Nepal´s democratic election campaign goes full swing as international celebrities Kathmandu-hop
Surya B. Prasai
March 27, 2008
Nepal´s popular broadsheet, The Himalayan Times, reported from Dhangadhi on March 26, that former three time Premier Sher Bahadur Deuba, tipped as the next likely Prime Minister of Nepal, has warned of the possibility of the mobilization of the Nepal Army given the increase in pre-poll violence. Deuba is Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala´s right hand lieutenant and the most trusted Nepali Congress voice.
Deuba has clarified his views on army mobilization with this statement, "The Nepal Army had been mobilized in past elections and it may be mobilized for this election to constituent assembly." On his way to Dadeldhura for election campaigning he stated, "In the present context when security is not adequate in the country, mobilization of Nepal Army may help." Under Deuba´s 30 district campaigning so far, the highest any ex Prime Minister has covered so far, it is likely the NC will trounce the other political parties in the Western and Far Western regions of Nepal. By political lineage, he is a middle path Nepali democrat equally loyal to Prime Minister Koirala and former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, NC´s only two surviving members. Deuba is expected to win by a wide margin in the two electoral districts he is contesting.
Deuba has already predicted an outright win for the NC in the April 10 polls and has warned the Kathmandu media houses not to have too high expectation on the first sitting of Constituent Assembly, its first priority being to frame a new Constitution of Nepal, which could take up to two years. Also according to Kathmandu based diplomats, Deuba is the only reliable pro-democratic Western ally who can balance the leftist forces in Nepal. His former political mentor, ex-Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has been busy meeting various political quarters and civil society members in Kathmandu recently advocating for a middle path in NC politics calling for rapprochement with the King before the election happens. Although the NC ´middle path´ is not clearly defined, its followers take it to mean the BPist pro-monarchial line. NC though united as one under Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, still has dissenting members operating variously as Republican, Monarchial and BPist liberal sympathizers.
In the past two weeks, election related inter-party disruptions are suddenly on the rise in Nepal, which gives further validity to Kathmandu media reporting on the likely need of NA mobilization. The National Human Rights Commission has already made its opinion clear after consulting various on-the-ground foreign observers and the UN that the current security situation is precarious.
Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Bhoj Raj Pokhrel who is considered impartial both by Kathmandu diplomats and the international press, has already warned the Nepali political parties that if further disturbances occur, he might have to take very stringent law and order measures. So far the maximum penalty the EC can fine is Rs. 100,000, roughly US$,1500. This week, there have also been unsubstantiated Nepali media reports from the mid-western region that Maoist combatants at various cantonment sites have started deserting their camps to involve themselves in the electoral campaigning. The Maoists are said to have been mobilizing at least 50 combatants in each district for this purpose.
Dr. Baburam Bhattarai from CPN-M is still keeping his last minute options open for a leftist unity. It is believed the Maoists now want the UML to walk the talk and respond in time to their Leftist unity proposal, on which Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal has not ruled out such a possibility. However, Mr. Khadga Prasad Oli, a senior UML rebel voice within the party, known to be close to the King, was of the opinion that unless the YCL behaved itself, there would be no possibility of working with the ultra leftists. The YCL was perceived as being low key in the past few months, which even left some Kathmandu political observers reckoning that they might have disbanded. But now, the increased political competition for votes among the leftists has seen them ´surge´ back into action.
The CA Poll has also attracted quite a few Nepali and Western celebrities to Nepal. The elegant, well-educated, accomplished and petite, Devyani Rana, a Nepali social and development activist and aristocrat, until she got married to an Indian prince two years ago, is in Nepal campaigning for her father, Pashupati Shamshere Rana, one of the few Nepalis politicians who can converse in perfectly clipped old Oxford English. The UK educated Rana has never lost a seat from his strong hold Sindhupalchowk district, despite recent Maoist attempts to foil his campaign. He is also known as the First Voice of the Madhes since he forewarned 17 months back that a serious Madhes problem would arise if political inclusiveness was not guaranteed by the Interim Parliament.
Similarly, Bollywood superstar Manisha Koirala is expected to campaign for the Nepali Congress Nationalist wing(a break off from NC) in which her father ex Minister Prakash Koirala, son of B.P. Koirala, holds sway. Similarly Sujata Koirala is campaigning for her NC cousins, besides her own constituency, and close party friends. Prime Minister Koirala has been campaigning for the NC but has generally taken an impartial political stance. He has been encouraging the younger generation Nepalis to vote freely and in larger numbers since this is their democracy. Former President Jimmy Carter, well liked by Nepal´s educated, younger ´orange´ generation, will be devoting all his energies in making sure that the Carter Center team keeps up its good work in election monitoring and protecting voters rights in all the districts. Similarly UNMIN headed by the charismatic Ian Martin plans to fly in UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon from New York to volunteer a few days in Nepal to encourage Nepalis to cast their ballots in an impartial electoral atmosphere and to implore them to think pro-development in future. Ban is also expected to visit a few historical sites around Kathmandu, and most probably heli-hop the Everest trail up North, though his schedule still remains under tight UN shroud.
Taking advantage of the Nepali carnival atmosphere surrounding the elections, many well heeled tourists have already started arriving in Kathamndu to see how the Nepalis vote. What is so attractive of the CA Poll 2008 is the excitement filled emotional display of the Nepali people in celebrating festivals grandly with big colorful banners festooned on every street corner, loudspeakers piping in meditative table-sitar combo music down spicy aroma filled Freak Street, while Thamel continues hosting the more demure old hippies of yesteryears narrating their old nostalgic tales in still existing favorite joints such as K.C.´s, the 40,000 1/2 ft Jazz Bar with a real Yeti footprint, or the more eclectic Buddha Lounge on New Thamel Street.
Among Western celebrities, Police, front man rocker. Sting, and his wife have made the big news in Nepal, this being their third time in Kathmandu. On his first day, he appeared somber and reflective at the "Hindus only" Pashupatinath Temple, and later spent an entire half day crisscrossing Thamel Heaven´s exotic gullies, marveling at the beautifully crafted Nepali souvenirs, searching for some exotic Tibetean and Nepali hats, and noting the wide variety of CDs and videos available in the Nepali market, including his own. He is known to have taken pride at one Thamel music-video shop in seeing his 10 year old video displayed as a ´hot pick of the week´ and selling extremely well!
Certainly, Sting and the Police band´s 80s hit song ´Message in a Bottle´ might have some spiritual meaning for Nepal´s young generation of hamburger munching voters when they go to cast their ballots on April 10.
Deuba has clarified his views on army mobilization with this statement, "The Nepal Army had been mobilized in past elections and it may be mobilized for this election to constituent assembly." On his way to Dadeldhura for election campaigning he stated, "In the present context when security is not adequate in the country, mobilization of Nepal Army may help." Under Deuba´s 30 district campaigning so far, the highest any ex Prime Minister has covered so far, it is likely the NC will trounce the other political parties in the Western and Far Western regions of Nepal. By political lineage, he is a middle path Nepali democrat equally loyal to Prime Minister Koirala and former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, NC´s only two surviving members. Deuba is expected to win by a wide margin in the two electoral districts he is contesting.
Deuba has already predicted an outright win for the NC in the April 10 polls and has warned the Kathmandu media houses not to have too high expectation on the first sitting of Constituent Assembly, its first priority being to frame a new Constitution of Nepal, which could take up to two years. Also according to Kathmandu based diplomats, Deuba is the only reliable pro-democratic Western ally who can balance the leftist forces in Nepal. His former political mentor, ex-Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has been busy meeting various political quarters and civil society members in Kathmandu recently advocating for a middle path in NC politics calling for rapprochement with the King before the election happens. Although the NC ´middle path´ is not clearly defined, its followers take it to mean the BPist pro-monarchial line. NC though united as one under Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, still has dissenting members operating variously as Republican, Monarchial and BPist liberal sympathizers.
In the past two weeks, election related inter-party disruptions are suddenly on the rise in Nepal, which gives further validity to Kathmandu media reporting on the likely need of NA mobilization. The National Human Rights Commission has already made its opinion clear after consulting various on-the-ground foreign observers and the UN that the current security situation is precarious.
Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Bhoj Raj Pokhrel who is considered impartial both by Kathmandu diplomats and the international press, has already warned the Nepali political parties that if further disturbances occur, he might have to take very stringent law and order measures. So far the maximum penalty the EC can fine is Rs. 100,000, roughly US$,1500. This week, there have also been unsubstantiated Nepali media reports from the mid-western region that Maoist combatants at various cantonment sites have started deserting their camps to involve themselves in the electoral campaigning. The Maoists are said to have been mobilizing at least 50 combatants in each district for this purpose.
Dr. Baburam Bhattarai from CPN-M is still keeping his last minute options open for a leftist unity. It is believed the Maoists now want the UML to walk the talk and respond in time to their Leftist unity proposal, on which Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal has not ruled out such a possibility. However, Mr. Khadga Prasad Oli, a senior UML rebel voice within the party, known to be close to the King, was of the opinion that unless the YCL behaved itself, there would be no possibility of working with the ultra leftists. The YCL was perceived as being low key in the past few months, which even left some Kathmandu political observers reckoning that they might have disbanded. But now, the increased political competition for votes among the leftists has seen them ´surge´ back into action.
The CA Poll has also attracted quite a few Nepali and Western celebrities to Nepal. The elegant, well-educated, accomplished and petite, Devyani Rana, a Nepali social and development activist and aristocrat, until she got married to an Indian prince two years ago, is in Nepal campaigning for her father, Pashupati Shamshere Rana, one of the few Nepalis politicians who can converse in perfectly clipped old Oxford English. The UK educated Rana has never lost a seat from his strong hold Sindhupalchowk district, despite recent Maoist attempts to foil his campaign. He is also known as the First Voice of the Madhes since he forewarned 17 months back that a serious Madhes problem would arise if political inclusiveness was not guaranteed by the Interim Parliament.
Similarly, Bollywood superstar Manisha Koirala is expected to campaign for the Nepali Congress Nationalist wing(a break off from NC) in which her father ex Minister Prakash Koirala, son of B.P. Koirala, holds sway. Similarly Sujata Koirala is campaigning for her NC cousins, besides her own constituency, and close party friends. Prime Minister Koirala has been campaigning for the NC but has generally taken an impartial political stance. He has been encouraging the younger generation Nepalis to vote freely and in larger numbers since this is their democracy. Former President Jimmy Carter, well liked by Nepal´s educated, younger ´orange´ generation, will be devoting all his energies in making sure that the Carter Center team keeps up its good work in election monitoring and protecting voters rights in all the districts. Similarly UNMIN headed by the charismatic Ian Martin plans to fly in UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon from New York to volunteer a few days in Nepal to encourage Nepalis to cast their ballots in an impartial electoral atmosphere and to implore them to think pro-development in future. Ban is also expected to visit a few historical sites around Kathmandu, and most probably heli-hop the Everest trail up North, though his schedule still remains under tight UN shroud.
Taking advantage of the Nepali carnival atmosphere surrounding the elections, many well heeled tourists have already started arriving in Kathamndu to see how the Nepalis vote. What is so attractive of the CA Poll 2008 is the excitement filled emotional display of the Nepali people in celebrating festivals grandly with big colorful banners festooned on every street corner, loudspeakers piping in meditative table-sitar combo music down spicy aroma filled Freak Street, while Thamel continues hosting the more demure old hippies of yesteryears narrating their old nostalgic tales in still existing favorite joints such as K.C.´s, the 40,000 1/2 ft Jazz Bar with a real Yeti footprint, or the more eclectic Buddha Lounge on New Thamel Street.
Among Western celebrities, Police, front man rocker. Sting, and his wife have made the big news in Nepal, this being their third time in Kathmandu. On his first day, he appeared somber and reflective at the "Hindus only" Pashupatinath Temple, and later spent an entire half day crisscrossing Thamel Heaven´s exotic gullies, marveling at the beautifully crafted Nepali souvenirs, searching for some exotic Tibetean and Nepali hats, and noting the wide variety of CDs and videos available in the Nepali market, including his own. He is known to have taken pride at one Thamel music-video shop in seeing his 10 year old video displayed as a ´hot pick of the week´ and selling extremely well!
Certainly, Sting and the Police band´s 80s hit song ´Message in a Bottle´ might have some spiritual meaning for Nepal´s young generation of hamburger munching voters when they go to cast their ballots on April 10.
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