Report By Prem Khanal
KATHMANDU, July 10 – In yet another blow to the embattled monarchy, Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat has removed the state allowance for the king and royal family in the budget he is slated to table in the interim parliament Thursday.
The budget will, however, arrange for the perks and allowances of over 700 royal palace staff and other essential expenses like maintenance and security. The government had this year allocated Rs 32.7 million as allowance for the king, queen, crown prince, crown princess and the queen mother.
Minister Mahat is proposing an annual budget of around Rs 170 billion and a 15 percent rise in government employees’ salaries, but there will be no major tax changes.
According to government sources, the upcoming budget will earmark over Rs 100 billion under the recurrent heading — mainly a regular expenditure — which is 13.6 percent higher than this year’s revised estimate. “Constituent Assembly poll and increase in government employees’ salary are the two major factors that swelled the recurrent expenditure,” said the official.
The budget is likely to allocate around Rs 4.5 billion for the CA poll (Rs 1.70 billion for the Election Commission and the remaining amount for the home ministry for arranging security), said the source. However, a major chunk of the CA poll budget will go for recruiting some 75,000 temporary police for a period of roughly three months. The Election Commission and the Home Ministry had demanded Rs seven billion for the poll.
In addition to adjustment into regular salary of a 10 percent dearness allowance for government employees announced last year, the budget will propose a 15 percent increment in their basic salary. “The adjustment plus increment in salary will add around Rs 4 billion to the state’s financial burden,” said the official.
Sector-wise, education will continue to be the largest absorber of budgetary resources. The government is planning to allocate some Rs 28 billion for the sector. Apart from financing increased salary for teachers, a major chunk of the education budget will go into recruiting 12,000 teachers this year, according to the source. The health sector is expected to get some Rs 11 billion next year.
The budget will also earmark some Rs 12 billion for the army, 11 billion for the police and over one billion for the Maoist combatants living in 24 cantonments.
The budget will allocate Rs 55 billion for capital expenditure for financing mainly development activities. The capital expenditure budget for next fiscal year will be almost 44 percent higher than the revised estimate this year.
Reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure and road construction will be the major focus of the budget and will absorb half the allocation.
A major project is on the cards to initiate a 1,200 km mid-hills highway connecting Ilam in the east to Baitadi in the west and opening up an alternate road linking the capital and the terai, said the source. Reversing past anti-subsidy policy, the government is also launching a major support program for shallow tube-wells in the terai region.
“On the whole, the budget will be slightly populist and ambitious on some fronts, particularly in enhancing expenditures in the rural sector in the areas of infrastructure, despite weak absorptive capacity of the local bodies,” the source said.
On the revenue front, the budget has a total revenue target of Rs 103 billion, almost 20 percent higher than the revised estimate this year. Of the total, the government is expecting to generate Rs 3.67 billion from divesting its 15 percent share in Nepal Telecom.
Likewise, the budget will target mobilization of over Rs 21 billion in internal loans and attempt to mobilize around Rs 45 billion through foreign loans and grants.
( Source:The Kathmandu Post, July 11,2007)
United We Blog 
Comments
119 responses to “15pc pay hike for civil servants,King, royals to receive no allowance in Rs 170b budget”
And one more thing , there shouldn’t be comparison between Americans and NATO in Iraq and Afgan as they are in alien land where as RNA were fighting in their own grounds, own trails and own hills. If you cannot defend your own place with known enemy of few, What on earth they are doing in those alien lands with Gurkha billas on their chest??
‘…so coup in Nepal is our last option. ‘
These Royalists, just like the Maoists, even ordinary ones like ‘aseem’ are such delusional demented idiots that they are scary. Wish we could be rid of both the Maoists and Royalists once and for all.
“Nepali people expected somuch from the army”
–Don’t thrust your expectations on poor Nepalese. We expected nothing from the army. We knew it will maim, torture and kill poor Nepalese. That has been its character from the days of mass murder in Makwanpur, Bijaypur in the past and Chitwan in recent days.
“and I have no hesitation to say that they fail to deliver.”
–On the other hand, they were asked to do something they were never trained to do. In the words of Mr. CK Lal, NA knows nothing except “salaami, gulaami and malaami”
“and history will mark them as one of the failures, in a country where there is plenty!!”
Others accept their failures, NA bosses don’t. That is the main problem.
scope-deep down inside you know that Nepali people would be happiest if you Maoist lot along with all the Royalist lot would just disappear. You are the people that are most responsible for holding this country down the last ten years…sinking it. Both of you Maoist and Royalist lot have long ago been consigned to the dustbin of history in the rest of the enlightened world…but here in Nepal you lot rule with the dark malevolence of malignant ghosts. You lot are the heavy ball and chain that bogs down our poor Nepali brothers and sisters in this hell hole of poverty, illiteracy and ignorance.
i got a feeling that most of the people who post in this blog dont live in nepal. although i see a lot of pain and frustration in each post and resentment towards authority, it is all so distant from the reality and the real problems of the country. let us not unite because we hate a common person or institute but let us all unite for a common love and want to have a better future for our children.
If you have children you must be out of the country who could not get out, may consider contributing to pacification.
Over poliization of society, male oriented idiocy.
If they do not use women for brains it is not getting anywhere.
sorry again
Yeah, when I said Nepali People it is ordinary people with no political aspiration and not indoctrinated by maoists philosophy, and I guess you donot fall in the group, extraordinary!!. They may be naive but still trusted the army and waited too long in anticipation of resolving the conflict by whatever means. And the outcome we got now is definitely not what people wanted!!
Sure , Maoists had expected nothing from the army, I mean why should they??
“Maoists had expected nothing from the army, I mean why should they??”
–Look, “they” got everything because the army failed spectacularly as expected!!
Harkee:
I agree with what you are saying. This idiot Gyanendra had a really good chance to turn things around. But instead of nation building and political strategy he spent most of his time performing poojas and consulting tantrics.
Blunder after blunder made him a fool. Most foolishly he started to irk India by playing the China card. Idiot. All he had to do was improve public services and pretend to be reaching out to the monkey political parties. Nope instead the fool went on safaris and hired lunatics like Tulsi Giri to run his cabinate.
I agree with your sentiment and I personally think an absolute Monarchy is out of the question. But I don’t think it’s in Nepal’s best interst right now to get red of the institution of monarchy altogeather. May I suggest you read a nice piece: it’s this week’s Nepali Times editorial. I posted the link but because of our genius friend Wagle’s modration BS the it is still up for moderation.
this budget has one million earmarked for each of the sitting members of the parliament. The general practice is for the MPs to spend the money in hteir constituentcies. Since many of the current MPs, for example Hari Roka, are tikay parliamentarians who never in their life fought any elections and handpicked into the parliament for their loyalty to a particular ideology. The million rupees question is – where will these “democratic” parliamentarians without any constituencies spend that million rupees. This article is worried about the 20 million for the palaec but is turning a blind eye on how the 8-party gand and especially the Maoist party is draining this countries resources and NOT being accountable for it.
guyfromktm,
They distribute some to their activist and some of the money they deposit for election. Lefteover they spend in Restaurant in the name of Loktantra.
transparency in economic habit is good to introduce.
How real countries work? Let me think the king stopps somoking surya and we rid of indian maoists?
My experience with money is that all love it and nobody likes to work for it not just government people, or rather journalism is giving the opinion somebody pays you to give, I work for a democratic newspaper so terrorists are so and so, but if I work for a communists newspaper the fascists are bad. Point is we live in a world fascist time where Nepal has been divided into many more than five parties, what we don’t like to say, how even this King may be infavour of maoists, but has been ‘ obliged’ to keep with the power for managements sake and now look at the mess. This is good, thanks to loss of the Kings power because supposing he is good, he supports Nepal, the army loves him apart from their own salaries and futures, suppose India likes a nice neighbour. The truth is nobody has time to care, pressure is inside, on the outside they don’t have lost futures, just little diplomatic jobs.
Maoist party redivides incomes. Kings parties have sad period in this. Sharing now that it is gone.
This spaM is totally failed now.
Hoping better with them will be like searching gold from gutters.
“Hari Roka, are tikay parliamentarians who never in their life fought any elections and handpicked into the parliament for their loyalty to a particular ideology. The million rupees question is – where will these “democratic” parliamentarians without any constituencies spend that million rupees.”
They will spend this money to fatten their already-fat bums and to feed their goons, sorry party cadres, to create further mayhem and chaos. Oh yes! They also have to contribute to their party funds so that their Great Helmsman, Prachanda, can ride in Pajeros, drink VAT 69, and vomit bullshit like “make Nepal a Switzerland in a decade”.
A country wedged in between two giants, Nepal needs a strong state to preserve its independence”
Professor Andrew Arato
Andrew Arato is a Professor at the NewSchool for Social Research, New York . He has visited Nepal and delivered talk programs as an expert on constitution-making. The American scholar and constitution expert has been closely observing the ongoing peace process and constitution making process in the country. Excerpts of an interview he gave to Sanjaya Dhakal of Nepalnews.
You have been keeping tab on the peace process and constitutional development of Nepal in recent months. How do you react to the two swift and successive amendments to the interim constitution?
In a previous guest column “ Interim Crisis or Interim Learning?” (Nepalnews.com, February 26, 2007) I wrote of Nepal’s Interim Constitution as an important achievement that contains the seeds of crisis, and of the possibility of amendment as crisis avoidance and crisis management learning mechanism. Since then Nepal indeed has had protracted constitutional crisis. Thus I have no problem with the swiftness of the two constitutional amendments, but have serious doubts as to their contents. Some of the new elements change nothing and thus represent merely illusory forms of action. Others, however, threaten to reduce the constitutional assembly to insignificance, and that is a serious problem. The one change that could be important is that now there seems to be a new mechanism for removing the Prime Minister through a vote of no confidence. But once every six months is an absurd restriction, and so is the 2/3 requirement. Moreover, the very unusual idea of the Interim Constitution (somewhat ambiguous in the text) that the old government stays after the election of the constituent assembly seems to be untouched. (Art. 44 admittedly could require that a new government constituted by consensus or 2/3 of the assembly, but this is the less likely interpretation).
There are calls from among ethnic groups that the country must adopt fully Proportional Representation electoral system for Constituent Assembly (CA) even though interim constitution has ensured Mixed system. How do you find their demands? Do you agree that current system will not ensure their appropriate representation at the CA?
There is much confusion in Nepal about what PR means. What it generally means elsewhere is that parties receive seats in proportion to their percentage of the vote. Initially the Interim Constitution (63 3a,b) provided for a little under ½ such seats in a mixed system that also had a little under a half of single member district seats elected in traditional first past the post elections. But many of the ethnic groups mean by proportional representation a system that reproduces in the legislature the gender, ethnic, regional and perhaps class make-up of the country, a kind of picture representation, that has been practiced so far by powerless supreme soviets. When elements of such representation are introduced into competitive party systems, the several parties tend to control the female, ethnic and regional deputies they nominate the same way as the one party controlled them in soviet type societies. The system never produces genuine participation by those previously excluded. It is moreover technically very difficult to reconcile with competitive, democratic elections if it is fully generalized. That is why the supreme soviet is the only full blown version; its members were elected on single, non-competitive slates (generally single member districts). The scheme however is entirely irreconcilable with competitive single member districts, and thus consistently the Nepali advocates call for all ”proportional” seats. But they will have a very tough time making a rule like the one adopted in the recent electoral law in June (providing for: 1/2 women, 18.9 Janjatis, 15.6 Madhesi, 6.5 Dalit, 15.1 “other”, 2 backward region) compatible with party independence, and competition among lists. And if they manage to do so, the results will predictably not be what the advocates hope for. Who is going to control for example the Maoist women, Dalits, Janjati and Madhesi who will be carefully screened and selected if not Prachanda and his colleagues? And so they should, because otherwise there would be chaos and ungovernability given Nepal’s complexity. The same for Congress, UML…etc.
Paradoxically, the current system, or the one before the electoral law just passed, if properly used, could have guaranteed more serious differentiated representation, if perhaps at the cost of less governability. Real PR (rather than the nonsense spoken about in Nepal) does not guarantee ethnic pluralism, but makes it more likely by setting up low thresholds for party representation, and therefore the formation of new parties. Thus e.g. a Dalit party would have been possible to form, electing Dalit representatives controlled by that party rather than the heads of the big parties of today.
Finally, for a constituent assembly, one does not even need a pictorial representation of the proper ethnic proportions of society to make the relevant interests present in constitution making. All that would have been needed was a rule of fair representation on all the committees preparing the constitution and its parts (generally: the constitutional committee and its sub-committees, both involving the legal experts of all parties and groups) along with consensual decision rules. That would guarantee that no text could emerge that would not incorporate the plurality of interests. The fight has been basically about the wrong thing, though of course the proportions of the assembly may decide how the committees will be constructed. I think however that civil pressure should have concentrated on the essential point, rather than the issue of pictorial representation that will not lead to the desired result.
They have also demanded federal system of governance based on ethnicity. Will that be a good idea for a multi-ethnic, multi-regional and multi-cultural country like Nepal?
The issue in any case should have been left to the freely elected constitutional assembly to decide. It was absurd to include a declarative statement on this matter in an amendment, though it is pretty meaningless as it stands. My personal answer is generally negative on the bases of the Iraqi experience, where an ethnically based model conceded to the Kurds in their interim constitution is by now almost irreversible and is tearing the country apart. People will point to India where today in effect federalism coincides more or less with ethnic and linguistic divisions. Two points need to be made regarding the comparison. First, the founders of Indian democracy strongly battled such a model, and it emerged during a series of reforms long after the system was consolidated. And second, India’s federalism, was, especially in the founding epoch but even now, highly centralistic with the states having relatively weak powers, with very little input into the management of the center. Thus the question is not only what kind of federalism, ethnic or administrative (I side anyhow with administrative models) but also what division of powers, and how much power do the units have in the determination of national policy.
Let me of course note the obvious. Nepal is not India, but a middle sized country wedged in between two giants. It needs a strong state to preserve its independence, as the 18th century state makers recognized in a very different context. That state should now become a just and representative state, but it should not be destroyed. Probably it should be strengthened.
What about the decision of the eight parties to insert a clause in the interim constitution (through second amendment) stating that the interim parliament itself can now abolish monarchy if it finds that the latter is conspiring to derail the CA polls? Don’t you think such vital questions should be left for the elected CA to decide?
The decision is nonsensical as a legal matter, as a question of legality. The interim parliament or Legislature-Parliament always had the right to pass any amendment (Art. 148-1) to the text of the Interim Constitution it wanted, including the abolition of the monarchy. Nothing in the text is unamendable. Thus it just gave itself the power by 2/3 vote of those present (148-2) to do by 2/3 vote of those present what it always could have done by the very same 2/3 vote of those present. One vote does not strengthen the authority of the other if it ever comes to using the totally superfluous provision. It matters not at all that in the one case the amending power is used and in the other a special legislative power. As a matter of legitimacy however the amendment seems to indicate that its authors dimly understood that they did not have the right as members of the appointed rather than elected interim legislature to abolish the monarchy: only a referendum or the elected representatives of the people, the supposed sovereign had the right, and this is what the Interim Constitution (Art 159-3) provided for. But if they did not have the legitimacy to do the thing, they also, for exactly the same reasons did not have the legitimacy to authorize themselves to do it. So the amendment is either superfluous or illegitimate, take your pick. I wonder what the many international constitutional experts in Nepal were doing if they have not noticed, or pointed out this fairly obvious matter.
Now I do understand how it all could have happened. The Maoists, squeezed by the Madhesi, needed republicanism as a mobilizing device, now rather than later. So they wanted the interim parliament to declare the republic now. Congress, or its top leader opposed this, probably not for the good reason that only the people or their representatives have the right to abolish the monarchy, and in the end they agreed on this absurd compromise. They could both declare victory to their supporters, and the Maoists could go on agitating that the provision be used, while Congress continued to delay. Absolutely nothing changed.
Where do you find Nepal’s peace process heading?
For this I would have to be in Nepal, to answer. I have always been optimistic, because I think the Maoists have much to gain from becoming a powerful reformist party of the left, and, given this fact widely understood, because there is no popular support for any kind of aggressive action against them. What may change the situation is the kind of ethnic violence that not knowing Nepal, well, I did not anticipate. From this point of view the amendments to the constitution may buy some time, but who knows if ethnic dissatisfaction will again erupt in a really dangerous way. If it does, then none can afford to disarm.
The transitional period of Nepal is getting prolonged (as the promised CA elections could not be held in June and has now been put off to November). Is it healthy? How do you react to the delay in the elections?
I was quite unhappy about the probably unconstitutional delay (regarding the earlier scheduled CA elections in June; Interim Constitution 33a) because in this period Nepal has a weak government, and a constitution made by elites that does not have democratic legitimacy. It is a constitution with largely democratic contents, fully capable of managing a democratic transition, but it has little democratic legitimacy. The new amendments do not help much, given the fact that the interim parliament remains a co-opted one, government is unpopular but nearly irremovable, and many groups do not feel represented at all. Only elections, a government rooted in a freely elected assembly, and a process of democratic constitution making could remedy these weaknesses. It does not matter now who is to blame for the delay: the insufficient legitimacy generated by the makers of the interim constitution, the eruption of ethnic demands, some reasonable while others less so, or the Maoists engaging in a bidding competition with some ethnic militants. Any further delay would be very harmful to all of their interests, because at some point someone will call for a policy of the strong hand, and the people (or some of them) will listen.
The Interim Constitution stipulates that each bill relating to articles of constitution will have to be passed by two-third majority by the CA (except of course the one regarding the issue of monarchy, which can be settled by simple majority). How practical is this provision especially given the increasingly divisive politics?
It is highly peculiar that a simple majority should be enough to change the symbolic structure of the state, while it takes 2/3 to produce a new regime. But I completely agree with the 2/3 rule, at least. A constitution should not be the law of the majority, and a fair rule requires a consensual process – therefore good faith bargaining, and fair compromise. I too worry about the kind of assembly that would emerge if the interests of Nepal were pictured in an exact way, but party politics will likely reduce the complexity. In the end a good process could deliver a good result. The longer it is delayed however, the more the antagonisms are allowed to become very sharp, the more difficult it will become to come to an agreement on the basic issues
Kirat,
You just dont seem to understand. The problem is not with the maoists but instead with the SPA. If the SPA are not going to change their autocratic, corrupt, incompetent and inefficient ways, there wil always be dictators and insurgents waiting in the wing. Maoists are only a bi product of SPAs failure and so is/was the king.
And deep down inside, all nepalese people despise SPA more than the maoists or king because they / we all know that the SPA will not rest untill there is nothing left of this country.
B…yes the SPA are a bunch of corrupt, incompetent money grabbing fools. One thing they are not is dictatorial vis-a-vis the Maoists and the Monarchists. Despite all their shortcomings they have more democratic credentials than the Maoists and the Monarchists. In the nineties it was our fault for voting these same corrupt politicians to power again and again. The SPA crooks (maybe not this instance) come to power via our votes the Maoists and the Monarchists come to power with their guns and armies.
Alas, they always did say that wisdom and knowledge are two different things.
look up for the word SPAM in the dictionary and the explanation it offers is so similar to the Spam in nepal. both of them are unwanted, is someones get rich quick scheme. not much difference there, and both were created tp make the like of general public difficult.
Kirat,
My point being…
even if you get rid of the king and the maoists, unless the SPA mend their ways, another maoist like group will be born. Another dictator (may be COAS) will be born. If you are suggesting that getting rid of the king and the maoists will ensure a lasting peace and democracy in Nepal automatically, you are mistaken. The growth in number of armed groups already suggests that incompetent governance breeds anarchy which leads to a civil war. Do you think getting rid of Monarchy and the maoists will infact improve the situation. Does this government have a spine to control this anarchy?
B…yeah, but even with your point we have to start by getting rid of the Maoists and Monarchists first. Until this is done we cannot even begin tackling the SPA. Priorities.
This country may not even survive another year. I do not see anyone capable enough to bring this country back on track. SPA, Maoists or the King
That’s a tad too pessimistic! Don’t worry Nepal will be around for a long time…the real question is…in what condition?
Kirat and B: your discussion is pointless. Both the Monarchist and the Maoists are not going anywhere. The Maoists are here to stay. The question is really how to deal with them. In retrospect, Gyanendra should never have given up power so easily. The Nepali junta are bedda. They need a good laat and a stick to tell them what to do. I was just reading nepalnews. Did you anyone of you read the fist fight at the NSU convention? And these are suppose to be the future leaders of Nepal.
These are suppose to be students. What the fcuk. How will these rowdy sons of b*tches ever get jobs and behave like responsible citizens?
Bhudai-the point is that when it comes to casting our votes during the CA elections…don’t vote for the Maoists or Royalists, also wherever possible avoid the SPA if there are other independent candidates around.
recently had an experience where YCL extorted money from me…. firstly, they had brought up a “victim” who was making up all kinds of stories which YCL initially had bought. After summoning me, they re-discussed the story and figured out that this guy was making it all up. However, the YCL wouldn’t let me go. They then twisted the entire story and now, it became a class issue. They pointed at me and said, you are a rich man (they have no idea that I am in debt) and this is a poor man. Since this poor man is suffering you need to pay 250,000 Rs to him and you have 48 hours. Wow, if its somenone else’s money, its so easy to ask them to pay it to others. But here is the larger picture here…. what Moriarty said the other day is TRUE. These terrorists are for “absolute power” and for a communist state. In order to establish that, they will continue to hassle the middle class and others that they view as enemies of the “failed” communist ideology. They will continue their intimidation and harrassment to make sure that we are either forced to leave the country or terrified to death so that when this nation turns into a communist state, there is no resistance from within. My feeling is that we shouldn’t be sitting here blindly blaming the 8 parties for the terror that the Maoists are spreading. We need to single out or protest against these terrorist communist group and rally support against them. We need to corner them to make them believe that a free and fair election will never vote them in. We need to unite and fight against Nepal turning into a communist state run by the then and now terrorists.
Anyone understand why nepali media just doesn’t cover this issue? It’s such a huge part of the peace process yet no one seems to be bothered about it?
———-
Given UNMIN’s inability to enforce the terms and conditions of Nepal’s
“Comprehensive Peace Agreement” and the “Agreement on the Monitoring
of the Management of Arms and Armies,” a timely re-visit of the
systemic shortcomings in UNMIN’s mandate becomes necessary.
Catalogued below are posts on NepaliPerspectives that chronicle
UNMIN’s lackluster performance in Nepal and ideas on how such
deficiencies may be remediated.
FULL TEXT LOCATED AT THE FOLLOWING URL:
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/07/uns-unmin-involvement-in-nepals-peace.html
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/
——————-
We will soon try and launch a revolt against SP8M warlords. Prepare yourself.
noname…’try’? Don’t make laugh you moronic Monarchist.
guyfromktm,
It is EPA rule, you have to give it to save your life. No one is going to help you at this moment.
i am with u noname……….we have yet to see a true ‘revolution’ which is in the intrest of the country……n this revolution will b against the SPA( Seven Party Asses) and the maoist bastards………..NEPAL JINDABAAD!
Nepal Maoists set off alarm bells among police officers
By Sudhir K. Singh
Bhopal, July 12: The presence of a liberal number of Nepali Maoists during Monday’s attack in which 24 security personnel were gunned down in the jungles of Uppalpenta-Regadgatta in the Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh has sent alarm bells ringing among police officials in south Bastar. Among those who lost their lives were 16 CRPF men of the 55th battalion and two constables of the district police.
Strangely enough, though the newly appointed Chhattisgarh DGP, Mr Vishwa Ranjan, denied to this newspaper that Maoists from Nepal had had been spotted among the 300-400 Naxalite force, he admitted that there may have been some “Indian Nepalis” among them.
Local media reports had quoted him as saying that though the perceived “outsiders” were fair, the likelihood that they were Nepalis was scant since they lacked Mongoloid features.
Field officers at Bastar, however, not only contradicted the DGP’s statement, but reconfirmed the presence of Nepali Maoists.
In fact, Bastar IG R.K. Vij had specifically told media persons about Monday’s incident.
Bastar police sources argued there was a perfect logicality in the presence of Nepali Maoists in the jungles of Chhattisgarh.
With the Maoists now part of the ruling regime in Nepal, it was safe to assume that most of their fighters trained in militant warfare had been diverted to the Dandakaranya region spread over Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Intelligence reports had confirmed this phenomenon.
Andhra Pradesh remained the only state which the Maoists now consciously skipped in their operational plans.
The police sources said the presence of the Nepali Maoists was worrying on two counts: not only were they better equipped in weapons and other equipment, but also far better trained than their Indian brethren.
Understaffed and undertrained, the state security forces would thus have a tougher time in dealing with them.
New militant recruits were being fed on the propaganda that the Maoist ground forces had enough fire power to take on the Indian Army, if necessary. The claim had been made in propaganda CDs circulated by the Maoist commanders among their training cell.
lakure, I agree with you because I have just experienced it. As long as we don’t belong to any “group” that can potentially turn violent, we will be helpless and these terrorists will continue to reign terror. However, there is one thing we can do– we can start a colelctive campaign agaisnt these communist terrorists. Each one of us who is opposed to the idea of a totalitarian communist state which the Maoist terrosits are trying to establish should come out and write, talk and advocate to vote these communist terrorists out of power during the CA. We need to let them know that we are not to be fooled by their warped idelogies and they cannot continue to bulldoze over us. We count and we will count during the elections– but only if we chose to come out and vote. In the interim, we can each contribute by writing or talking about how these terrorists are trying to establish a totalitarian communist state called People’s republic of Nepal and the weakness of the very corrupt political parties and the confined powerless King will both not be able to stop them. We need to stop them and we need to come out and continue to put pressure on them.
budai pandit you are the most irritating and annoying person to post here, but you do have a point.
The final challange of the Mr. Puppet Sitaula is going to ruin this country further. His challange and action to madhesi people will open the door to separate the terai from Nepal. Before it is too late, Mr. Puppet Sitaula should be kicked out from his post at the earliest. Until and unless this Mr. Puppet Sitaula stays in power, our ethnic crisis is not going to resolved but ignite further and the country will fragment into historic pieces.
I respect views of Harke ko Ba .You are pro and I am con to republican state. Eventhough, I genuenly accept some of angle of your analysis. You are much more acceptable to me. In your latest view only one thing I object. That is I am not against the institution but person could be ! Because of I have visited some republican state and monarcial state by myself.
Bhudai Pundit ! You are terrific on the political science. I hope, one day you will take over position of CK Lal . As I told you I support NC but I do not support Kishor Singh Rathod or Gagan Thapa. But there are some Ideal candidates who are Devraj Chalise or very good ex President Biswa Prakash Sharma. On my student life I never voted for corrupt leader like Rathods and I never like them. I never made comprmise for those idiots. Rest judgement is yours, how I am?
We still need Monarchy but because of stupid Gyanendra he gave some credit to Maoist by himself. If he hasnt done that coup’de tat Monarchial institution could stay for forever.
no name please-sorry to butt in, but can you explain why we still need monarchy?
sorry i was out for sometime.
aseem – i dont understand what point you are trying to make by giving specific examples. and how can you say army was not politicized and police was? I think you’re making a ridiculous assessment because the fact that army was king’s personal army was politicizing it enough. police and rest of administration was politicians and parties playground, just as army was king’s. so no one was holier than the other.
lakure – sont even get me started on the PLA …
guyfromktm,
I feel bad for the situation you are in and I hope things turn out well. This has always been the case in Nepal, it is always who your influences are! And like you said, who can shout the hardest and bring Nepal to a standstill with the bandas and chakka jams! I read the news about the strikes without any major causes. I feel sorry for anyone in nepal who mind their own business and do not belong to any “potentially violent” organization. Looks like it is getting much much more harder for the average non-political Nepali.
usually, i refrain from any contentious debate, but rejoinders to my last comment have been pretty healthy, so i thought i might have a rejoinder too, just to elaborate a little on why no ‘Monarchy as an Institution.’
reading from many posts here and elsewhere, i presume, i can safely lump the public sentiment as: Monarchy is FINE as long as they do a better job, and accept its existence in Nepali lives/politics.
This is where I beg do differ. Beside the relevence/irrelevence of monarchy in solving the present crisis in Nepal, I would like to give an anology, that might be a tad juvenile. But should make my point:
Well, I guess, most of the readers/commentors to my comment must have come off an age, some fine day they will have to chose their life partner, inarguably one of the most important decision of our lives. As a Nepali youth there are two ways to do it.
1. Your parents find a bride/groom for you
2. Or, you find yourself
It’s a very subjective question, which one you go for. And there is no gaurantee that one would work better than the other, or one has advantage over the other. You can be perfectly happy with the bride/groom that your parents find for you, and have a very happy rest of the life. Or find your partner by yourself, happens to be incompatible and miserable rest of your life.
The question is not about the sucess/failure of the marriage. IT IS ABOUT THE METHOD of getting married.
You consider yourself educated, independent, let’s say professionally you make decisions that affects thousands of lives (say finacial analyst, manager, engineers etc. etc.) Wouldn’t you want to have a say when it is a time to make a decision for youself.
so, it boils down to having a liberty/freedom to participate in making decision of events that would essentially affect/alter your life for better or worse. may be, may be there are chances, you would make a wrong decision and be miserable, but the beauty is at BEING ABLE TO HAVE A CONTROL over my fate.
so, individual king might turn out to be a King Solomon, that doesn’t validate the Institution of Monarchy. wouldn’t you want to have a say in making of a leader, yes, sometimes in our case most of the time, leaders we chose are the bad (bad is a mild word) ones (girija/prachanda/makune). But similary King Solomon/Ramchandra don’t validate Institution of Monarchy, the scums like girija/prache/maaachikne don’t invalidate the process of ‘Paticipatory Democracy.’
Beauty is in the PROCESS not in the INDIVIDUAL.
so long!
harke ko ba,
I agree. As you will also see the wisdon in the saying – “People get the leaders they deserve!”
This is why we have voted in the likes of Girija and Makune more than once. Unfortunately in our case the process was UGLY and so were the results and definitely the individuals as well. Sometimes parents know us better then we know ourselves. You could say we had several love marriages followed by several divorces to the same people. But in your defence that is the beauty of being human – to err.
All smartasses and know it alls…………
No f@#king body is asking or demanding or rooting for an ACTIVE monarchy………. Just because I believe that the King should be there does not mean that I want the King to rule like the Prithivi Narayan Shah days and make laws………….
Democracy and loktantra this and that…………. Who in the Nepal has ever talked against the system of Democracy???? Everybody wants democracy……….. Even its odd to compare but the UK also has democracy and in the same time also has Elizabeth as their f@#king Queen……….. I would say no to monarchy if it was an AUTOCRACY …….. but monarchy can live side by side with DEMOCRACY….
“I am not an object to be passed from father to son…………..” blah blah….fk that……. smart arse
replytoall,
lest you took my disdain for vile and platitude tirade, it does’t mean i don’t get into one when dragged into.
i do sense trouble with you, trouble with comprehension, go back and re-read AGAIN what i have written, essentially I’ve said, It’s SUBJECTIVE. I’ve said you have freedom to choose or not choose the monarchy depending upon your opinion/reason. I for one, I wouldn’t, that what I said.
now, if you choose to have monarchy, you should have a good reason for it. just beacuse pale a** brits have democracy and monarchy, so should we doesn’t cut the argument, unless you want to argue like an infantile, like pasupati monkey’s have bright red a** so should you paint yours red too. do better, come up with some substance in your argument, show me that you are a grown up, and i should pay you any attention what you’ve to say. if not don’t even bother replying.
faaking dyslexic, smart RED a**, what a total waste of my time coming to this site, as always…
Monarchy or no monarchy?
I fail to understand the big issue. It is open secret that the SPA, along with the Maoists, made a deal with India and US (in New Delhi) that the institution of monarchy in Nepal will continue and the political parties will get the power. We may like it or dislike it, the monarchy is going to continue. There is nothing anyone can do about it.
The signs are already there. SPA and the Maoists created such a media hype (this blog as well) that privy purse (to the palace) has been done away with. Later, it came to the knowledge that the Finance Minister has allocated more money than previous year, though on different accounting head. Makune made a statement that palace will get the privy purse (it is natural was his statement). The ever thundering Maoists protested but they know that they are helpless in this issue.
Wasting so much of intellectual capability on this blog (and particularly, in this issue) will take us nowhere. It is high time that we give this issue a rest.
Well guys, here comes the debate again. I think we definitely be well off with monarchy out of the picture as the fact that people got nothing from the centuries old institution.The hierarchy,nepotism,disproportionate distribution of power and wealth,ignoring the core problem of poverty and taking people as slaves, nothing good comes out in your mind when you talk about that rotten institution.
But why this debate emerged again?? Why people are talking the Monarchy sequel ?? The answer is very eminent , the 7 parties and the then terrorist coalition failed to deliver any thing positive and people are so frustrated that they have started to sympathize with the almost expired monarchy again. People could not forsee any other force who could at least salvage anything from the current debacle. Otherwise , we have to accept the fact that there were hundreds of thousands of people who chanted slogans agains the monarchy and Gyanendra himself was terrified and gave up the power with some Indian assurance of his his own safety. It’s an irony of Nepalese that even with revolutions after revolutions people are deceived and misleaded and force to go back to resot on the same power block which they so vehemently oppose once. Nepal always lack a strong sightful and visionery leadership who could lead a nation, it’s so unfortunate that we just cannot get rid of the people who are destroying the country most, be it Gyanendra,GPK or Prachanda. Revolutions after revolutions we got the same bunch of incompetent leadership to commit the same mistakes again and again.
There is no doubt that the current leadership including Gyanendra is horribly unpopular and people have just lost any hope from them, I guess if we follow Thailands example there must be some silver lining !!
Harke ko baa,
Who is talking about absolute monarchy here?
All those people who are supporting a ceremonial monarchy, how can you, with the recent history of monarchy in Nepal and it’s strong ties to the military, vouch that they will not become active? What safeguards are there?
Another joke of Prachanda ;
“YCL will inspect the CA election and provide the security”
Kirat,
King or the army can only be active if the political parties fail or sell this country down the drain. I kind of like the idea of political parties being perpertually threatened by the army and the king against failures