With a grain of salt

When it comes to Nepalui Congress, it is not easy to take them at their face value. They are at heart a royalist party. THere used to be a time when they used to believe that democracy was synonymous with Nepali Congress. Incompetent leaders like Girija is at its helm. There is an obvious intellectual vacuum in that party. MY feeling is that despite its omission of constitutional monarchy, it will be the first one to dish it and strt licking the feet of royalties. Nevertheless, it is a good sign that they are showing some political spine.

NC removes constitutional monarchy from its statute
KOL Report
KATHMANDU, Aug 29 - The Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of Nepali Congress Monday decided to omit constitutional monarchy from its party statute.
Excluding Shailaja Acharya, all other party leaders approved the decision to remove the concept of constitutional monarchy from the party’s statute today. Acharya has written a note of dissent on the decision.
“We have removed constitutional monarchy from the party’s objectives,” Ram Sharan Mahat told Kantipur Online. “The relevance of monarchy will be kept open from now.”
Mahat said that the party is not bound to constitutional monarchy now.
“Constitutional monarchy was a sort of compromise between the King and the political forces in the country,” Mahat said, “Since the King has violated the norms we are not bound by the monarchy anymore.”
The CWC meeting decided to delete "constitutional monarchy" from Clause 2 of the party statute that earlier stated the party's main objective as establishment of a just and dynamic society within a framework of constitutional monarchy, multiparty system and parliamentary form of government. The amended clause also talks about restructuring the state and implementing inclusive democracy to create a just society.
The party has also amended its statute which earlier mentioned constitutional monarchy as its pride. Now the statute mentions constitutional monarchy as a past glory.
Ram Chandra Poudel, who tabled the amendment proposal in the party's meeting as the head of the Policy and Program Department, said the term was simply removed from the party statute since the King himself embarked on an unconstitutional path and continued to reject the idea of staying within constitutional bounds.
The CWC meeting started discussing the issue from Sunday.
The party’s 11th general convention that begins tomorrow is expected to pass the decision. (dds)

Tightening of authoritarian grip: Need for demolishing monarchy

UN body raps Nepal govt
KOL Report
KATHMANDU, Aug 30 - A top UN body has sharply criticized the Nepal government for intimidating families of disappeared persons, in a statement issued yesterday. "We regret that families of disappeared persons or human rights defenders are harassed, hampered from locating their loved ones, and even accused by the authorities of trying to destabilize the country," said the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), on the eve of International Day of the Disappeared. "In particular, this is the case in Nepal."
WGEID also urged Nepali authorities to protect human rights defenders from persecution for their work and to fully implement the recommendations issued following the Working Group's visit to Nepal in December 2004.
"Enforced disappearance is a continuing offence and investigations should continue for as long as the fate and the whereabouts of victims of enforced disappearance remain unknown."
National and international human rights bodies say that Nepal has one of the highest records of disappearances in the world.
Sharing the concerns of WGEID, Ian Martin, representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal, said in a separate statement, "We have had many reports that civil society organizations, as well as journalists, continue to receive threats and are under pressure from both sides of the conflict."
"Some steps have been taken toward establishing a list of detainees in army barracks, but it is still unclear how the government will provide accurate, up-to-date lists of all those held in any place of detention," he said. Martin added that the problem of disappearances continues to be a serious concern and that OHCHR-Nepal is regularly receiving complaints of disappearances by both Maoists and security forces.

Nepal needs new hopes: one is emerging

I am not in favor of political parties or monarchy. All I care about it Nepal. Most of the time, there are no good news that relates to Nepal. It seems like it is perpetually trapped in a twilight zone. However, sometimes a glimmer of hope comes through. I read the news about UML stance for democratic republic. That to me is a big and bold move that is essential at this juncture. Nepal is the poorest coountry in Asia. With no natural resource or internal source of wealth creation, whatever come in aid has been lining the pockets of the powerful--there are no people who are more powerful than the royal family. Obviously, they are the biggest obstacles for Nepal to make a clean break from the authoritarian and autocratic rule that demeans its citizens and constricts their aspirations. It is not the time for Nepal to keep the past alive. It has to root out the evil of entrenched familial privileges and spread the opportunities, free the chains of inequality and break the monopoly of privileges. UML has done the right thing. Here is the news from the Kantipuronline from August 29,2005:

UML for democratic republic

By Ghanshyam Ojha
KATHMANDU, Aug 26 - The 9th Central Committee meeting of CPN-UML, on Thursday, decided to carry forward the current movement in favour of a democratic republic.
The Central Committee meeting, at the conclusion of its discussion on party General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal's political paper, also decided its slogan for the movement: "Let's end autocratic monarchy and restore complete democracy through constituent assembly."
Issuing a press release Thursday, the UML said, "Since the King's October 4, 2002 and February 1, 2005 moves have violated the tripartite agreement of 1990, the UML has decided to take the current movement toward democratic republic."
UML politburo member Keshav Badal said the Standing Committee (politburo) had earlier discussed ceremonial monarchy as the party's political line. "However, the Central Committee members with overwhelming majority, decided in favour of democratic republic."
"Now we will take this decision to other political parties and civil society," Badal said, adding, "In the present time, no party can go against the wishes of the people."
Three of 68 Central Committee members wrote a note of dissent against the decision.
Politburo members Bishnu Poudel and Mukunda Neupane and Central Committee member Krishna Gopal Shrestha wrote the note of dissent. However, the disagreement is not against the party's decision to go for a democratic republic. "Our opposition is not against republic, but we are concerned that the decision for democratic republic would put into shadow our party's political line of people's multiparty republic," said Poudel.
Meanwhile, the party also ruled out the demand for the party's early convention and decided to focus on the current movement against regression. "The issues raised in the 9th Central Committee meeting will be continued in the 8th General Convention in future," the statement said. The Central Committee also decided to form a task force to formulate the party's official stance on issues such as state restructuring, intra-party democratization and review of the party's past performance.
The meeting has also called on Maoists to immediately give up violence and initiate negotiations with mainstream political parties to coordinate against the King's regression.
Party Standing Committee member, Jhala Nath Khanal, presented his evaluation report of the party's performance in the past. The deliberations on Khanal's paper will continue on Friday.

Some progress in Republicanism

It was reported yesterday that UML has decided to opt for republicanism. That is a positive sign. Let's just imagine what would happen if we do not get rid of the monarchy right now when it is at its most punitive phase? We will be doomed for centuries. The royals are corrupt to the core, and want desperately to hang on. They have fooled us all until now by their behind the scene machiavelian tactics. Nepal can ill afford not to take this opportunity to establish a sytem based on equality of all citizens, open society, and political freedom based on inidividual freedom and guaranteed civil librerties.

The king in Nepal is much the same as the dictator in Pakistan. Both derive their power from the army. And as long as there is a king, royals will have tight control over the army to perpetuate their luxurious living.

Nelal needs to move ahead with the time. With the two neighbors progressing by leaps and bounds, Nepal can definitely perform better economically, without the greedy manipulations of royals having their hand in every pie. Weath distribution should be achieved so that the disparity between the rich and the poor can be bridged. Nepal has future, but not with the royals intact.

Demolition of democracy!

In only a fitting symbolic gesture, the "democracy wall" was demolished by the Kathmandu Municipality. Imagine this happening if the democratic goverment was still intact. Further, FM radio stations are silenced. Nepalese are supposed to be entertained not informed. Any reasonable person can understand the king's hollow lip service to "restoration of democracy." Rights to information falls among the first rights of democratic citizen. The royals do not want the citizens to be informed--or question royal authority. Like Meyrowitz said secrecy and manipulation of information lies behind those in power. With informed citizens able to run democratic government, there will be no need for maintaining the "white elephant" of royals at the cost of $5.0 million every year. The unofficial cost is not even disclosed. Even the political partrities and their incompetent leaders have been supressign democracy, while they boast of their democratic ideals. The only democracy Nepal needs it at the community level with local participation. Viva federalism!

Need for an open society

When we plan for democracy, one of the fundamental goals should be to make provision for an open-society. It is only in an open society that diverse ideas can find co-existence, which is essential for democratic diffusion. It is apparent that Nepal's quest for a democratic futgure relies in its ability to foster an open society. That fundamental pre-requisite was not met by the 1991 constitution. There was a provision for secrecy regarding the royal affairs. Not only that the royals were beyond reproach for any of their action. So it is evident from historical facts that the royals have been an obstruction for an open-society and equality under law. The only way to move toward and establish a democratic Nepal is to get rid of the institutions that are regressive and if allowed to remain within out society, will be reactionaty in the future--spreading discord, dissatisfaction and striking back again. The best solution is to abolish monarchy and empower power through constitution and all means possible.

King should be measured by his own standard

When the king dismissed Deuba two times, he cited the same reason. he found Deuba inept and incapable to deal with the Maoists. So he did not deserve to be in that leadreship. He took over assuring Nepalese "subject" that he would take care of the Maoists. Now, if he fails, what should be done? Obviously, the best option for us is to use his own criteria. He he fails, oust him--exile the royal family--everyone who is beneficiary of $5 million from the national treasury. That would only be fair to lay the foundation of new Nepal.

The root of inequality: enemy of democracy

The monarchical grip in the administration and bureaucracy is getting tighter. New appointments for 43 districts were made today. Come to think of it, had this king been at the helm instead of his older brother, Nepal would never have had multiparty democratic (futile as ig might have been, it proved that political parties and leaders were equally not suited for the task of leadeship) experiment. There was reports how the palace was divided on the devision by Birendra to relinquish auotcratic control. The present king was against it. There is another reason apart from the obvious loss of power. The kind thinks Nepalese are utter fools. When the royal massacre occured and he ascendd, the first information he let out from the palace was the guns went off on their own and killed all those nine people.

Anyway, here is the basic situation. For democratic governance, equality of individuals has to be guaranteed. The biggest obstacle to estabhish is monarchy, who insisted to stay above law of the land. The monacrchy tried to stay above accountability. That will not be overcome. The political leaders, cowards that they are, agreed to the condition, with their own selfish motives. They wanted a run at the national coffers. Everybody knows what happened.

The cultural traits of Nepal favors hieraachy and inequality. That is unhealthy. Such roots of injustice should be uprooted. The only way to do it is to give a real good shock to the system. Culture is a dynamic thing. The unhealthy culture of ineqality which starts with monarchy should be totally abolished. Nepalese society should be introduced to modernity, under the UN auspicies. Enough with this futile call for constitutional monarchy.