739 2 - 8 January 2015 20 Page Rs 50
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#739 2 - 8 January 2015 20 page Rs 50 Political laxative needed DIWAKAR CHETTRI othing in Nepali politics is at it appears, one has to read SOME ARE MORE Nbetween the lines of headlines. EQUAL THAN OTHERS So, if it seems like the disagreement about the constitution is intractable The pros and cons of positive you can be sure the argument is discrimination in the new constitution. actually about something else: power sharing after January 22. THE GADFLY This being the case, there is no BY DAVID SEDDON other way PAGE 3 to break the logjam than TASKLESS FORCE to push EDITORIAL PAGE 2 through a constitution draft containing just GREG WILLIS TIME TO GROW UP the points of agreement, leaving the disputed issues for later. Failing that, We have already lost decades in stalled we can allow the opposition to write development, we don’t need messy notes of dissent. And if that doesn’t politics to compound the problem. work either, the parties can extend the StéphaneStépphane Huët exploresexplores term of the CA again with the face- BY THE WAY saving device of forming a government thethe cradle cradleo off KathmanduKathmanduVa Valleylley BY ANURAG ACHARYA of national unity and pledge to finish civilisation and its world class PAGE 15 the job once and for all by early 2015. museum PAGE 16-17 2 EDITORIAL 2 - 8 JANUARY 2015 #739 TASKLESS FORCE he atmosphere inside the Prime Minister’s parlour at passing a new constitution. It is tragic that a document of Baluwatar on 20 December was chilly, and it wasn’t such great importance to the future of this country is held Tjust that the heating wasn’t adequate. The top leaders hostage by the lust for short-term power of a few people at of the Nepali Congress, UML, UCPN(M) and Madhesi Front the helm of this country. who had gathered around did not have their usual smiles, Dahal has made no attempt to hide the fact that he covets and there was no back-slapping. the president’s job. In repeated meetings with NC and UML Chair KP Oli, blunt as always, lashed out at UML leaders he has said: “What’s in it for me?” President Pushpa Kamal Dahal accusing him of being publicly two- Ram Baran Yadav is adamant that the constitution allows faced: sabotaging the constitution writing process while him to continue till the next general election under a new appearing to be working on finding an agreement. “Please constitution. Oli had a pact with Koirala to rotate the prime don’t try to divide the country by dragging it into ethnic ministership. Everyone now seems to be having second conflict, and push an economically unviable federalism,” thoughts about past agreements on power-sharing, but Oli said. PM Koirala used more diplomatic language, but they are trying to mask that by concocting excuses about his advice to Dahal was the same. differences over federalism and form of government in the Dahal got up and abruptly walked out. Outside, he new constitution. accused Oli of trying to be a “maharaja” and two days later There is no doubt that the NC and UML are trying to held a press conference with 30 Madhesi and smaller ethnic- press home the advantage of their combined strength in based parties to announce a street stir and general strikes in the CA. There is some truth in the Maoist argument that the run-up to 22 January against what he said was the NC- the old boys in the NC-UML are status quoists. But no one UML trying to bulldoze a constitution on the basis of their believes anymore that the Maoist-Madhesi agenda is any two-thirds majority in the CA. Even more intriguing, the more inclusive or progressive. They are as opportunistic CPN-M led by the ailing Mohan Baidya which boycotted and greedy as everyone else. elections, and isn’t even in the CA, also announced parallel This being the case, we see no other way to break the strikes for mid-January “in coordination” with Dahal. logjam than to push through on 22 January a constitution Nothing in Nepali politics is at it appears, one has to BILASH RAI draft containing just the points of agreement, leaving the read between the lines of headlines. So, if it seems like the contentious issues for later. Failing that, we can allow the disagreement about how many federal provinces, of what If it’s the top leaders who decide everything opposition to write notes of dissent. After all if the Hindu- kind, and what they should be named looks intractable, right and monarchist RPP-N, whose disagreement with the you can be sure the argument is not about federalism at all in secret, what is the point having a Dialogue NC-UML on the constitution is even more fundamental than but about something else. Indeed, it is not the constitution Committee, a Task Force or even an elected the Maoists, says it can accept a majoritarian constitution, that is holding things up since the NC-UML on the one hand there is no reason why the Maoists can’t. the Maoist-Madhesis on the other had both narrowed down Constituent Assembly? And if that doesn’t work, the alternative is a déjà vu their differences in recent months. scenario from 28 May 2012 when we once again have no As we have been pointing out in this space for months now, president, prime minister and CA chair within one month constitution, and the parties give themselves more time. One the deadlock is actually about the post-constitution power of the promulgation of the new constitution. What no one face-saving device in front of their electorate could be for play. There was an agreement in February 2014 between the foresaw last year was that the politicians would be so selfish Koirala to form a government of national unity and pledge NC and UML about having an election for president, vice- that they would use those positions as bargaining chips for to finish the job once and for all in early 2015. YOUR SAY www.nepalitimes.com CONSTITUTION Adhikari, #738). But a lot changed for to be so myopic, intransigent, and fact that imagination can run free THIS WEEK We need to suggest a mechanism those who were victims of the violence willfully ignoring directives of previous with varying interpretations. In an art to decide what’s right, since two they unleashed. PMs, the Supreme Court orders and show I hosted in New York, Nepalis CA exercises have been futile Hurray all else. After 27 years here, nothing hound the artist to explain the (‘Mixed signals’, Editorial, #738). A surprises me. Nepal has a very long meaning to each of his art in detail. roundtable as argued by escapists Yet another example of the painfully way to go to join the real world of This is sad. Let an empty canvas put is childish. high cost of ‘revolution’. properly administered states and up for display be seen as it is – you, @nepalite Saroj Dhital all the while histrionic voices are the patron (and a free-thinker) don’t raised against Ambassador Andrew need to be cheated off your analysis Absolutely, spot on. The Maoist leaders like Dahal and Sparkes, politicians willfully distorting and have a mass-market produced constitution has to be suitable for Bhattarai are terrorists. They have a lot a simple, straightforward and perfectly explanation forced down your throat. Nepal and Nepalis. Don’t give in of blood on their hands and deserve the reasonable concept enunciated in a Your own rationale trumps any to an individual’s specifi c goal but worst. As long as there are communists letter to the Constituent Assembly. explanation out there (including the rather focus on benefi ts for all in Nepal, Nepalis will always suffer. When the rule of law fails to apply to artist’s). Most liked on Facebook Rakesh Upreti Mahesh government, how on earth can it apply Had vivid fl ash-backs of the (34 likes) to the common man? cover from ‘In Utero’ and the single I like the idea of the doomsday GENDER INEQUALITY M Cotton ‘Rape Me’. Am sure other Nirvana Most shared on Facebook Bringing back archery by Elvin L Shrestha clock and I bet it will work (‘Playing Transplants are heavily skewed in fans may have also have been the shame game’, Marty Logan, favour of men (‘A kidney has no How can the government expect reminded of the song. Most popular on Twitter #738). Now we need some tv station gender’, Binita Dahal, #738). Just NRNs to invest in Nepal when they Karma T Nyangmi A kidney has no gender by Binita Dahal to listen to your idea and implement another product of this patriarchal refrain from giving citizenship to (46 retweets, 32 favourites) it. I don’t think a clock tower in society. their own women? This is downright BOWS AND ARROWS front of BICC will work, our very Casey Seanigar discrimination. Nepali politicians need It’s a great new place for my Most visited online page Forgotten fi ghters by Deepak Adhikari competent and caring leaders would to broaden their aging brains or make daughter to practice shooting (544 views) not let that happen. So, there is gender inequality even space for fresh minds. arrows, but it’s a bit on the costly Anonymous in sharing kidneys. Shiv Bahadur side (‘Bringing back archery’, Elvin Most commented Forgotten fi ghters by Deepak Adhikari Rudra Pangeni Shrestha, #738).