#426 21 - 27 November 2008 16 pages Rs 30 Weekly Internet Poll # 426 Q. How would you assess the government’s first 100 days? Total votes: 4,440 Weekly Internet Poll # 427. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. How do you characterise the rift in the Maoist party? Rising from the ashes he crises are coming thick has been tested to the limits and GOONDADOM: Nearly 2,000 subscriber copies of Himal Khabarpatrikaís and fast for the Maoists in he has proposed a middle path: a latest issue, featuring this exposÈ of the excesses by militant youth wings T government. The peace ‘transitional republic’. Until of various political parties, were destroyed when masked attackers set process is stuck over modalities press time on Thursday it looked fire to them at a distribution point in Maitighar on Sunday night. of army integration, internal like the ‘people’s republic’ ideological rifts have deadlocked wallahs had the numbers. A vote on Wednesday evening. EDITORIAL p2 its party conference and an by the cadre could still be However, the Maoists have Rebels without a cause alliance of other parties is on the over-ruled in the central been put on the defensive because attack over the YCL excesses. committee, but it would put of the discovery this week of the STATE OF THE STATE CK Lal The national conference of moral pressure on the moderates. bodies of two young men, believed Who’s in charge? p3 Maoist cadre to have been held on During a consultation with to have been executed by the YCL Thursday was postponed by a Maoist provincial councils, 12 of in Dhading last month. The PLAIN SPEAKING Prashant Jha day because of a prolonged debate the 13 councils are said to have capital was brought to a standstill Tarai fragments p4 over whether the party should supported the hardliners’ vision in protest on Thursday by an adopt a totalitarian ‘people’s for a ‘people’s republic’. alliance of UML and NC calling Gangs of anarchy p5 republic’ or a ‘democratic “Don’t worry, the party is not itself the Citizens’ Struggle republic’. about to split,” said a visibly Committee. However, the Constitution 2010 p7 Party chairman Pushpa Kamal tired Minister of Peace and protesters also used threats to Maina the movie p12-13 Dahal’s ability to compromise Reconstruction, Janardan Sharma, enforce their strike. Dewan Rai 2 EDITORIAL 21 - 27 NOVEMBER 2008 #426 Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda Dixit CEO: Ashutosh Tiwari Design: Kiran Maharjan Marketing Manager: Sambhu Guragain Asst Manager: Subhash Kumar “Integration is the Subscriptions: 5542535/5542525 Hatiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu 5250333/845 [email protected] Fax: 5251013 www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press 5250017-19 backbone of the peace process” Minister for Peace and What now? Reconstruction, Janardan We hope to hold another meeting very soon. All Sharma, speaks to Nepali Times we need is an atmosphere of trust between the REBELS WITHOUT A CAUSE government and these groups. We will begin about his overtures to Madhesi releasing prisoners through due process. They We tend to ignore alarmist forecasts because we think something militants, army integration and will always come up to avert a future crisis. assured me that violence and destruction would Here in Nepal, we have a head-in-the sand attitude over the the peace process. Translated not solve anything, all they need is proof that the political gridlock because, as in the past two years, something excerpts: government is serious. They are not yet always happens at the last moment to pull us back from the edge. convinced because past agreements have not But statistics contained in the State of the Worldís Population Nepali Times: What was the outcome of your been implemented. They are right, but we have Report 2008 released last week by UNFPA in Kathmandu should meetings with Madhesi militant groups this week? already started the process. Some of the past make politicians all sit up and take notice. Janardan Sharma: We held informal face-to-face talks agreements arenít the purview of the Nepalís current population of 28 million will reach 52 million with all major groups except Goit. We have been government, only the CA can decide on them. by 2050. The population pyramid shows a growing ëyouth bulgeí trying to reach him, and hopefully will get through. We with half the people below 30. Rising female literacy and improved talked with Jwala Singh over the phone and met one How important is PLA integration to the peace child survival rates widening the demographic gap and keeping of his emissaries. We reassured them that the process? population growth rate at above two percent, with the fertility rate government is serious about addressing Madhesi It is the backbone of the peace process. It is as at a still high 3.24. grievances, and the groups I met were positive, they important as the writing of the constitution and It is when you combine these statistics with projections for are committed to the constitution-drafting process and both are directly linked with the peace process. food production, economic growth and job-creation that it gets Nepalís territorial integrity. There are some vested interests that donít want even more frightening. Nepalís food productivity is the lowest in integration and want to derail the process. It is South Asia and is falling due to deficient inputs, fragmentation of What were their main demands? this that is hindering integration. This is a land holdings and out-migration of males. At present, they wanted amnesty for political difficult issue, but not one that is intractable. The war set development back by decades, investors fled and prisoners and their security before negotiations. I One just needs to follow the clauses in the havenít come back. There hasnít been any new employment believe these are reasonable demands. We have comprehensive peace accord. generation, and an estimated two million young Nepalis are requested them to discuss it in their central jobless. In the next ten years, 500,000 new people will be entering committee and come up with a decision on how to go Will the NC join the integration committee? the job market every year. Not all will make it to the Gulf. about it. If they can decide independently, they will The NC is just trying to get some practice being All this can only mean one thing: social unrest and political come to the dialogue table. Various factions have in opposition. We gave up the post of instability. It is hard to find a more convincing case for working started uniting and this is a positive sign and will coordinator, even though logically it should go to together politically to chart out expedite talks. the peace minister. The committee will start its emergency measures for decentralised business, and there are some in the NC who job creation, boosting food production What is the mechanism under want the party to join the committee. But and ensuring investment and economic which they can participate in integration is not just about merging the two growth. constitution writing? armies, we have to see it as a part of wider Instead, we just hear more speeches I canít tell you that. security sector reforms. We have to redefine our and lip service. Itís not that the political security strategy and terms of reference of the parties donít see the writing on the wall, But couldnít that be a security agencies and their chain of command. but their response has been to control stumbling block? The PLA is a guerrilla army, and the national the youth by setting up militant groups The major task ahead is army needs guerrilla capability. The Nepal Army like the YCL and YF to keep young to write a constitution and has a long history of professionalism, but was cadres under control and use them to build a new Nepal. They also feudal. So we are talking about an arm-twist opponents. want a new constitution integrated army that has the best of both. This has unleashed anarchy across where the rights of the country. In the past three months Madhesi people is There have been delays in setting up the there have been 30 armed clashes guaranteed. The issues of commissions on disappearance and truth and between the YCL and YF and other inclusiveness and reconciliation. ethnic-based militancies. Factories, bus proportional The cabinet endorsed the draft law on setting up companies, hotels, schools, hospitals, representation in all the disappearance commission on Wednesday, cable car operators, casinos have all government level are now we will start work on truth and fallen victim. On Sunday night, arsonists the common issues reconciliation. Without finding out the truth there attacked our sister publication, Himal of all political can be no reconciliation, and we are committed Khabarpatrika, and disrupted the parties. We have to this process. The commissions on civil distribution of an issue that carried an promised the voice service reform and land reform are also on the expose of young militant groups. of Madhesi people way. These rebels are without a cause. will be heard. There Nepalís rulers need the political will to is representation of Looks like there is serious disagreement within understand the demographic transition the Madhesi people your party. we are going through, and together plan in the CA, and they Itís not as serious as reported in the media, to avert it and be prepared for its socio- told me that they there are issues that will be decided by the political consequences.