Monthly Archives: November 2009

The Nepali Constitutional Dilemma

With the lapse of time, whether the history of ruling monarch will repeat in changed form? This fear hangs over the mind of common people, as the present Constitutional developments are not so encouraging.

suryabahadur singhBy Suryabahadur Singh

The constitutional evolutionary phases were continuously witnessed throughout the development process in Nepal.   The post second Jan-andolan,2062 (2005) period has provided ample opportunities for stabilizing and institutionalizing the institutional democracy, peace and constitutional reforms.  The formation of Constituent Assembly has raised the common man’s hope of period getting a constitutional solution forever.  The Nepalese masses have not forgotten that, the Constituent assembly was a mere declaration by the King Mahendra in 2007(1950) and the successive constitutions were formed by the related Constitution drafting committees.  At that time, the constitutional experts were hand picked, the rigidity, abstract law, limited constitutional resources, least judicial developments and impact of ruling monarch were major hurdles in the way of making appropriate Nepali constitution.   Along with this,  soaring socio-economic problems has obstructed a lot for experimenting with past six constitutions having colors, flavor and  impact of  then existing time. Continue reading

Finally, Nepali Congress Goes Democratic

Finally, something significantly positive has come out from any Nepali Congress meeting in recent times. The grand old party of Nepal has decided to choose the democratic process in electing leadership over virtual presidential decree. With this the almost dictatorial hold of NC President Girija Prasad Koirala over the party has come to an end.

The party today (Wednesday) adopted a resolution to that effect (‘institutional leadership’) at the fourth and last day of Mahasamiti convention- it’s highest and policymaking body. The resolution that was endorsed by the full house of the meeting has curtailed the landslide nomination rights of the party president; make it more inclusive, elections on some major post including party central committee members and office bearers. Continue reading

Nepal Will Do on Everest What Maldives Did in Water.

After the Underwater cabinet meet at the bottom of South Asia, a cabinet meet at Everest at the top of South Asia

Immediately after the news about Nepal’s plan to hold a cabinet meet on the base camp of Sagarmatha (the Mount Everest) flashed today by AFP, Nepalis from all over the world expressed their tongue-in-cheek reactions offline and online. Here’s a sampling of Tweets (the last by a non-Nepali).

“Wish they came up with new ideas. Only drama’s they do.”
“We might get lucky if they all perished.”
“The Maldivian effect in Politics & Ecology.” Continue reading

Nepali Congress, GO for Democracy

One of the biggest reasons for the failure of democracy in Nepal in the 90s is the lack of democracy in the then largest democratic party of Nepal: the Nepali Congress. Girija Prasad Koirala, the paramount leader of the party- then and now- is responsible for that. He, along with other leaders like KP Bhattarai and Ganesh Man Singh, tried to run the party as if it was their club. No wide consultation was done before taking any vital decisions by a party so mass-based in Nepali context. The President of the party is like a dictator. The President, for the past several years, is Koirala. Continue reading

Another Maoist Agitation: People Will Suffer

Maoists have hit the streets from today aiming to topple the current government. They should have gone to the Constituent Assembly instead.

Sticking to their old demand that the presidential action over the sacking of the then army chief by the then Maoist-led government some four months ago be corrected, the Maoists have started today their ‘decisive’ agitation to bring down the Madhav Nepal-led government. This is clearly unfortunate not because the shaky coalition is at the helm putting the largest party in the Constituent Assembly, the Maoist, out of the government but because the Maoists are not honest to their demand and they are not fighting for the civilian supremacy as they tirelessly and consistently claim. Continue reading

India’s Maoist War

Indian Maoists Instead of eradicating poverty, the current Indian establishment has, it seems, decided to eradicate the poor from society. (pic source)

By Dinesh Wagle
This article was first published in today’s Kathmandu Post. Here’s the PDF version of the page.

Things are happening so late in India. This I say from the Nepali perspective. The dominating Indian political discourses in the past several days have been increasingly sounding like the ones we used to have at the beginning of the current decade. The government here has decided to combat the spreading Maoist insurgency putting the prospects of talks on the backburner, and the deliberations have been all about that. These debates, mainly taking place in the most influential, city-centric and English language media, are heavily tilted towards the hawkish government stand. “These terrorists,” shouted one network editor the other evening, “must be neutralized. How can a government talk with killers?” Continue reading