#650 5 - 11 April 2013 20 pages Rs 50 NOW WITH “We must push for June.” BIKRAM RAI In a free-wheeling interview UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Truth and Reconciliation Media: “The media is a bit Dahal spoke to Nepali Times and Himal Khabarpatrika on Thursday Bill: “It meets international confused and some like your about the need for the government and Election Commission to still standards. We Nepalis listen newspaper are a bit prejudiced aim to have elections in June. He defended his commitment to address a bit too much to outsiders. against me and our party.” human rights violations committed during the war through the Truth We have to get out of the habit of seeking international and Reconciliation Commssion and urged Nepalis not to always seek approval for everything we nepalitimes.com foreign approval for domestic issues. He did not rule out eventual do.” unity with the Baidya faction. Full interview in Nepali on Himal Khabarpatrika on Sunday. English Madhes: “I want to contest translation, podcast, and video clips online Elections: “We must push accountable to the people and elections from the Madhes and for elections in June, it is allowed to govern for full five address the grievances of the still possible. If the High years. At present, coalition Tarai and bring all Madhesis Level Political Committee leaders always need money and into the national mainstream. which I chair can convince muscle to stay in power and We can’t treat Madhesis as if the smaller parties, then the have no time to think about they are Indians.” government and the EC can stability and growth.” MURAL solve the technical issues. The Personal inconsistency: “What CITY continuation of the election Baidya: “Today’s meeting of you call inconsistency, I call page 12-13 government will be in doubt if the HLPC decided to invite dynamism and pragmatism. If polls can’t be held in June.” Baidya and Upendra to talk and I were rigid in my belief, we involve them in the committee would be stuck. I can’t just be Executive president proposal: to address their concerns about a locomotive, I have to pull “A leader should be directly elections.” the carriages along.” 2 EDITORIAL 5 - 11 APRIL 2013 #650 TRUTHLESS COMMISSION he Supreme Court’s stay order this week on the The plot was hatched by the Baburam Bhattarai-led establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation The Regmi regime can redeem coalition, which had the most to hide. When he was TCommission, as per the parameters promulgated by itself by announcing local prime minister, Bhattarai promoted army and police the previous government and passed as ordinance by the officers involved in atrocities, he publicly coddled a president, has been welcomed by families of victims as elections in June and a date for Maoist ex-CA member who had been convicted and well as human rights activists. CA elections in November sentenced to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court, It also underlines why many of us have been harping his government’s chief spokesman was another Maoist on the need for an independent judiciary when all other commander implicated in summary execution, and he pillars of democracy have been compromised. This ruling if he wants to redeem his reputation, to immediately do ordered police not to pursue disappearance, murder or is precisely why the separation of powers is so important. three things: a) resign from his chief justice position, torture cases like that of journalist Dekendra Thapa of And it is heartening to see that even when the chief b) announce local elections in June, and c) show the Dailekh. Now, in cahoots with their former enemies, the justice has become the chief executive without resigning four main parties who is boss by setting an irrevocable Maoists are terrified about facing the consequences of from his Supreme Court post, the apex body continues to November date for CA elections. Regmi will have to their terror. fulfil its check and balance role. swallow his pride and show more assertiveness than he No one should be surprised that the Maoists would The whole idea that Truth and Reconciliation could has so far, but we cannot have this bipolar state anymore try to wriggle out of facing any punishment for have been included in a ‘package’ deal on the formation where an election government is a puppet of date-expired the violence and terror they unleashed on the of an election government was absurd to begin with. But political leadership. people. But it is truly tragic that the Nepali such was the desperation on the part of the international The Supreme Court’s stay order was in response to Congress and UML should also join this community with the state of paralysis that its members writ petitions by human rights lawyers challenging its unprincipled stand. looked the other way to fully back an election government provisions for pardon and amnesty even for those found led by the CJ. The four-party cartel willingly sacrificed justice in conflict-era crimes for the sake of political expediency, and exposed a fatal flaw in the whole chief justice project. One could say that is now water under the bridge. One could argue that we now have to make the best of what we have and try to ensure clean and violence-free elections soon. But the reason the process is stuck again (over deciding on the date for elections and bringing the guilty of heinous crimes like smaller parties on board) is because the political parties extra-judicial killings, disappearances, still want to dictate policy when they have collectively torture, and rape. The whole process of lost their moral authority to do so. The cross-party formulating the bill and the passing of the leadership that created the mess is now blaming the ordinance was shrouded in secrecy. Families of Election Commission and the technocratic interim victims were never consulted, human rights groups election council for the delay. did not have a say, and even the National Human It would be advisable for Chairman Khil Raj Regmi, Rights Commission was bypassed. ON THE WEB www.nepalitimes.com OF MAYBE NOT JUNE is no exception. It looks as if the stamina (‘Yak Attack 2013, Tyler of my time. This is nothing but a If the main Nepali political parties government is acting in conjunction Mcmahon’, #649). If this was an demagogic rhetoric every politician THE are really sincere about helping by not promoting photovoltaic cells Olympic sport, Nepal would win gold, comes up with at the time of election O WEEK Khil Raj Regmi conduct elections, as required. But I have a different silver, and bronze. Congratulations to and that will never turn into action. then they must participate despite question regarding the upkeep of the riders and organisers and thanks to She had her chance to do the right What would you do if you won intra-party differences and partisan solar panels. Given that I need to wet Nepali Times for featuring it with such things, didn’t she? Rs 10 million today ? interests (‘Maybe not June’, mop panels every morning to remove prominence. GG Editorial, #649). No one, not even the layer of accumulated dust, how Cyclist the radical Baidya communists is it done - if it is ever done - for so TWEEPLE Fionna Heiton: Invest in quality education and ethnic outfi ts, will benefi t by many at Sundarighat? USHAKALA RAI Your top 10 twitter user list leaves in rural Nepal Anupama Mahat: I would take my parents exaggerating the current situation PV There are no political slogans here, lots to be desired. My list would for a trip just to avoid elections no matter how no grand-standing, no chauvinistic look a lot different. Best 10 Nepali Santosh Banstola: Visit the Seven much they pretend to be pro-people. If 72GW hours of power could be populism, just common sense (‘Where twitter users in terms of content Wonders of the World Make or break generated from just 10 per cent of next?’, Ushakala Rai, #649). I wish and engagement and not name Marc van Leeuwen: Buy an apartment so Kathmandu’s total area, then why not I could have Nepali Times delivered daily Gary Hyslop: Take a trip to Nepal Carter did Nepal a real generate them from home and sell Matt Wittich: Buy a new wardrobe and go disservice in 2008. I hope he has it to NEA or reverse the meter? This on holiday heard and accepted the feedback way we can even solve the energy and learnt his lesson. hunger for industries and offi ces @KC_Prasanna: Count the money to ‘Paul Krugman’ during daytime. see if it’s really 10 Mil. Don’t trust anyone Nir Kr Rai in Nepal ALTERNATIVE ENERGY @blueskysp22: I will return to Nepal Jagan Nath Shrestha can’t hide CAIRN OPTING OUT @impratapthapa: Help street children his frustration when he says ‘I was It’s good that Cairn is not coming @bakhrel1pranav: Start a restaurant and tourism business 10 when I fi rst heard about how soon to Nepal (‘Cairn may give up @ShivaniBasnet: Invest Nepal would sell electricity to India on Nepal’, Mark Williamson, #649) there were many more like Ushakala recognition: @anilbhattarai , @offi cialsudeep: Donate it and become rich. I am now 63 and because when there is no governance in the Janajati community and I wish @sarita_giri , @DeepakAdk, we have 14-hour power cuts daily. and rule of law, multinational there were many more Bahun-Chhetris @KundaDixit, @Svbel, @ How much longer are we going to companies behave badly as we see who see the need for devolution and PrashantKTM, @UjjwalAcharya.