- 33% reservation for women.
- Non territorial state for Dalits.
The only full timer out of the 200,000 Nepalis in the US to work for Nepal's democracy and social justice movements in 2005-06.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
33% For Women, Non Territorial State For Dalits
Saturday, July 07, 2012
How To Build A Unified Madhesi Party
The unified Madhesi party can not be the work of the Madhesi Front that is in power. It has to go beyond that. Upendra Yadav also has to be invited. Fringe parties like that of Sarita Giri also have to be brought in, as the Janata Dal. Sharad Singh Bhandari has to be brought in.
The best way to do it is to work towards a general convention. There would be an ad hoc organizing committee comprising of all Madhesi parties big and small. If there is an agreement on the name of the party that would be great. But there can be no agreement on the party president beforehand. That would be for the convention to decide. It would be perfectly okay to hold an election among several contestants.
I can see it being a three month process. From a massive membership drive to move to the village/town/city level conventions to the constituency level conventions, to the district level conventions to the national convention might take a few months.
The party has to be inclusive of the Pahadis in the Terai. It should be named such that it has the option to also expand into the hill districts.
Such a unified Madhesi party, if it were to be formed, would sweep the Terai in the elections to the next assembly. Between that Madhesi party, the yet to be formed Janajati party and the Maoist party of Baburam Bhattarai, they'd secure an easy two thirds majority in the next assembly to give this country the federal constitution it deserves. Which is the whole point. Those three forces should seek a pre-poll alliance and not contest against each other anywhere in the country.
The Idea Of One Madhesi Party
I seem to like names like Sadbhavana Party or Janata Dal. Panja would be a great election symbol. The party flag should have three colors for Himal, Pahad, Madhesh.
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Thursday, July 05, 2012
An Ethnic Party: Long Overdue
English: Flag of Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum - a political party from Nepal. The design, 2:3 dimensions, colours and construction details were based primarily on Mjf-flag.PNG, where it was based on mprfnepal.org. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Kantipur: UML issues ultimatum to disgruntled Janajati, Madhesi leaders
NEFIN Meet: Leaders give thumbs up to new party
NepalNews: UML Disciplinary Commission seeks clarification from disgruntled leaders
Republica: Ethnic party on August 9
UML seeks clarifications from dissident leaders
Long Overdue.
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Wednesday, July 04, 2012
The Idea Of One Madhesi Party
Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
January 2009: Unification Of Madhesi Parties
The unified party's name should be Sadbhavana Party, as that was the original Madhesi party. And that unified party has to go beyond the Madhesh. And so the name can not have the words Terai or Madhesh in it.
That party should aspire to also grow among the Janajatis in the hills. Such a party could emerge the largest in the country.
One unified Madhesi party would be a good idea. But if that does not happen, an electoral alliance of the Madhesi parties must be forged.
मधेशीहरू करदाता र मतदाता मात्रै होइनन् : हृदयेश त्रिपाठी
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Monday, July 02, 2012
The Federalist Alliance Should Be An Electoral Alliance
they will soon start talks with the parties that favor identity-based federalism ..... "Once the political parties arrive at consensus on the new constitution, they should hold talks for promulgating new constitution," said Mahato, adding, "If political parties forged consensus on reviving the Constituent Assembly (CA) and the Supreme Court (SC) gave nod for this, then the CA could be revived." ...... if political parties could not arrive at consensus on the issue of reviving the CA, they should forge consensus on removing the legal and constitutional difficulties in order to hold new CA elections. ..... "If the political parties agreed on the CA election, the election date of November 22 could be changed," Mahato added.The UCPN (M) and the Madhesi parties contesting elections together makes a lot of sense. There is little electoral overlap between the two. The UCPN (M) is strong where the Madhesi parties are not, and vice versa. The onus will be on the Madhesi parties to forge an electoral alliance among themselves. And they should. In doing so they will be able to pretty much wipe the NC out of the Terai. All Madhesi parties stand to grow bigger.
I don't think there is any option to revive the CA. And that is a Supreme Court thing. The only option is to go back to the people for a fresh mandate.
If the Janajatis and the Madhesis of the UML and the NC split away to form a separate party, as they are saying they will, or if they join other existing parties that will be the right answer to the bad role the UML and the NC leaders played when the constituent assembly was still around.
Baidya's Maoist party is a protest move, not a political move. I don't see them doing electorally well. It will be like when Bamdev tried by splitting the UML. The mother party suffered a little, but the break away party did not do at all well.
The political reality is that the CA will not be revived, the NC and the UML will not join the Baburam government, and hence an all party government will not be formed, and that the current government is the one that will hold elections to a new constituent assembly. In that new assembly the NC and the UML will be half as small as they were in the last assembly, if that. The Maoists, the Madhesi parties and the new Janajati party together will have the two thirds strength needed to give the country genuine federalism.
A pre poll electoral alliance of the Federalist Alliance will ensure this coalition will continue in power after the elections as well.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Does Federalism Lead To A Bigger Government?
The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781. This was the format for the United States government until the Constitution. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
That is not how federalism works. Federalism is a more efficient form of government. Which means government expenses will actually go down. How so? Many of the functions of the unitary government in Kathmandu will be handed over to the states. That will lead to the elimination of some ministries and the downsizing of others.
Federalism done right is supposed to lead to an overall smaller bureaucracy.
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