Nepali Times
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
www.nepalitimes.com #148 6 - 12 June 2003 20 pages Rs 25 Speculation is rife about what Editorial p2 Record year of nixed Madhab The Kathmandu Shuffle Kumar Nepal’s record-breaking chances, and political insiders we interviewed The 50th anniversary of the first ascent said it was strong opposition from several of Sagarmatha was a record-breaking The king castles embassies in Kathmandu. “The international year for breaking records on the world’s community just can’t digest a communist KUNDA DIXIT ○○○○○○ highest mountain. Appa Sherpa made ○○○○○ Castling: A special defensive manoeuvre in chess government here, especially one that still calls his 13th ascent (see p5) and said ing Gyanendra’s during which the king and the rook move together. If itself ‘Marxist-Leninst’,” said one source. modestly that he wasn’t trying to break move on Wednesday not followed up properly, it can be a trap. Perhaps sensing this, the UML toned down its any records. Lakpa Gyelu raced to the K to appoint Surya radical anti-monarchist sloganeering, but that summit in under 11 hours, slashing two Bahadur Thapa as prime past. Thapa was a liberal-Pancha who struggled The Maoists have indicated they will talk seems to have come too late. hours off the record set by Pemba minister was sharply criticised to expand prime ministerial powers during an to Thapa, and he may even be tempted to There was also some deft Gyalzen two days before. Lhakpa by those who lost out. But it absolute monarchy. He met stiff resistance agree to constituent assembly elections, which mediation by senior RPP Sherpa became the first woman to fulfilled the main demands of from hardliners in the palace, whom he would be a re-enactment of the 1980 leaders to convince Girija climb Everest three times and took parties agitating against the collectively called Bhumigat Giroha, “The referendum. It was Thapa who delivered a Prasad Koirala that he along her 15-year-old sister Ming Kipa king. On Wednesday, the Underground Gang”. Some of them had multiparty defeat to Naryanhiti on a platter should go along with his who became the youngest climber to king used Article 127 to made a comeback, so this week’s events were then, and he retains some of his crisis old buddy, Surya Bahadur reach the top. Ang Chhring Sherpa of activate Clause 35 which in a sense a settling of scores. management skills. Thapa and abandon his Kantipur became the first Nepali gives the prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa is now a much more But the UML is smarting from alliance with the UML. journalist to reach the top and file a executive powers and powerful prime minister than he ever was four humiliation, and Thapa needs to do a lot of If it is true that there was story. The largest number from a single full authority to times previously. His first order of business fence-mending. The UML’s Subhas family ever to climb Everest were six out diplomatic activity in favour of seven Sherpa brothers from Beding name a cabinet. is to pacify the five-party combine by Nemwang told us: “The king does not of Thapa, then it is also in Dolakha. Two of the brothers have King offering them a face-saving way to call off listen to parties that commanded 190 seats likely that the same forces climbed Everest nine times, the seventh Gyanendra and their agitation. He can dangle juicy cabinet in parliament and chooses someone whose will now try to convince brother turned back from the summit at Surya Bahadur positions or even announce a willingness to party had only 11 members in the house. the parties to join his 8,400m because of high winds. One of Thapa have not seen eye-to-eye in the declare elections. How can we accept that?” interim government. the other brothers is the only Nepali to have climbed K2. Weekly Internet Poll # 88 Q. Do you agree with the student unions targetting private schools? Total votes:1,891 Weekly Internet Poll # 89. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. Who do you think currently best represents the general welfare of the Nepal and Nepalis? Patan Museum Café We are pleased to announce that we have extended the opening hours of the Patan Museum Cafe. From1030 – 1930 hrs For reservations and more information please call 55 26271/ 55 24694 2 EDITORIAL 6 - 12 JUNE 2003 NEPALI TIMES #148 Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL Desk Editor: Trishna Gurung, Design: Kiran Maharjan Webmaster: Bhushan Shilpakar [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki [email protected] Sales: Sudan Bista [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-5543333/ 5523845 Fax: 01-5521013 Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hattiban: 01-5547018/17 Staking claim he appointment of Surya Bahadur Deception is everything THE KATHMANDU SHUFFLE Thapa as the second prime minister T after the October Fourth royal in times of war very time history brings us to a fork on the road, our leaders have this move doesn’t resolve any of the extraordinary capacity to take the wrong turn. We then meander all over the outstanding political issues in the the skin of a fox E place, blundering in the wilderness, to come back to where we started. country. Thapa is leading just another Here we go again. The king, country, parties, and all of us have gone back to shall be my secret suit of armour. October Fourth. Once more we were taken through an excruciating search for a government “of the king, by the king”, prime minister acceptable to all, or at least one against whom no one has any and by implication, “for the king”. - Nietzsche violent objections. No mean feat, considering that last time the only person who Vesting the executive authority in the footed the bill was Mr Caretaker himself, Lokendra Bahadur Chand. new government doesn’t indemnify the any self-respecting individual in Once more we engaged in long debates about the constitutionality, or palace from its future actions. Thapa’s Mandal’s position would have resigned otherwise, of the process. And finally, we have fifth-time premier Surya Bahadur nomination isn’t a political settlement, to save face. But all Mandal did was Thapa. If only he had agreed in October maybe we would have been prevented it’s yet another administrative fiat of an grin and pretend nothing happened. It a lot of national heartburn, and not wasted months experimenting with this activist monarch. The irony is that the isn’t at all surprising that royalty values and that. choice of Thapa was probably thrust the loyalty of such a malleable madhesi. The UML has lost face, and can be expected to pour its fury out on the upon the king, since Thapa isn’t known The half-hour Mandal harangue at streets in the coming days. The Nepali Congress was torn by severe internal to have been too close to King Narayanhiti on Friday evening irritated criticism of Girija Prasad Koirala’s embrace of Madhab Kumar Nepal and will be Gyanendra in the past. Koirala no end, but it’s very unlikely that more subdued. A question mark hangs over the whole peace process. In all probability, Thapa won the Mandal was doing this in the presence of We are back to square one, but not to 4 October 2002. We are back to May race due to what Newsweek senior editor the king and the crown prince all on his 1990, when the first kangresi-communist interim government was formed to Michael Hirsh calls the exercise of own. As a street-smart survivor, Mandal oversee elections after the Peoples’ Movement. In terms of the evolution of American power through the knows how to unfurl his sails in the democracy we have returned 13 years to a time when a new polity was “imperialism of neighbors”. If Nepal’s direction of the prevailing wind. being crafted. imperial neighbour is unable to deliver a As home minister Mandal would The only difference political miracle by way of helping probably have to share part of the today is that the resolve the Maoist insurgency, the king blame for agreeing to confer Nepali euphoria of democracy may once again be tempted to try citizenship on a proportion of is missing, the hope is another of his faithful courtiers, Badri gone— there is just an Bhutanese refugees. But here again, the overwhelming sense of Prasad Mandal. The latter is waiting in responsibility for that historic blunder weariness with this the wings along with other loyalists to is likely to be shouldered by the game of musical chairs pounce upon the failures of a leader seen technocrat foreign minister Narendra in Kathmandu. The to have been imposed from outside. Bikram Shah. entrenched political Unlike the natural buffoonery of parties could do after that was fret and Whatever face the dice of power class, it seems, will go Kuber Sharma or the artifice of Ramesh fume. By rallying the masses in the name may show for the moment, after the around in circles till Nath Pandey, boorishness is not as of the king, Mandal exposed the political charade at the Narayanhiti there are no more intrinsic to Badri Prasad Mandal as it hollowness of their claims of holding Palace last Friday, Mandal may have chairs left. We find appears at first glance. For the shrewd sway in the tarai.