The people pressure on the street will force the government and the Maoists to unite to bring peace in Nepal
As it was widely expected, the government of peoples’ representatives has announced indefinite ceasefire and recognized the Maoist party as a legitimate political force by withdrawing the Red Corner Notice and removing the ‘terrorist’ tag. What does this signal? With the country almost ready for the constituent assembly, a major demand of the Maoist rebels, what can we expect in near future other than the ‘guaranteed’ peace for the next three months? Maoists had declared three-month-long ceasefire last week.
Some people might consider this decision of the government a bit late considering the high expectations of people from the political leadership. But from the perspective of optimism, we can see that the long process of peace has started. We can only hope that this time around the process will not fail as it happened more than once in the past. People are on the street and they are constantly creating pressure to the folks the government and comrades in the jungle. This is the biggest asset in the peace process. Both sides should feel and fear that pressure.
>>Read more about it here.
United We Blog 
Comments
62 responses to “Cease Fire! Will Peace Fire?”
Maoists are waiting to strike and they will do it. We are giving them a lot of time to regroup and reorganized in the cities and we should just wait for the final blow. Our SPA leaders are thinking that they have won, but little do they know that Prachandey is not Gyane. He knows his game and he is playing it cool. So we expect that Maoists should lay down their arms now eh ? yeah yeah why should they need it anymore. Let’s wait and see .
Definitely PEACE IS ON THE WAY.
Lets be optimistic and say no to naysayers. Its going to be a long and hard process. But undoing 10 years of violence and redoing nation building takes time, effort and patience.
Do you honestly believe that simple demonstrations will pressure two warring armies to stop fighting? Do you believe that they fear your placards? You are doing nothing but keeping people from getting to hospitals, banks, getting food and water and conducting the necessary business of a normal functioning society. You are naive anarchist wannabees. What happens next will happen with or without you and don’t expect any medals from whichever side wins out.
Further next, Girija will start destroying every thing as during his tenures. He will make the dancings as per the directions of the king. He will stand himself totally against the people and other parties, including maiost party. As long as Mr Girija will be in chair, we can not expect any constructive works in the country. It is unfortunate that he refused to give home ministry portfoilio, because Girija wants to protect all corrupt people and people involed in supressing the mass movement-II. It is the hidden reality. Every one has understood his intention that why he has become PM again?
all cooments are welcome.
Real democrate, what is real,
democrate means free opinion too, OK you negative, it is your opinion, but I will only judge the outcome. This fight for seats in the government is just part of the game, at least it is not the king you is ordering.
As long the state cannot control the politics of intimidation then it is highly impossible for the peace to fire, just calling the ceasefire will not help. People should be able to vote in fair and free environment and everyone should accept the results of the fair and free election then only the peace will fire.
REAL DEMOCRATE:
here is a comment for u. shut up.
I don’t think Maoists will cease extortion, forced donations and abduction of children from school to seek their potential for future cadres. They can’t survive without looted money.
Only when Maoists cease their criminal activities completely we Nepali will have any trust on them. Otherwise, this ceasefire just a psuedo-cease fire… I would not put too much hope on it.
Not only me others are also saying the same thing (Courtesy: New of Nepal)
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to this real guy…….well bro….it’s time that you need to really get real…people like you…..god what to say…..but what just irritates me the most is that your claim that everyone knows that he has gone to power to do corruption and so on…..what do you mean by everyone…certainly most of people don’t like girija for what he was but now they are waiting and seeing him…..when will your mind open up to the political rules, possibilities….in politics a god of today can be a demon of tommorow….and look at his condition….do you think he is in a position of doing corruption?yes people around him are certainly but now i wonder for what he has to eat money…to give to indra while crossing the baitrani or what?…..dude have patience wait and see but don’t just see or shout your useless overtly emotional senitments…..ACT….that’s what you lack bro………..and be realisitic…..read what gagan thapa had to say about girija……….we shouldn’t look at the person….we should look at his cause…and his work……girija can be a revolutionary and gagan can be a reactionary……that’s politics and we have seen it……..it doesn’t matter whether we like or hate it..this is the rule of the politcal game throughout the world for the time being……..
The decision of scraping red corner notice and announcement of ceasefire is a very positive indication. It opens door for entering into negotiations with the Maoist. Yet the path of negotiation is not so smooth. It is because there are still a number of thorny issues, such as:
• What for negotiation – is it for republic Nepal or a constitutional monarchy or a liberal democracy and ceremonial monarchy? The future of the negotiation will very much depend on these issues. Suppose, if the SPA and the Maoist agree for Republic Nepal, does it mean that the King is going to give up his throne so easily without resisting the decision of the SPA and the Maoist? If this decision is taken again another cycle – rather awful cycle of violence besets the country. Political Parties will be marginalized and one of the two armed groups (the King or the Maoist) may win the war. But winning the war is not so easy to the Maoist because the international community will not help the Maoist. Therefore, the negotiation cannot decide for Republic Nepal. If it fancies for that the negotiations will be ended without any result. Absolute monarchy is not possible and it will not be an agenda item of the negotiation. The only practical agenda item of the negotiation is that both the SPA and the Maoist should acknowledge and accept ceremonial monarchy and liberal democracy (an inclusive democracy). Therefore, since long time I am almost singularly arguing for ceremonial monarchy and liberal democracy as the fundamental principles of the constitutional assembly.
• Is CA elections acceptable without laying down arms by the Maoist? This is going to be another big issue of the negotiation. Maoist has resorted to the arms insurrection because of their political ideology. They believe in that a political power emanates only from the barrel of a gun. They wrongly believe that the production system and production relation can be changed only by the barrel of guns. Until the Maoist realizes the days for this worn out ideology have already gone it is not going to lay down the arms. Who should play role for convincing the rank and file of the Maoist that social change, justice, equity, equality, prosperity and development do not trickle down from being obsessed with any sort of political ideology? If the political leadership in the country is able to carry out this job successfully then only the Maoist will lay down their arms. Until they lay down their arms there cannot be elections for CA. Otherwise, it will be just a futile exercise.
• The CA has not been declared in the country. Be clear on this point. Parliament has decided but it is not a declaration of CA. Who should declare CA? Head of the State or somebody else? Until the government accepts the King as Head of the State the CA cannot be declared by anybody else except the King. When King has to declare CA, believe that he is not going to declare until he is assured that the Maoist and SPA are ready at least to accept ceremonial monarchy. Therefore, there are still many hardships on the way of negotiations but not insurmountable. These can be addressed only when the King, SPA and the Maoist accept ceremonial monarchy and liberal democracy as fundamental principles of CA and future system of governance and the Maoist lay down arms.
• Look the fancy of UML: UML has formed a committee to have a negotiation with the Maoist. As if it is UML alone that is going to have negotiation and solving the problem. What did stimulate the UML to take such a fancy decision? It is its poor understanding that a popular decision should be taken in haste and fast otherwise other will capture the opportunity and simply win confidence of the people. They are always under illusion. Next, Bharat Moahan’s committee for drafting a constitution. What a mentality they bear. Still they think that politicians are experts, ideologue, theoreticians, experts and everything. They did not find expert in the country. They are completely obsessed with the same old thinking. No change has taken place in their mentality. It is not only to the UML but look the new bickering in NC. Before to be politician, I strongly suggest them to read – Enemies of Democracy by Karl Popper. You politicians were the perfect enemy of democracy in the past and now change yourself unless you will not have even hindsight. Unless you politicians read this book and importantly understand it you are just gong to paint democracy with you old political trite. Do not injustice to the country anymore.
girija and his cabinet
should immediately issue an arrest warrant to all abusers during the royal regime. that includes
1) all so called inner cores of royal government
2) all anchal prasashaks and regional chiefs who went against the andolan
3) all security people who went an extra mile to suppress the andolan
logne manchey bhaye pachi boley ko kura puraunu parcha, ( ki boldai nabolnu ) , interestingly all new cabinet members are male !!!
girija lai chunauti – “himmat cha andolan dabaune lai samatney ???”
Till now all the things are heading toward peace but who knows tomorrow? We shouldnot forget the failure of CA in France and Russia. It might bring peace and democracy and it might bring autocracy and country head toward more disaster. People should be very careful although CA is very important at the moment to settle the thing as posted in Kantipur “Tastasth Tarka”.
“ceremonial monarchy and liberal democracy as the fundamental principles of the constitutional assembly”
enough of this bakbak Surendra Bhandariji,
Even India and US have forsaken this stupid idea of two pillars.(i don’t know if that is frm their own conscience or ‘loklaaj’).
Multi-party democracy is the single pillar of we Nepalese.
CA will decide the faith of Monarchy, maoists and everybody.
Everybody should accept the voice of people.
Just because Maoists and Monarchy are weapon -equipped, they cannot put any conditions for CA.
If King can go insane with RNA, Maoists too have tendency to go crazy with PLA.
Hence, only meeting point of all forces is unconditional CA .
The way u condemn maoists and political parties but seem to respect the constitutional sovereignity of King(fake one) makes me suspect that u r a royal sympathizer.
Taaya
Thanks for candid point of view. I appreciate you that we must have an unflinching belief in liberal democracy.
I am not a royalist. In the country, before anybody else, myself and Daman Nath Dhunga were the persons pleading for CA all over the country. When we were talking about CA and transfer of power from King to the people no leader was ready to accept and support us except the common Nepali people.
Taaya, fine I don’t have any loyalty to Monarchy but do you think that the King is going to decalre CA without being accepted by SPA and the Maoist his position at least for ceremonial monarchy? Is the Parliament going to declare CA? Does the Parliament has right to declare CA within the framework of the exiting political reality? Who is Head of the State now? Either, first decalare Nepal as a Republic and be ready to face any challenges ahead of otherwise the CA should be declared by the Head of the State. Try to understand the political geometry. If liberal democracy and ceremonial monarchy are not accepted in the country we will be facing more crisis and unrest in the country, in near future. I am not ready to face all those pangs anymore. I am in faovur of smooth democratic transition, which is possible only when these two things are accepted as a foundation of future constitutin making. I am not talking theory or any prejudice but the reality. It will be clear in a few days time.
Well I am open minded person and can accept any good idea. I might be lopsided, if that is the case, you try to remove my lopsided vision. I welcome you.
Thanks again.
Surendra
NOW THAT THE RED CORNER NOTICE AND TERRORIST TAG HAS BEEN REMOVED, MAOISTS WILL ROAM FREELY WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE THIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO REORGANIZE AND BUILD A STRONG MILITARY FORCE IN KATHMANDU AS WELL AS IN POKHARA. VERY SOON WE WILL SEE THEY WILL TAKE OVER THE TWO BIGGEST CITIES AND THEN WHAT? … THEY HAVE THE WHOLE NEPAL UNDER THEM. GIRIJA’S GOVERNMENT IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO COPE THIS.
ALL OF US ARE TALKING ABOUT CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY BUT BEFORE C.A. ELECTION NEPAL WILL BECOME MAOISTS REPUBLIC OF NEPAL. YOU JUST WAIT AND SEE. THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. WE WE ALL KNOW PRACHANDA AND BABU RAM BHATTARAI. THEY ARE DEFINITELY NOT LIKE KING GYANENDRA. THIS MOTIVES OF MAOISTS IS VERY CLEAR WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT THEIR DEMANDS LIKE FREEING ALL THEIR INMATES IN NEPAL AS WELL AS IN INDIA. MANY OF THEIR SMART LEADERS ARE IN PRISON AND ONCE THEY ARE ALL OUT, YOU JUST KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN. BIGGEST DISASTER IS YET TO COME AND IF GIRIJA AND HIS CABINET DON’T USE THEIR BRAIN WE WILL HAVE THE BIGGEST DISASTER.
KEEP WATCHING THE JUNGLI COMRADES!
The King will soon be forced into Exile, and that fact should be accepted. The Maoist will play a part in the New Government and the Parliament will, like the King, be a thing of the past.
A new Constitution will be writen by the CA, and it will not honor the 1990 Royal+Corruption=Falce Democracy Constitution.
A CA not only lets people vote by district but by chaste, union, oppressed minorieties, trade organizations, civil-society groups, women, ect. ect… this greater participation, and TRUE DEMOCRACY will find no place for a Corrupt-G.P. Kairola or a Fascist-Duplicate-King like Gyanendra or his killer son ,
If Girija can confirm C.A. in next one week, it will happen otherwise it will never happen. They will keep on fighting to keep themselves distracted and let the people wait and wait and wait. Like BIRBAL KO KHICHRI. Girija’s government is not strong enough to go for C.A. I can guarantee this. With the fight over who got what. Two weeks have gone without any promising work. Still fighting over their portfolios. Can anyone tell me why Girija kept all the strong ministries within Congress? You sure can tell damn it! He will even recommend Ceremonial King. You just wait and watch I guarantee this. He has been a traitor and he always will because he can’t see any further than his nose tip. And now with his age, his brain is dead. I am not lying. If you don’t believe what I say, you just watch.
Mr. Bhandari seems right! His logics are sensible and practical. Extreme changes are sometimes very harmful like the case of Ex-soviet Union. Slow and smooth changes in China has done wonders! The only condition is we need will power to develop our country economically. Politics doesnot fill the empty stomachs! Not excess politics please, we want ECONOMICS to prevail now onwards!!
Furthermore, Politics in Nepal is no more than JUNGA KO LADAI i.e. fight of ego. No politicians are seemingly serious on economic matters. Democracy is useless if not supported by economic development. Hence, improve ECONOMICS. Enough of Political Science! (I am a student of political science myself but I value more on economics!) And I also request all sensible intellectuals to promote this campaign!!!
Surendra Bhandariji,
Maoists are now threatening to go on war if there is conditional CA.
But ready to accept any result from CA.
What do u have to say if they again go on war because their demand is unconditional CA (which seems a democratic demand not a terrorist one)?
I think most of the people are for ceremonial monarchy(people like u outnumber people like me)
So, I don’t see king needs to get afraid.
glad to know that u r contemporary of Daman Nath Dhungana( I like him).
Daman Nath Dungana is totally against monarchy and advocating republic.
Dear Surendra ji,
The term ‘ceremonial’ is perhaps an English invention. You looked at the geometry of Nepalese politics but messed it up with the Nepal’s socio-political conditions. A feudal king to whom you are thinking of giving some space will either die or continue to seek power. There will be nothing in between.
I am not a radical ‘republicanist’ myself. However, I feel very sad when people argue for keeping monarchy out of fear. This shows the lack of confidence among us. I do not understand why people like you feel that a common Nepali, not the king, can also perform his duty as the head of the state- after all the king is also a human being. To accept the king as the head of the state and reject the possibility of giving this position to an ordinary citizen is to accept the centuries long vicious nexus of bad religion, conservatism, and traditionalism.
Finally, your argument about ‘head of the state’ can be technically correct. However, I discern people’s desire to be the head of the state whenever I try to read their faces in the street of Kathmandu after the recent people’s movement. Cannot we label this parliament as the head of the state?
One more thing, we Nepalese are used to being ruled, and we always want somebody to rule over us. Perhaps, you also want a meta-master (the king).
You may be right in thinking that we need a whatever king! But I don’t think you are.
Does unconditional mean that the maoists do not have to lay down their arms? If so, how is there going to be a fair election to the CA?
And if that is so and they go to war, how is that democratic? It’s the equivalent of blackmail or hostage taking.
The term parliament is also an English invention and so too Prime Minister and Minister and democracy is greek. What is the point???
There is nothing original about the system of govt. we have and there is nothing origial about a CA either.
Communism in any form is a proven failed system. Even China is changing to a capitalist system in practice. Do you imagine that Cuba or North Korea receive large ammounts of aid from donor countries? No, they do not and will not unless they join the family of progressive nations. Whatever government immerges from the ruins of present day Nepal must be a suitable working partner with the world surrounding. Nepal cannot afford to be isolated. That is why I am totally opposed to a Maoist victory.
I have expressed my opinion that the King and RNA are the only viable means of combating the Maoist insurrection. That is because they are a unified effort. A centralized command. A people divided cannot stand. I am not a monarchist but see no alternative at this time. Who will unite the people to save the nation? If you are here, please step forward. Please begin the recovery immediately.
I have heard of UN’s untervention to take care of weapon matter for CA election.
Autocratic one party communism is almost impossible. but communism can change to socialism.
whole South America has now awoken with new wave of socialism.
chankhe2,
You said it.
Most of you bloggers are all these text book, college student, wishy washy, granola bar types with all your la la land theories. We are talking about Nepal and ground realities. There is always going to be corruption and power plays no matter where the hell you are and guns are a reality, the maoists will not lay it down so CA is bullshit. I know you all pray hard and wish for this and wish for that but deep down you know (or may not) that reality sucks and you all have your big doubts with this CA and the maoists issues. Lets work with what we have one step at a time. Some fool suggested a CA in 6 months to a year? Is he a lunatic. Rush into things and things will go down the drain faster then I can say “I told you so”. Then we will have the likes of me with guns in the jungles and the cities blasting the day lights out of you nerds.
Pl,
By ‘English invention’, I meant the product of and suitable to the culture of England. I have heard that ordinary people use only 2 per cent of their cranial cavity. I hope you will spend little more than that to understand what I mean.
Bideshi,
Arguing in favor of Nepal’s existing monarch and his loyal army is the result of some sort of sickness. Their hands are still colored with people’s fresh blood. They have killed, maimed, tortured, and troubled innocent people in the name of ‘higher’ democracy. How can you forget that in a matter of days?
Taaya,
I didn’t quite get what the relevance of your last post.
What does South American nations moving towards socialism have anything to do with Nepal?
Furthermore, “autocratic one party communism” as you call it, is possible if the Maoists do not lay down their weapons. It is a horrible reality.
I have always maintained that now it is high time that our focus attention shifts from the king to the Maoists. No matter what happens, the king will not intervene for atleast the next 8 to 12 months.
South America is a bloody basket case. Venezuala is resource rich so they can go on till they drop dead for a while with their experiments. Cuba has always been a banana republic and now Bolivia has joined the band wagon – you can say ta ta to their President in a year or so as unlike Venezuala, Bolivia cannot afford to go their way. And to even suggest that Nepal is a good candidate for communism is lunacy – communists governments who have survived any substantial length of time but have eventually collapsed are either very rich in natural resources or the one’s who have survived a moderate time frame have been so under brutal force, and both examples have been by compulsion and force and not the free will of the people.
Nepal my dear friends is not at all a good candidate for communism. We unfortunately need to be resource rich first before such experiments otherwise embargos and a halt to free trade when we are essentially a trading country and a slump in tourism will make us into a very sorry communist state with the high probability of anarchy and civil war.
It is a real irony in this world that you have to actually be rich in the first place to sustain communism.
Sanjeev,
And like I have said there is nothing original about many things we do and follow in this country. I hope you got that with your high IQ.
Hahaha,
You come up with a nice logic Pl. I appreciate your argument. I think you are damn right. Nepal cannot afford to be a cummunist state.
Sanjeev,
You use the English language so freely, this was also “the product of and suitable to the culture of England”, but has been adapted very well worldwide, so too are numerous “English” ways that were originally suitable for them, so we can learn and adapt things that are of benefit. It’s plain stupid to brush off “English ways” when a large portion of the world is so clearly influenced by their culture and ways. Let me not even attempt to give you a list of these ideas and ways as there are an infanatum amount starting of course with the language itself.
Pl, I was not trying to say that Nepal needs an ‘original’ political system. My point was that what is true for England (for instance, ceremonial monarcy) cannot be true for Nepal. This is because Nepal’s king can never limit itself to the ceremonial role. But I do not mean to say that the Maoists are right. They are as wrong as the fuedal monarch.
I am for a ceromonial monarchy and I mean absolutely ceremonial (i.e. religious and social functions and charities only, no politics). And one of the main reasons being that I would rather have the King under the constitution and not out of the palace with all his money, with which he could make a comeback through politics. I think he will have an unfair advantage because as a politican, people like Gyanendra and his money will fare a lot better.
My last post was answer to bdeshi and people like like who hate the very first word ‘communism’ or ‘socialism’.
Why follow USA’a notion of ‘communism is evil; communism sucks’
Words of Hridayesh Tripathi resonates in my mind-
“aakhir samajbaadma naramro k cha ra?”
Using violence for the vain dream of Communist Utopia is disastrous.
But why not follow Madan Bhandari who gave us ‘bahudaliya Janabad’.
people try to disgrace communism showing the bloody face of ‘baburam’ and ‘prachanda’.
but don’t u anti-communist ones know much docile madan bhandari, manmohan adhikari, sahana pradhan are also faces of communism??
If communists come into arena of multi-party democracy, why condemn them just because US says communism is evil.
UML’s 9 months government was much better than the US and India ko aashirvad payeko NC’s.
pl,
your comment# 37 made me laugh.
according to your notion:
kamal thapa is also a clever and rich guy why not make him a cermonial minister so that he cannot comeback to politics.
very funny.
“the government of peoples’ representatives has announced indefinite ceasefire and recognized the Maoist party as a legitimate political force by withdrawing the Red Corner Notice and removing the ‘terrorist’ tag.”
HA ! A legitimate political force ? With guns ?
And a “terrorist” tag still in place in India and America ? Get real !!!
Never forget the atrocities of the Mao a-holes.
Taaya do some research and find the difference between the socialism and the Marxism/Maoism/Prachandism/Baburamism .
I was actually advocating for socialism which has root on communism.
please read my previous post.
I have always stood for liberal socialism.
Communism is a vast subject, it is rather an idealogy than some strict rule based system.
Inside the breadth of communism, both prachanda and madan bhandari, baburam and manmohan, pol pot and ho chi minha co-exist.
So what’s the point of hating the word communism.
It has great ideals and hence can be reformed according to time.
TIMES OF INDIA – May 4th
KATHMANDU: Communist rebels beat to death two alleged robbers in a vigilante execution in southern Nepal despite their pledge to halt all violence for three months, an official said on Thursday.
The two men were accused of robbing residents of Ganjabhawanipur, a village in an area that has a strong rebel presence about 160 kilometres south of the capital, Kathmandu.
The rebels apprehended the men and brought them before villagers who endorsed a death sentence for the alleged robbers, and then the insurgents beat the men to death, said Santaraj Subedi, the chief government administrator in the area.
Police were sent on Thursday to the village to investigate the killings, Subedi said.
The rebels last week declared a three-month, unilateral cease-fire, saying they would defend their positions only and launch no attacks on the government or civilians in an effort to foster peace.
Taaya,
The point is not about hating the world Communism. It is about hating the people who call them communists in Nepal, and they are the Maoists. Madhav Nepal’s party is not communist. If you are communist, then you do not contest elections. They call themselves communist so that they can project an ideologically different image to the populace so that is some difference between themselves and the congres on the face of it.
The point is not that Communism is evil. On the contrary, I think it is a beautiful idea, documented exceptionally well in the Communist Manifesto. However, the primary problem is that I think the basic assumption made by Marx is that if the poor get some wealth, hence bringing about equitable distribution of wealth in a country, then people will be satisfied and an equilibrium will be reached. Sadly enough, this assumption is too good to be true. The fact remains that Man’s greed tends to get the better of him in almost every circumstance. Therefore, even if the standards of living of the poor improve, there will always be a proportion of people in the country who will continue wanting more. Marx underestimated the vital role Greed played in determining and shaping human action.
Prachanda and Baburam are smart people. They realise that the basic tenets of Communism appeal to the poor, so they project themselves as a communist party. The truth is that their only ideology is power.
Secondly, I do not see why socialism will serve Nepal best either. I would think that any government that lies anywhere close to the middle of the political spectrum (either moderate left or moderate right) can be ideal for the country, PROVIDED they do not indulge in corrupt practices, and rule effectively.
I also completely disagree with the government’s decision to remove the tag of “terrorists” from the Maoists. I think it is a stupid mistake that could cost us dearly in the future.
It’s amazing isn’t it? That we now have a legitimate political party weilding weapons. I mean, come on, this decision just doesn’t make sense. I accept the fact the political parties want to bring the Maoists into the political mainstream in a bid to bring about peace and all that, but I think they are jumping the gun a little too quicky in this case.
People, it’s not like they have killed 100 or 200 people. These guys ar being trusted so much after they’ve killed 13000 people, and most of them are the poor villagers, who they proudly claim support the Maoist actions. The government is getting carried away I think.
I would love to see the Maoists being tried for the atrocities that they’ve committed over the last ten years, but I know that that is not going to happen and it may be better to provide them with some form of immunity such that they can be brought into the political mainstream, but I think that the tag of “terrorists” should only have been taken off them once they laid down their weapons and renounced weapons in totality.
Hi all,
Good to know both the Maoists and the Govt. have now declared ceasefires. Talk about peace talks is also very welcome. But how is the ceasefire in Maoist controlled areas going to be monitored? I wonder what sort of attitude the Maoists will adopt in territories they control? Judging by their past deeds they will still only tolerate their own kind within their areas. Is this fair? How can we even talk of a CA when the Maoists still have an army? I see a lot of Maoists sympathizers on this blog, perhaps they can explain? These are legitimate questions. We must judge the king, SPA and the Maoists by one standard.
I totally disagree with surendra bhandariji. From his account, it is clear that he is a leader, but sadly one without the gut. He is hung up with the technical issue of who should declare the CA. Don’t you think we should put pressure on the parliament to make or amend clause that will make it valid if the 2/3 of the reps decide on something with or without kings consent ? Even in the US, when 2/3 of the congress passess something, that becomes law even if the president refuses to sign it. If you think the king will never declare the CA if his place is not guaranteed, then you are entering into the same cycle of chaos. Why do you think the king will cede his control of army,stop enjyoing lavish royal expendutures at the cost of poor nepali people and other countless royal previleges ? This parliament was established through janaandolan and has the mandate to decide on anything on the political basis and it is above all the laws and constitution governing the country. And one sould not forget, this parliament must be of short duration, an interim one. There should be an unconditonal CA.some will argue for republic,some will argue for ceremonial king, some will argue for constitutional monarch and the people of nepal will decide on what they want. If this does not happen, there should be another andolan with even more gravity aimed singularly at uprooting the monarchy.
houston, TX
hello all: On the question of communism, i think Taaya is taking a nice, middle of the road, feel-good liberal position. This goes down well in teh West where communism is an embattled ideology and has no teeth, but perhaps needs to be scrutinized more closely in places where it could be seized, overwhelmed and appropriated by the extreme Left.
Good question about who is monitoring the ceasefire. Both RNA and Maoists are guilty of breaking it in the past. And I don’t blame them – unless some reliable structure is put in place to ensure a true ceasefire, its tough to trust a familiar enemy. The UN should get involved, but the UN has always had cold feet in Nepal. They like to write reports about how people get killed when the ceasefire is broken, not ensure its continuity. And notice the Maoists have promised three months – but no more. Meaning there’s more war to come, unless people do a really good job bringing them into the deomcratic mainstream. If I was a Maoist, and I wanted to topple the state and take over and create my own republic, I would frankly not trust Girija and Co. So hence – i guess we are in for more war after three months.
I think there will be a tactical-Split in MAO, one resurfacing the other, going under.