The Seven Party Alliance (SPA) held a mass meeting at the Open Theatre, Ratnapark to celebrate the victory of people where the people ‘talked and showed’ they are still skeptical on politicians’ commitment to constituent assembly and republic.
The most indicating was a big banner prepared by Civil Society of Ghattekula that read:
Posted in Democracy Wall
Whether Constituent Assembly with or without a Condition
By Surendra Bhandari
Lawyer, in Japan
The country is still undergoing through a volatile political situation. The political changes induced by the people’s movement followed by King’s declaration for the restoration of the House of Representatives on April 24th 2006 has unfurled immense opportunities to move ahead but the path is still full of challenges and risks. The issue of whether a constituent assembly should be with or without condition has become a center of the political dynamics in the country.
Maoist has declared cease fire with a hope that the Parliament shall declare constituent assembly without any precondition. Many civil society leaders have also asked the same thing. All the political leaders of the SPA have confirmed that constituent assembly will be the single most priority agenda item of the (to be restored) Parliament. But they have not yet declared whether it will be with or without a precondition. Indeed, the leaders are at altar now. If they succeed, they come off with a light and become able to enlighten the society otherwise there is a risk that they will burn out the fire of the altar. If they fail that will be a big boomerang both for the democratic process in the country as well as to the leaders. Continue reading
Posted in Guest Column
Though this article was written immediately after king’s first address, UWB has published it in order to bring the issue of monarchy for public debate.
By Mahesh Poudyal
The politics of monarchy
You must be thinking I must have made some mistakes with the heading “politics of monarchy,” you must be thinking “monarchs don’t get involved in politics.” Oh, yes they do, they do in Nepal if you didn’t know already! Of course, in this 21st century it is hard to find monarchy in any form – constitutional or ceremonial, let alone active monarchs. However, by the grace of god or his curse, we Nepalese have got an active monarch, so much active that he had for the past 15 months suspended political and press freedoms, and had tried to “rule” over his “subjects” – we Nepalese people – by any means he could. Okay, enough for the sarcasm – now back to the serious business. The question here is – does Nepalese politics need a monarch(monarchy)? Continue reading
Posted in Guest Column
Democracy in Action ब्लगमान्डू
