Interim Monarchy, Interim Army, Interim Parliament

Interim Monarchy, Interim Army, Interim Parliament, Interim Government, Interim Local Governments, Interim Constitution, Interim Judiciary

Global Voices Online: Nepal: Another Round Of Talks

A constituent assembly is what we have agreed upon. That assembly will draw Nepal's next constitution. The state will be fundamentally restructured. And so when we are talking of interim arrangements, we are paying our respects to the constituent assembly.

All organs of state power are interim because the country is headed for a constituent assembly. Only the people have the power to reshape and make them permanent.

I don't think a lot of people appreciate how big this thing going on in Nepal really is. This is one for world history. This is of global import.

What happened in April was magic.

If eight million people from all towns and villages had come out into the streets over a period of 19 days in China, which has a population of 1.3 billion people, that would have been remarkable. But Nepal is 27 million.

The April Revolution is not there yet, but it might as well go down into history as one of world history's three or four big revolutions.

Not So Fast, Indian Communists
Nepal As A Cutting Edge Democracy

There are clear parallels between the acts of the revived House in Nepal and that of the parliament born out of the French Revolution. The monarchys is being chipped away without any bloodshed, without any street agitation.

Revolution Has Moved From Sadak To Sansad, It Has Not Stopped
Nepal Communist Party (Progressive)

Nepal, for the first time in its history, can hope to have a global foreign policy.

April Revolution, April Convention
Exporting Revolution

The April Revolution might as well launch the Asian Century. That is how much is at stake for the constituent assembly. The assembly's responsibility is to give Nepal a constitution that would turn it into the number one democracy on the planet, nothing less.

Politicians all across the spectrum in Nepal have fed on western writers, be that Marx or Jefferson. It is time to push the envelope, to think outside the box. It is okay for Nepal to take the lead on democracy, to do something new that no other democracy might have done before.

The constituent assembly elections have to feel like one big festival. The day people turn out to vote has to feel bigger than the April Revolution itself. The eight parties have to agree on things they agree on, like free speech, and then take the entire country to class on that one. Where they might disagree, the people will decide.

The election campaign has to be a happy feeling for all involved.

I am optimistic with the way things are going, although I wish things were going a little faster. But the democratic process that hopes to be inclusive and listens to all concerned will by definition be slow. And that is okay.

A New Nepal Has Been Born

What happened in April surprised everyone involved. That is the magic of it.

I got to meet Senator Tom Daschle the evening before. I thanked him for the trip he made to Nepal. I told him it made a huge difference. And he said misty-eyed, "That country is very special to me."

Tom Daschle

Nepal gives hope to the Nepalis in Nepal. Nepal gives hope to the Nepali diaspora. Nepal also gives hope to progressives everywhere, including in America. And it is because of the April Revolution. Something really big happened in Nepal that month.

The people who came out into the streets deserve to feel good about it for as long as they live.

And so when we have minor hiccups during the peace process, we have to let our minds be flooded with our memories of the April Revolution, and all the chips will fall in place. That is how powerful the April Revolution is.

Something holy happened. Something amazing happened.

My friend Robert Mayer puts it well at his blog. See below. Publius Pundit.

On The Web

Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Nepal: April Revolution and ...
Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Nepal Revolution: Victory
United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal - We Blog For Peace And ...
United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal - We Blog For Peace And ...
Democracy For Nepal (DFN): April Revolution: Document Every Atrocity
Democracy For Nepal (DFN): 18 Days Of April Revolution: Victory
Publius Pundit - Blogging the democratic revolution This is a major victory for the people of Nepal! They went on a planned national strike exactly 19 days ago. Day by day it grew stronger until everything had shut down. They had surrounded Kathmandu in the hundreds of thousands, blocking the “ring road” highway that circles it, but prevented from marching on the palace by security forces. However, today was supposed to be different. After the King earlier failed to meet their demands, they planned to march in the millions, storm past the security forces, and overrun the palace. If the King hadn’t begun acting like a king soon, he probably would have been killed. ........ In the year that I have covered Nepal, from the dissolution of parliament until the April Revolution, I have never failed to be impressed. The Orange Revolution may have filled the streets of Kiev for weeks on end, but in Nepal the entire country shut down completely. That they were able to organize so quickly, in such large numbers, in a country much more impoverished than Ukraine, is very impressive. Then again, it wasn’t exactly velvet either. ...... The joyous atmosphere that the April Revolution was missing all along will finally be there. ......... The only reason this revolution lasted so long was because of the army’s loyalty to the King and lack of control by civilian forces.
Scoop: Has Nepal’s Orange-Revolution Begun?
Namaste and Welcome to Radio Dovaan
Nepal: Maoists join interim government
Nepal: Mass Upsurge Against the King
Nepal: Moving towards Colour revolution? Is it too late for ...
Democracy from below: a grassroots revolution in Nepal Anuj Mishra ...
NEPAL - YES, THE SECOND REVOLUTION (17 mai 2007)
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Nepal protesters storm into city
The Revolution in Nepal
Hobson's Choice: Revolution in Nepal-1
Publius Pundit - Blogging the democratic revolution
Scoop: Is Nepal’s Revolution Squeezing King Into Exile ?
A genuine revolution under way in Nepal -DAWN - International ...
BBC NEWS | South Asia | People's movement defines Nepal
Nepal king besieged by strikes, protests
RCP-OC | Revolution in Nepal
Jeroen goes Hungary » Report from a revolution
Madhesi - United We Stand » 2006 » July » 16
eXile - Issue #237 - Let's Go Revolution Trekking: Letter from ...
Samudaya.org: More than just cosmetic, please...
Nepal: "light at end of tunnel" —for tribal peoples too? | World ...
Burningman : The Revolution is here in Nepal
Saswat Blog » Nepal: Ode to Revolution!
AR-WACC Online Forum Archive: FW: People's Revolution in Nepal
Nepal king faces growing revolution
Print Article - The Revolution in Nepal
ZNet |South Asia | Angels and Demons in the People's Movement in Nepal
Nepal: State wide Agitation-End Game?
Nepal: The end of the line for the King
AR-WACC Online Forum Archive: FW: People's Revolution in Nepal
Nepal Civil War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Li Onesto | Articles written by Li Onesto
Nepal: This is No Rah-Rah Revolt
Mass uprising in Nepal forces king to grant concessions [S&L Magazine]
PHALANO.com » General Strike ‘Day 9′
2006 democracy movement in Nepal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ComingAnarchy.com » Blog Archive » Coming Anarchy in Nepal?
ZNet Commentary: Nepal on the Verge of Bastille
News Nepal: Revolution sets the agenda---webchautari.com
Democracy Forum: Americana: The First Major Revolution Of The 21st ...
RevolutionaryLeft.com -> Photos from the Revolution in Nepal
The Head Heeb: Next step in Nepal
The earth moves under Nepal / Fed up citizens fight for democracy ...
NEPAL: REVOLUTION GROWS, BUT SLOWLY, AS KING HANGS ONTO POWER
TIME.com: On Scene: A Revolution in Nepal? -- Page 1
NPR : King, Opponents Still Sparring in Nepal
Amazon.com: Living Martyrs: Individuals and Revolution in Nepal ...
briarpatch magazine » 2006 » April
The Smirking Chimp - Maoists to join Nepal government : BBC 6/16
HIMAL SOUTHASIAN | March - April 2006
Revolution in Nepal
Pickled Politics » Democracy comes to Nepal
Burningman : April 2006
Tehelka - The People's Paper
Inside The Nepalese Revolution
Nepal King Agrees to Reinstate Parliament, But Future Is Unclear ...
The Continuing Revolution and US Intervention in Nepal
American Chronicle: KING OF NEPAL BOWED BEFORE PEOPLE'S POWER ...
spiked | Nepal: now that's what I call democratisation
Nepal: King retreats. as does opposition leaders
Inside The Nepalese Revolution
Doctors for Democracy: Health Professionals in the Nepal ...
People triumph in Nepal
Mass Mobilizations in Nepal Force the King to Yield
After April 2 - Google Video
After April 3 - Google Video
Nepal: revolution at crossroads|29Apr06|Socialist Worker
The revolt in Nepal
Nepal : The Americans are leaving, State Department stays on
Nepal: India should keep hard options in reserve
Harvard International Review Blog » The Implications of Protest in ...
AllRefer.com - Nepal - The Return of the King | Nepalese ...
Which way forward toward democracy? Mass uprising in Nepal forces ...
Nepal's Rebels Now Face Difficult Choices
[Alternatives] : The Triumph of the People