 1 Gajadhar Rohita Yadav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 6210

1 Dhanusha 3 Bimalendra Nidhi Nepali Congress M 4778
2 Dhanusha 3 Hari Dev Mandal Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 3498
3 Dhanusha 3 Amresh Narayan Jha Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 1324








1 Dhanusha 4 Sanjay Kumar Shah Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 4400
2 Dhanusha 4 Raghu Mahaseth Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 2840
3 Dhanusha 4 Brishesh Chandra Lal Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 1283

1 Mahottari 2 Mahendra Yadav Nepali Congress M 2431
2 Mahottari 2 Hari Narayan Yadav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 1873

1 Mahottari 6 Sharad Singh Bhandari Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 6191
2 Mahottari 6 Sitaram Bhandari Nepali Congress M 5745

1 Sarlahi 1 Prakesh Pakhrin Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 12726 Elected
2 Sarlahi 1 Lumadi Prasad Dhimal Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 10337
3 Sarlahi 1 Ram Chandra Singh Kushwah Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 7223

1 Sarlahi 3 Sumitra Devi Raya Yadav Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party F 5650

1 Sarlahi 4 Rajendra Mahato Sadhvawana Party M 17073 Elected
2 Sarlahi 4 Ram Chandra Raya Yadav Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 8752
3 Sarlahi 4 Rameshwor Raya Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 6939

1 Rautahat 1 Baban Singh Independent M 9201 Elected
2 Rautahat 1 Ajay Gupta Baniya Sadhvawana Party M 6588
3 Rautahat 1 Amar Prasad Yadav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 6434

1 Rautahat 2 Mo. Aftab Alam Nepali Congress M 16801 Elected
2 Rautahat 2 Sailendra Shah Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 7406
3 Rautahat 2 Abdul Jabbar Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 5831

1 Rautahat 3 Ram Kishor Prasad Yadav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 6258
2 Rautahat 3 Prabhu Saha Teli Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 6189
3 Rautahat 3 Sekh Rasid Ali Nepali Congress M 2550

1 Rautahat 5 Anurudra Rai Yadav Nepali Congress M 3274
2 Rautahat 5 Bindeshwor Raya Yadav Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 2964
3 Rautahat 5 Gambhira Prasad Nirala Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 1522

1 Rautahat 6 Devendra Prasad Patel Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 5508
2 Rautahat 6 Madhav Kumar Nepal Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 4388
3 Rautahat 6 Rajendra Raya Yadav Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 2823








1 Bara 2 Sivachandra Prasad Kushwaha Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 10413
2 Bara 2 Bachha Raut Ahir Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 9647
3 Bara 2 Radhe Chandra Yadav Nepali Congress M 8748








1 Bara 3 Pramod Prasad Gupta Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 10269
2 Bara 3 Shree Prasad Paswan Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 4293
3 Bara 3 Rishikesh Gautam Nepali Congress M 3163








1 Bara 4 Mahamud Aalam Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 4210
2 Bara 4 Jitendra Prasad Sonar Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 4007
3 Bara 4 Farmulaah Mansoor Nepali Congress M 3655








1 Bara 5 Balbir Prasad Chaudhari Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 772
2 Bara 5 Rameshwar Prasad Saha Jaisawal Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 285
3 Bara 5 Uma Kanta Chaudhari Nepali Congress M 258

1 Parsa 2 Ajay Kumar Dubedi Nepali Congress M 9531 Elected
2 Parsa 2 Sashi Kapoor Miya Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 8021
3 Parsa 2 Gokhul Prasad Kurmi Rastriya Prajatantra Party M 6457








1 Parsa 3 Ajay Kumar Chaurasia Nepali Congress M 14650 Elected
2 Parsa 3 Ramchandra Kushwaha Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 9931
3 Parsa 3 Ramchandra Shah Teli Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 5412








1 Parsa 4 Surendra Prasad Chaudhari Nepali Congress M 10399
2 Parsa 4 Pradhumna Prasad Chauhan Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 8777
3 Parsa 4 Janardan Prasad Yadav Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 3929

1 Nawalparasi 4 Chinak Kurmi Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 10592 Elected
2 Nawalparasi 4 Baijanath Chaudhari Tharu Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) M 8208
3 Nawalparasi 4 Satrajit Yadhav Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 6296








1 Nawalparasi 5 Ram Bachhan Ahir(Yadhav) Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 13641 Elected
2 Nawalparasi 5 Raju Prasad Chamar Harijan Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 10849
3 Nawalparasi 5 Devendra Raj Kandel Nepali Congress M 8953








1 Nawalparasi 6 Devkaran Kalwar Nepali Congress M 7893
2 Nawalparasi 6 Hridayesh Tripathi Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 7827
3 Nawalparasi 6 Rohit Prasad Kewat Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 4243

1 Rupandehi 6 Omprakash Yadav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 12170 Elected
2 Rupandehi 6 Sarvendra Nath Sukla Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 10907
3 Rupandehi 6 Asthabhuja Pathak Nepali Congress M 5662








1 Rupandehi 7 Muhammad Okil Musalman Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 8121 Elected
2 Rupandehi 7 Kamaleshor Puri Goswami Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 7749
3 Rupandehi 7 Chhabilal Bhusal Nepali Congress M 4449

1 Kapilvastu 2 Dan Bahadur Kurmi Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 8434 Elected
2 Kapilvastu 2 RamLaut Tiwari Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 7806
3 Kapilvastu 2 Athar Kamal Musalman Nepali Congress M 4180








1 Kapilvastu 3 Brijesh Kumar Gupta Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 18126 Elected
2 Kapilvastu 3 Sudhakar Pandey Nepali Congress M 5944
3 Kapilvastu 3 Meghraj Gyawali Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 5930








1 Kapilvastu 4 Ishwar Dayal Mishra Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 10394 Elected
2 Kapilvastu 4 Akwal Ahamad Shah Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 9445
3 Kapilvastu 4 Iliyas Musalman Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 6066








1 Kapilvastu 5 Abhisek Pratap Shah Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 15694 Elected
2 Kapilvastu 5 Manjur Ahamad Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 12035
3 Kapilvastu 5 Uma B.K Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) F 7327

1 Bardiya 2 Bishnu Prasad Chaudhari Tharu Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) M 17851 Elected
2 Bardiya 2 Sanjaya Kumar Gautam Nepali Congress M 7605
3 Bardiya 2 Ram Kumar Tharu Sadhvawana Party M 7317

Monday 14th of April 2008 10:13:44 AM
S.no Party Name Total votes
1 Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) 117056
2 Nepali Congress 85600
3 Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) 80560
4 Nepal Workers and Peasants Party 16595
5 Rastriya Prajatantra Party 10728
6 Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal 10402

Monday 14th of April 2008 09:58:07 AM
20 Morang 4 Rama Nand Mandal Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 9894 Elected








21 Morang 5 Upendra Yadav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 27508 Elected








22 Morang 6 Bhim Raj Chaudhari Rajbansi Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 17086 Elected








23 Morang 7 Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 18416 Elected
Sunsari 4 Muga Lal Mahato Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 19945 Elected








28 Sunsari 5 Upendra Yadav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 23939 Elected

33 Dhanusha 5 Shreekrishna Yadav Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 3302 Elected

38 Sarlahi 4 Rajendra Mahato Sadhvawana Party M 17073 Elected

71 Parsa 1 Karima Begam Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal F 14614 Elected

99 Nawalparasi 5 Ram Bachhan Ahir(Yadhav) Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 13641 Elected

101 Rupandehi 2 Om Prakash Yadhav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 10612 Elected

104 Rupandehi 6 Omprakash Yadav Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 12170 Elected








105 Rupandehi 7 Muhammad Okil Musalman Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 8121 Elected

107 Kapilvastu 2 Dan Bahadur Kurmi Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 8434 Elected








108 Kapilvastu 3 Brijesh Kumar Gupta Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 18126 Elected








109 Kapilvastu 4 Ishwar Dayal Mishra Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party M 10394 Elected








110 Kapilvastu 5 Abhisek Pratap Shah Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 15694 Elected

131 Banke 2 Mohammad Estiyak Rai Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 19396 Elected








132 Banke 3 Sarbadev Prasad Ojha Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal M 14900 Elected


Monday 14th of April 2008 09:57:54 AM
PARTY WISE RESULT STATUS
Candidate
Total
Elected
Leading
S.no Party Name Female Male
Female
Male
Total Female Male Total
1 Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) 42 198 240 15 67 82 6 23 29
2 Nepali Congress 26 214 240 1 23 24 0 9 9
3 Communist Party of Nepal (U.M.L.) 26 213 239 0 22 22 0 10 10
4 Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal 3 100 103 1 13 14 1 7 8
5 Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party 4 90 94 0 4 4 1 0 1
6 Nepal Workers and Peasants Party 27 71 98 0 2 2 0 0 0
7 Sadhvawana Party 4 83 87 0 1 1 0 1 1

Monday, April 14, 2008

All Party Government, Prachanda President, Chitralekha Speaker


Looks like the Maoists will win a simple majority in the polls, the NC will emerge the second largest party in the country, and the MJF might emerge the largest party in the Madhesh. But this is to be an assembly to write a constitution for which you need a two thirds majority to write any article to the constitution. And that is why an all party government would be a good idea. You need a coalition culture in the government so you can have a coalition atmosphere also inside the assembly so the work on the constitution is largely smooth.

A Case For Prachanda
  1. Simple arithmetic. The people have spoken. His party has a simple majority in the assembly.
  2. He has always been a republican.
  3. He is best positioned to bring about security sector reform which is much needed. He should give Nepal an army that is perhaps 20,000 strong at most.
A Case For Chitralekha
  1. Simple arithmetic. Largest party gets presidency, second largest gets speakership.
  2. She was the speaker of the House after the royal coup.
  3. She represents many under-represented groups: Madhesi, Mahila, backward caste.
The Case For An All Party Government
  1. After the parliamentary elections under the gambit of a new constitution, a party or a coalition will only need a simple majority, but this is different, this is not a regular parliament. This is a constituent assembly.
  2. An all party government will make it easy to garner the two thirds majority needed to write the articles of the next constitution.
But we have to first wait for the final results to come out. We have to get the final picture first. This is one likely scenario.

Maoists 50%
NC 20%
UML 17%
MJF 10%
TMDP 2%
Others 1%

The Maoists will want to get to keep the plum portfolios like Home, Defense, Foreign, Finance. But the NC, UML, MJF, TMDP, NWPP, SP, JM all have to be invited into the government. A few of them like the UML and the NWPP might choose to stay away, and that is okay, but they have to be invited nevertheless so there is goodwill among the parties.

How to divide the cabinet portfolios? 50-50 might be fair. Half the cabinet is Maoists, half is rest. Or it might be 40-60 if the UML chooses to stay away.

In The News

Nepal’s Maoists make the world sit up Chandigarh Tribune, India The stunning election victory of Nepal’s Maoists has caught India and much of the world unawares. Neither New Delhi nor the international community had reckoned with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) turning out to be so adept at winning the battle of the ballot. That is not surprising, for few in Nepal, including the Maoist party itself, had foreseen such a development. ..... jettison their pre-election assumptions, revise their policy premises and prepare to engage with the new reality: that the Maoists are in command of Nepal. ..... a unique democratic accomplishment, a Maoist revolution through the ballot box, accomplished in a remarkably short time, with a rebel organisation reinventing itself to emerge at the helm of parliamentary politics. It is a first in South Asia and, perhaps, a global landmark. ..... Nepal is in the throes of a tectonic political shift. .... nothing can now stop the Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, from becoming Nepal’s first executive president .... he has said Kathmandu would maintain equidistance between India and China.
Nepal's Maoists in stunning polls lead Radio Australia, Australia many analysts, who had expected the former rebels to emerge as the third largest party. .... many regarded more well-established parties as "stale". ..... The Maoist leaders have pledged to cooperate with other parties, and have also said they want to maintain good relations with neighbouring India and China.
Nepal polls: King 'satisfied' over people's participation Times of India, India
Maoist victory march continues in Nepal
Sify, India

UML to withdraw from government NepalNews "The election results have shown that we lost our popularity. The people's mandate is against our expectations and there is no point in staying in the government"

Maoists, PM discuss govt formation Himalayan Times CPN-Maoist inching towards a comfortable majority .... forming a post-election coalition government. .... to be led by the CPN-Maoist.
Stung by defeat, NC starts introspection the question haunting Sujata Koirala .... “We were expecting a minor setback, but not this stunning defeat,” she said. .... “The people are demanding change of leadership in all parties, except that of the Maoists” ...... the NC should metamorphose into an organisation-oriented party injecting youth energy into the NC ..... “There is a danger that they might misuse their organisational and governmental strength to bully other parties.”
Re-polling Needed in 98 Centres, Says EC 21 constituencies in 12 districts ..... Saptari-1, Sarlahi-5 and Chitwan-5 on April 15. In Mahottari, Arghakhachi-1 and 2, it will be held on April 16. And on April 17, there will be repolling in Siraha, Sarlahi-5 and Dailekh 1.
Nepal steps down as UML general secretary my moral responsibility for the party’s unexpected defeat in the polls ..... he would remain as a standing committee member ..... The meet decided to call back all UML ministers in the government, citing that it would be “inappropriate” to remain in the government when the people’s mandate went against the party.

Maoists headed for landslide victory; NC, UML sinking NepalNews 89 seats of the total 163 ...... The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) has emerged as a strong force in Terai region. It has won 14 seats. Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) has bagged 4 seats.
Prachanda meets Koirala discussed how the collaboration of the ruling parties could be kept intact until the nation gets a new constitution.
Deuba and Dr. Mahat win Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat won the Nuwakot-2 constituency by bagging 17442 votes. .... Sher Bahadur Deuba won the Dadeldhura constituency by garnering over twenty-thousand votes.