IG, CA elections and all that hogwash
Media Communications Center
March 15, 2007
By PR Admin
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.
W.B. Yeats
Under pressure from Maoists, PM Girija Prasad Koirala and his seven party alliance (SPA) is likely to crumble very soon and make way for an ‘interim government’ dominated by the extremist Maoists, who have made an apparent and remarkable change-over from terrorists to a main-stream political party. Koirala’s political base has been eroded and his close advisers have failed him — they refuse to see the writing on the wall, and above all the immanent danger posed by the Maoists, on the one hand, and the Madhesi insurgents in the southern Terai, on the other. Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, Koirala’s ship of state is floundering and beginning to capsize. Last Saturday, his cabal came up with –on the surface, at least — artful statement: he was ready to resign, if this would solve the country’s problems, specially the Terai issue. With this he rubbished the demand for arch-Maoist appeaser and minister of the interior, Sitaula’s resignation. His hold on political power is at most tenuous and on tenterhooks because of the current political dynamics and his own fragile health, but he is still not ready to let go.
The person of the current PM incorporates everything that is flawed in Nepalese politics—favouritism, nepotism, rampant corruption, highly developed incompetence and lack of vision and democratic values. Especially in the latter, there is a lot of common ground between Koirala and Prachanda. Both are ruthless and do not tolerate any competition or political dissension within their respective political camps. Neither have a clearly-defined No. 2 in their party organizations, nor is the question of political succession a theme for discussion.
The other constituents of the 7 + 1 (SPA+M) alliance are, therefore, not only extremely wary of these two ‘supreme chairmen’; in their hearts of hearts, they are not trusted and even loathed. It is the same with the international community represented here in Kathmandu.What is then the game plan of these two inscrutable, but unscrupulous gentlemen? State-restructuring, overstepping the competences (and competencies) of the interim government is fully underway. Fait accomplices are being reached without the working of the future constitutional assembly. A federal structure is already envisaged for the country by the simple procedure of amending the so-called ‘interim constitution’. The country has no functioning head-of-state. Both Koirala and Prachanda are pushing the agenda of a ‘democratic republic’ towards fruition, again without the decision of the future constitutional assembly. Both have aspirations for the post of the first president of the newly established ‘ Himalayan Democratic Republic of Nepal’ – by acclamation in the democratic interim parliament. At the same time, Koirala and Prachanda have slowly eroded the rights and duties of the monarch and reduced him to a nonentity.
In a turnaround to his position on the monarchy so far, Koirala said on Monday that King Gyanendra should abdicate now rather than waiting for the outcome of the vote in the very first session of the constituent assembly. According to him: “In some sense, a ‘republic’ has been declared in the nation as claimed by Maoist chairman Prachanda.”Each of these constitutive decisions leaves less for a future constituent assembly to decide. With all these fundamental elements of a future political set-up being pre-emptied, what exactly is the constituent assembly supposed to decide about? If it is only to decide on the technicalities of a pre-set political framework, the holding of constituent assembly elections is a futile exercise whose main purpose is to placate the international community. The way that things are going, all it might only achieve is by lending undue credibility to the cementing of power of the interim government.In the next round of the of tug-of-war between the two, Prachanda has tried to gain the upper hand by making accusations against the monarchy. Thursday last week in Pokhara, he claimed that the King and ‘royalist’ forces had hatched a plan to eliminate senior American diplomats in Nepal, and then subsequently to put the blame on the Maoist cadres for the crime.
The Americans were “stunned and surprised” and have demanded proof (which at the time of writing of this article has not been forthcoming) and termed Prachanda’s remarks “both irresponsible and dangerous”.On Saturday, US Under Secretary of State for Management, Henrietta H. Fore said that “ In following events here, my government has become worried by two trends that, if unresolved, threaten Nepal’s democratic progress.” Condemning the Maoists for continuing violence, extortion and intimidation, she continued that “the Maoists must finally renounce violence and begin acting like a mainstream party.” She stated categorically that the Maoists still do not qualify to join the government by a long shot. The other trend that has concerned the US was the growing unrest among the various ethnic communities.
Ms. Fore stressed the need for unity and inclusiveness for Nepal’s democratic transition and future.It is indeed a sad reflection on the current state of affairs that PM Koirala sought to unnecessarily comment on Prachanda’s deplorable assertion in a puerile fashion. On Sunday, Koirala offered to provide security to US officials at any time, if the US so demands.
(The writers can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.
W.B. Yeats
Under pressure from Maoists, PM Girija Prasad Koirala and his seven party alliance (SPA) is likely to crumble very soon and make way for an ‘interim government’ dominated by the extremist Maoists, who have made an apparent and remarkable change-over from terrorists to a main-stream political party. Koirala’s political base has been eroded and his close advisers have failed him — they refuse to see the writing on the wall, and above all the immanent danger posed by the Maoists, on the one hand, and the Madhesi insurgents in the southern Terai, on the other. Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, Koirala’s ship of state is floundering and beginning to capsize. Last Saturday, his cabal came up with –on the surface, at least — artful statement: he was ready to resign, if this would solve the country’s problems, specially the Terai issue. With this he rubbished the demand for arch-Maoist appeaser and minister of the interior, Sitaula’s resignation. His hold on political power is at most tenuous and on tenterhooks because of the current political dynamics and his own fragile health, but he is still not ready to let go.
The person of the current PM incorporates everything that is flawed in Nepalese politics—favouritism, nepotism, rampant corruption, highly developed incompetence and lack of vision and democratic values. Especially in the latter, there is a lot of common ground between Koirala and Prachanda. Both are ruthless and do not tolerate any competition or political dissension within their respective political camps. Neither have a clearly-defined No. 2 in their party organizations, nor is the question of political succession a theme for discussion.
The other constituents of the 7 + 1 (SPA+M) alliance are, therefore, not only extremely wary of these two ‘supreme chairmen’; in their hearts of hearts, they are not trusted and even loathed. It is the same with the international community represented here in Kathmandu.What is then the game plan of these two inscrutable, but unscrupulous gentlemen? State-restructuring, overstepping the competences (and competencies) of the interim government is fully underway. Fait accomplices are being reached without the working of the future constitutional assembly. A federal structure is already envisaged for the country by the simple procedure of amending the so-called ‘interim constitution’. The country has no functioning head-of-state. Both Koirala and Prachanda are pushing the agenda of a ‘democratic republic’ towards fruition, again without the decision of the future constitutional assembly. Both have aspirations for the post of the first president of the newly established ‘ Himalayan Democratic Republic of Nepal’ – by acclamation in the democratic interim parliament. At the same time, Koirala and Prachanda have slowly eroded the rights and duties of the monarch and reduced him to a nonentity.
In a turnaround to his position on the monarchy so far, Koirala said on Monday that King Gyanendra should abdicate now rather than waiting for the outcome of the vote in the very first session of the constituent assembly. According to him: “In some sense, a ‘republic’ has been declared in the nation as claimed by Maoist chairman Prachanda.”Each of these constitutive decisions leaves less for a future constituent assembly to decide. With all these fundamental elements of a future political set-up being pre-emptied, what exactly is the constituent assembly supposed to decide about? If it is only to decide on the technicalities of a pre-set political framework, the holding of constituent assembly elections is a futile exercise whose main purpose is to placate the international community. The way that things are going, all it might only achieve is by lending undue credibility to the cementing of power of the interim government.In the next round of the of tug-of-war between the two, Prachanda has tried to gain the upper hand by making accusations against the monarchy. Thursday last week in Pokhara, he claimed that the King and ‘royalist’ forces had hatched a plan to eliminate senior American diplomats in Nepal, and then subsequently to put the blame on the Maoist cadres for the crime.
The Americans were “stunned and surprised” and have demanded proof (which at the time of writing of this article has not been forthcoming) and termed Prachanda’s remarks “both irresponsible and dangerous”.On Saturday, US Under Secretary of State for Management, Henrietta H. Fore said that “ In following events here, my government has become worried by two trends that, if unresolved, threaten Nepal’s democratic progress.” Condemning the Maoists for continuing violence, extortion and intimidation, she continued that “the Maoists must finally renounce violence and begin acting like a mainstream party.” She stated categorically that the Maoists still do not qualify to join the government by a long shot. The other trend that has concerned the US was the growing unrest among the various ethnic communities.
Ms. Fore stressed the need for unity and inclusiveness for Nepal’s democratic transition and future.It is indeed a sad reflection on the current state of affairs that PM Koirala sought to unnecessarily comment on Prachanda’s deplorable assertion in a puerile fashion. On Sunday, Koirala offered to provide security to US officials at any time, if the US so demands.
(The writers can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
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