665 19 - 25 July 2013 20 Pages Rs 50
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#665 19 - 25 July 2013 20 pages Rs 50 THE ELECTION MIRAGE PEDAL epal’s political leaders should take some time off to study the findings from recent A FEDERATION POWER Npolls. Although disillusionment and OF FACTIONS apathy run high, the people haven’t yet given up INSIDE OUT on them. But they don’t want any more empty promises and slogans. Increasing number of BY MUMA RAM KHANAL Nepalis think federalism may not be so bad, but A new fortnightly column by a majority doesn’t want provinces to be named former Maoist central member after ethnicities. They will vote for the party looks at the Plenum starting that think is best placed to provide them jobs, Friday that seeks to end education, healthcare, and development. the bitter power struggle between Baburam Bhattarai Young Nepali riders are not just bagging prizes and Pushpa Kamal Dahal. in local races, but doing well internationally too. BACK TO THE PEOPLE Paraplegics ride hand bicycles along the old trans- EDITORIAL PAGE 2 PAGE 3 Himalayan trade route to raise money for charity. PAGE 7-9 WATER BABIES: A young boy from Tikathali, Lalitpur swims in the Godavari river to beat the humidity on Wednesday. BIKRAM RAI 2 EDITORIAL 19 - 25 JULY 2013 #665 BACK TO THE PEOPLE e have often written in this space in favour of ethnicity-based federalism is about the widespread public still low (17 per cent) with more than half Wsense of disappointment with supporting North-South federal units. leaders who have repeatedly squandered The responses seem to corroborate opportunities to come up with political the findings of The Citizen Survey 2013 compromises necessary to extricate the carried out nationwide in April-May by country from the morass they got us into. International IDEA as well as the results And now, a party-less government that of the Himalmedia Nationwide Public itself is in life support, seems to be having Opinion Poll 2013. private doubts about November polls. The IDEA Citizen Survey showed that But contrary to what we wrote last 69 per cent of Nepalis said they hadn’t week, there seems to be a stirring of yet made up their minds about who they interest among Nepalis about elections. would vote for. Half the respondents were It must be a desperate attempt to cling to confused or did not understand concepts straws that the proportion of people not like federalism, but among those who interested in voting has gone down in did, support for it has risen to 73 per cent the weekly Himalamedia Bazar Poll (See with a majority wanting as few provinces Page 18). The tracking poll carried out as possible. Interestingly, nearly 7 out of every week in 12 urban centres around every 10 respondents said they will vote the country and supported by The Asia along party lines and not along ethnic Foundation, shows that only 22 per cent or communal ones, and more (45 per of the 363 respondents last week were cent) said they would vote for women in the Don’t Know/Won’t Say category, candidates. compared to more than 26 per cent a Nepal’s political leaders should look month ago. DIWAKAR CHETTRI at these poll findings and take lessons. Asked who among the current crop The people haven’t yet given up on them, of top leaders they trust the most, Sushil Koirala of the The good news from public although disillusionment is high. They do not want NC has increased his lead to 13.5 per cent, compared to opinion polls is that Nepalis slogans and extraneous issues to cloud the elections. 12.7. UCPN (M) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has also haven’t given up on the parties, They think federalism is ok, but not by demarcating climbed one point to 8.8 per cent to put him on second provinces along ethnic lines. spot. Baburam Bhattarai, on the other hand, has dropped but they will not vote for crooks The political parties would do well to re-invent from 9.1 per cent to 8.3 per cent in the past month. The and liars from the past themselves, have more women candidates, and not pro-monarchist Kamal Thapa of the RPP-N has nearly field the crooks and liars of the past. The people don’t doubled his rating from 3.6 percent to 6.6 per cent. But Interestingly, the acceptance of federalism among want any more promises, they don’t want speeches. the other leaders, including most Madhesi ones, are all urban respondents appears to be going up steadily in the They will vote for the party that they think is best below 2.5 per cent. past four months from 46 per cent to 56 per cent. Those placed to provide them jobs, education, healthcare, and development. ON THE WEB www.nepalitimes.com OF WAR BECOMES A MEMORY that have not healed’, #664). Thousands There are vast ideological differences It’s interesting to see how differently of rape and violence cases have not between political parties and leaders THE the three former combatants react to even been reported, so we can only and they are all undecided about the O WEEK questions about the confl ict (‘When imagine what the actual numbers are blueprint that will take Nepal ahead. I like. The state, politicians, and human think the most sensible option now is What do you like the most about war becomes a memory’, Amir monsoon ? Joshi, #664). One is still stuck in his rights NGOs should have made justice to draw up fi ve provinces, ask experts revolutionary past, the other regrets for women a non-negotiable issue to write the constitution, and then his past, and the third one (now in during the peace process, but they promulgate it through the CA. Assem Shamsher Rana: The rain the army) wants to forget his past failed collectively. Even the discourse on Phurpa Tamang Bhichhyan Rai: Less loadshedding and start fresh. These three men justice for victims of war often leaves out Dirgha Raj Karki: The word monsoon represent Nepal in a microcosm. this section of the population. BREAKING UP AND MAKING UP Johan De Meyere: The sudden end of it Now the question is how do we bring Meera R There is no such thing as consensual Sandeep Sharma: Monsoon in Pokhara these diverse values and philosophies politics, it has been invented to deceive Sharad Duwal: The rawness it brings Sudeep Manandhar: Raincoat together and move ahead from our Women are and will continue to the Nepali public (‘Breaking up and bloody past? be the worst victims of armed violence making up’, Anurag Acharya, #664). Ashish Sharma: Greenery Masayo Kiyoto: Inconvenience JB leaders did follow communist ideology across the world and usually they are Consensual politics is impractical, of wanting to bring equality. But their Abhusan Nepali: Jamal ma rafting also the last ones to receive justice. undemocratic, and unhealthy and Andy Collins: Leeches We are probably the only country selfi shness and greed took over and the When (and if) we ever set up a truth the media and politicians alike have Prashant Shrestha : Smiling people in the world where armies of former result is clear for everyone to see. Now and reconciliation commission, women milked this word for their benefi t for Shova Gurung: Everything enemies were peacefully integrated the insurgency has turned into a bitter like Purna Maya need to be a priority. far too long. How can 30 odd parties Neeta Dongol: Falling asleep and this is a fact all Nepalis should memory for the thousands who fought Let’s not squander the commission in with different philosophies come to a be proud of. However, seven years and sacrifi ced their lives on the frontline declaring more ‘martyrs’. consensus in a democratic system? If This week’s Question: after the peace process Nepal’s future as well as those who were killed, Renu Shrestha everyone one had similar views and What do you do to kill time during is as uncertain as ever and it’s not wounded, widowed, and orphaned in the no one disagreed, it would be like a loadshedding? surprising that those who fought the name of revolution. ELECTION SOLUTION partyless panchayat system. Go to www.facebook.com/nepalitimes or war as well as ordinary citizens are Tashi Lama How many more years is Nepal going B www.twitter.com/nepalitimes to respond. growing increasingly disillusioned with to waste declaring election dates and the ‘revolutionary’ leaders who had The choice to be a part of the discussing possibilities, only to have it The last time I arrived, I swear the promised so much. violent confl ict lies solely with the postponed at the last hour (‘The election taxi was the same one I got into in 1983 Nepal we talk a lot about promoting Nistha P former combatants and they need to solution’, Editorial, #664)? Is this not because it had holes in the fl oor then. mother tongues and trying to preserve be responsible for their actions. There getting too tiring? Sometimes I fail to Teresa Green languages like Kusunda with just only It’s sad that people like Jaya is no point blaming others by saying: ‘I understand why and how Nepalis still one speaker and yet we proudly post Bahadur Nyasur (pic, above), who was lied to, I was misled, I was used.’ tolerate all this nonsense. TALKING TAMIL news about how these children are fought for a cause they believed in, You reap what you sow, I have no pity Julia The story about children of Nepali forgetting Nepali.