Wednesday, January 09, 2013

A Tough Balancing Act


Britain And Dailekh

Girija Koirala should have set up a Truth And Reconciliation Commission soon after he came to power in 2006. He did not. That was a grave mistake. BRB should have done so by now. He has not. This is a mistake, on his part, and that of the broader political establishment. South Africa is a great example of how a Truth And Reconciliation Commission is needed to heal a country.

Sujata Is Making Sense

Sujata says NC ready to join Bhattarai govt
Sujata said, “Koirala was not interested to become prime minister but the party decided to file his candidacy for the same after CPN-UML mounted pressure on the Nepali Congress. .... She said her party and the Unified CPN-Maoist should come together to bail the country out of the current crisis. She insisted that the NC should join the incumbent government with the home ministry’s portfolio in its share as earlier proposed by UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. .... CPN-Maoist Secretary Dev Prasad Gurung said the president must revive the CA if the parties failed to reach consensus.
Congress and UCPN-M should bail out the country jointly
Ms. Sujata prefers to join BRB regime, Karan's idea prevails
She claimed that her party president Sushil Koirala was ready to withdraw his prime ministerial candidacy. “Under intense pressure from the United Marxist Leninist Party, Sushil da said yes to forwarding his candidacy,” said Sujata .... Sujata also opined that the Nepali Congress should immediately become a part of the present government led by Baburam Bhattarai. “Prachanda Ji has already offered home ministry for Nepali Congress. We should immediately accept the offer and join the government,” she opined. ..... “There is no alternative than unity between Nepali Congress and Unified Maoists to resolve the present political stalemate.”
Break three party syndicate to end deadlock, opines Upendra

She is making a ton of sense. The NC getting the Home Ministry is proportionate to its political weight. Most important, it would break the political impasse. Perhaps Sujata should be that Home Minister.

She speaks in the spirit of the late Girija Koirala. This is the spirit of the 12 point agreement of 2005 and the broader peace process.

NC Opting For CA Revival Would Be Great

That would be a great Plan B. Deuba and Paudel are making a ton of sense.

Opposition leaders mull options to break impasse
alternative plans on breaking the impasse .... Groups of leaders within the NC and CPN-UML have lately argued that it is high time the opposition alliance led by the NC and CPN-UML came up with some alternative plans as Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai was benefiting from the opposition´s firm stance in favor of Sushil Koirala´s candidacy and their lack of alternative options. ..... "Leaders have lately realized the need for an alternative plan. It is palpable in opposition parties but no one is ready to speak out within the NC and other parties as well" ..... Some leaders believe that the NC may choose to stand for revival of the dissolved Constituent Assembly (CA) instead of seeking yet another prime ministerial candidate because former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and party´s Vice-President Ram Chandra Paudel are still for seeking political solutions by reinstating the elected body. ...... If the party came to a conclusion that the chances of party president becoming prime minister is slim, the party is likely to go for CA revival instead of seeking another prime ministerial candidate .... "It is the NC that should look for alternatives. UML and other opposition parties can´t do it at first because they can´t break their promise"
The State Of Nepali Politics: A Diagram
How To Revive The Constituent Assembly
Federalism And CA Revival
10 States
In A Revived Constituent Assembly
To Revive Or Not To Revive
Reviving The Constituent Assembly For Good
Reviving The Constituent Assembly

Ordinance on inclusion to be forwarded to Prez
Ruling Madhes-based parties have long been exerting pressure on the prime minister for forwarding the ordinance. .... the government has decided to provide one blanket to each of the poor households affected by cold wave across Tarai region
Policy stability is a key to hydropower development: WB
The World Bank has also pinpointed the weaknesses of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) - the state-owned regulator of hydropower in the country. "NEA has a conflict of interest,” the paper states, adding, “NEA is both a generator in the market, a developer and the manager of the market.” .... suggests the government to break this situation by establishing separate agencies for generation, transmission and distribution of hydropower in the country
Extortion creates terror in business sector
"Extortion targeted at businesspeople have gone up significantly, resembling the situation during Maoist insurgency. It is the result of gross failure of the government to maintian law and order situation," said Suraj Vaidya, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) .... at a time when the CPN-Maoist has ramped up donation drive ahead of its 7th convention scheduled to begin on Wednesday ..... Pashupati Murarka, vice president of the FNCCI, also said extortion has emerged as a major obstacle to doing business in the country...... "We have lost hopes as we did during the Maoist conflict when we were haplessly falling victims to extortion," said Murarka. ..... the private sector had anticipated changes to bring into operation Vishakhapatnam port and additional transit routes for overseas trade.
PM dissatisfied at Thapa's murderers arrest
Addressing a function in the capital on Tuesday, Prime Minister Bhattarai said the Maoist cadres were arrested at the “backing” of “so-called” human rights activists. The prime minister claimed that the murder accused were not arrested under instructions from the government. .... “They have been arrested at the backing of human rights activists against the spirit of Comprehensive Peace Accord,” he said. “There is no involvement of the state in their arrest.” .... Prime Minister Bhattarai also said that the arrest of Thapa´s murderers had posed difficulties for the government as an ordinance on Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Disappearance Commission are awaiting endorsement at President´s Office for the past several months


सहमतिको निम्ति राष्ट्रपतिको 'दबाब' जारी
शुक्रवारबाट निर्वाचन आयोग पदाधिकारीविहिन हुँदैछ; त्यस्ले आगामी बैशाख वा जेठमा चुनाव गर्ने संभावना टारी दिने बताइँदै छ। दलहरुको सहमतिको रटान पटक्कै फलदायी नभएको बेला यसै साता सत्तारुढ दलहरुको गठबन्धनले संविधानसभा पुनर्स्थापना गर्नुपर्ने निष्कर्ष निकालेको थियो।
'समावेशी' विधेयक मन्त्रिपरिषदबाट पारित विधेयकमा खाली भएका पदहरुमध्ये ४८ प्रतिशत आरक्षण कोटाबाट र ५२ प्रतिशत खुला प्रतिस्पर्धाबाट भर्ना गर्ने प्रस्ताव गरिएको छ। Police under pressure to release Thapa's murderers
“Officers investigating into the case have been warned of dire consequences if they continue investigation into the case.”
Two to plead not guilty in Delhi gang-rape case: lawyer

Prez consults fringe party leaders on impasse
Prez holds talks with legal experts
President Yadav had also inquired about the issue of CA revival, one of the proposals floated by the UCPN (Maoist) to end the present political deadlock
Prez role a borderline between Koirala, Deuba
Sher Bahadur Deuba and his camp hold that President Yadav cannot appoint a new prime minister without a broader consensus among the parties. ..... Deuba and his loyalists believe that any move by the President to remove the current government arbitrarily will invite a confrontation in the country. ..... Koirala, his deputy Ram Chandra Poudel and supporters are publicly urging the head of state to provide an outlet by appointing a new PM...... Deuba and his aides say the President cannot appoint a majority prime minister based on the Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution, as there is no parliament at present. “It is the duty of the political parties to select a prime ministerial candidate. Without a broader consensus among them, the president cannot appoint a new prime minister,” said NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi, close to Deuba. “The President is not responsible for the delay in forming a new government. A political deal has remained elusive due to the irresponsibility of the parties,” he said.
Dash for peace
there have been speculations about whether the hardline party, the CPN-Maoist, will once again decide to take up arms or opt for an urban insurrection..... The CPN-Maoist is holding its first general convention on January 9, where the party is expected to decide on its next strategy to “complete the revolution.” ..... The debate within the CPN-Maoist is focussed on whether to prepare for another “People’s War”, as advocated by party Secretary Netra Bikram Chand, or to choose the path of a “people’s revolt,” as advocated by Party Chairman Mohan Baidya and Vice-chairman CP Gajurel, as well as senior leader Dev Gurung. ...... The CPN-Maoist is frustrated by what it sees as compromises the Maoists made since the 2006 agreement, and by the lack of progress in the socio-economic transformations envisioned in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. These frustrations are shared by a large swathe of the Nepali population. The state’s institutions continue to be in the iron-grip of an establishment that is reluctant to change.
Prez should oust govt: Mahat
Mahat said that the president should even go out of the constitutional paradigms, if needed be, to get rid of the current government.
Col arrest no intervention on sovereignty: Rights activists
Rights activists Subodh Pyakurel, Charan Prasai, Govinda Bandi and Hari Phuyal explained the application of universal jurisdiction, arguing that the UK's decision came on the heels of a deteriorating human rights situation in Nepal and the refusal of Nepali officials to prosecute conflict-era cases. ..... Lawyer Bandi claimed that Friday's arrest of five district-level Maoist leaders over the murder of journalist Dekendra Thapa in Dailekh, was a 'natural' consequence of pressure generated by Col Lama's arrest. Activists also said the handover of Nepal Army Maj Niranjan Basnet, who faces an arrest warrant for the murder of Maina Sunuwar, to a civilian court would help improve Nepal's image in the international community. ..... Rights defenders have urged the government to ensure that a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and a Commission for the Disappeared is immediately formed and that they meet international standards. Laws should not provide amnesty in serious cases of human rights violations, they said. Bandi claimed that the UK might extradite Lama to Nepal only if the government can ensure that he will be held accountable under domestic laws...... international rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) welcomed Col Lama's arrest, saying that the decision was an indication of the UK's readiness to comply with its international obligations to combat torture. The step could be an important one for victims suffering from the Nepali justice system, the organisation said in a statement.
‘President should name PM candidate’ Leaders now brainstorm ‘neutral’ govt
The idea of a non-partisan government , first publicly floated by UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has now been taken up by PM Bhattarai, who seems dead-set against a government led by NC President Sushil Koirala. ... At least two names have come up to head the neutral government —former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana and civil society leader and former Finance Minister Devendra Raj Pandey. Both Dhungana and Pandey are not currently affiliated with any political party and are active members of the Campaign for Peace and Democracy, a loose civil society forum. .... PM Bhattarai has personally backed Pandey for the prime minister’s post .... President Ram Baran Yadav is reportedly supportive of the neutral government idea .... If the President were to make a choice at this point, he would opt for a sitting or former chief justice to head the civilian government , sources close to President Yadav told the Post.
Assad to make rare speech as Syrian rebels draw nearer
Since Assad's last public comments, in November, rebels have strengthened their hold on swathes of territory across northern Syria, launched an offensive in the central province of Hama and endured weeks of bombardment by Assad's forces trying to dislodge them from Damascus's outer neighborhoods..... NATO is sending U.S. and European Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries to the Turkish-Syrian border. ....... Syria and allies Russia and Iran say the deployments could spark an eventual military action by the Western alliance
पारसले साढे ३४ लाख तिरे नेतृत्व हस्तान्तरणबारे विवाद जारी
बैशाख ३० गते निर्वाचन गर्ने, प्रत्यक्ष २४०, समानुपातिक २४० र विशिष्ट व्यक्ति ११ गरी ४९१ सदस्यीय संसद बनाउने, सत्य निरुपण र वेपत्ता छानविन आयोग बनाउने र संविधान संशोधनको प्रक्रिया चारवटै प्रमुख राजनीतिक समुह सम्बद्ध वकिलहरु राखेर संशोधन प्रक्रिया निश्चित गर्ने र अन्तिममा राष्ट्रपतिबाट बाधा अडकाउ फुकाउ प्रयोग गर्ने सातबुँदे सहमति बनेको थियो। .... एमाले अध्यक्ष खनाल भन्छन्, "सरकारमा हामी पृथ्वी पल्टे पनि जाँदैनौं, पृथ्वी पनि पल्टिन्न हामी पनि जान्नौं।"
Prez concerned over vacant EC posts
UML leader Oli calls on Prez Yadav
Prez not to lose composure
Upedra Yadav stresses on prez intervention
President Dr. Yadav has no alternative to sacking the current Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and forming the election government led by a neutral person, said Forum Nepal leader Yadav.
Narayankaji discusses CA revival with Nepal
"We can promulgate new constitution, form a new government under Congress leadership based on the five-point agreement [reached just ahead of CA´s demise in May last year] and prepare ground for new parliamentary election within six months" .... the deadlock is deepening and the chances of holding new CA election by mid-May was becoming unlikely with the ruling and opposition parties hardening their respective positions.
Prez gives five more days, parties hopeless
India gang-rape victim's friend recounts attack
CA poll in May not happening: Dahal
UCPN (M), NC condemn NA Colonel's arrest in UK
प्रधानमन्त्रीको प्रस्ताव विपक्षीद्वारा अस्वीकार
फोरम नेपालमा फर्किइन् करिमा
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