#402 30 May - 5 June 2008 16 pages Rs 30 Weekly Internet Poll # 402 Q. How confident are you that a republic will be declared on 28 May? Total votes: 6,360 Weekly Internet Poll # 402. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. Are you proud to be a Nepali? MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA 2 EDITORIAL 30 MAY - 5 JUNE 2008 #402 Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda Dixit CEO: Ashutosh Tiwari Design: Kiran Maharjan Director Sales and Marketing: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Marketing Manager: Sambhu Guragain Asst Managers: Deepak Sangraula, Subhash Kumar, Tanka Sitaula th Subscriptions: Nawaraj Guragain Tel: 5542535/5542525 Hatiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur [email protected] GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu 5250333/845, Fax: 5251013 www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 5250017-19 May the 28 Wednesday was the easy part ith their knack for has been wise. In our “lazy of the political class against the HE PUBLIC’S REPUBLIC making the simple revolution” the monarchy monarchy. Hridayesh Tripathi’s T W complicated, continued its twilight existence intervention on the absence of If anyone wanted a glimpse of the New Nepal, it could be seen Baluwatar politicians should two years after the People’s federalism in one of the points of inside the Sagarmatha Hall of the convention centre this week on turn into Bollywood script- Movement, and this step-by-step the resolution had the danger of the fresh and diverse faces of assembly members. They represent writers. Nothing but a nail-biting clipping of the king’s wings gave veering the debate in another our transition parliament and the drafters of a new constitution over climax with the audience gripped the Nepali people time to cope direction. But he made his point the next two years. by fearful anticipation, will do with the demise of an institution and sat down. That we have come this far to formally declare Nepal a federal democratic republic through elections and not bloodshed will go for our netas. that was integral to the country. The MJF went with the into the annals of world history as a model of conflict The South Asian knack for The official republic is stronger republic. Upendra Yadav has transformation and political evolution. Despite the delays and leaving critical issues for the last because we have been trained to active royalist ties, which he has mismanagement, the old guard have brought us to this point and minute is ingrained in all of us, live under an ad-hoc republic tapped for political support and they deserve thanks. Now, its time to pass on the baton to a but Nepal’s political class since 2006. funding. But the election results, younger generation of elected representatives, the women and Whether we liked it or not, MJF’s publicly republican stance, members of minority communities. TARAI EYE the monarchy was in a weak, and the CA vote show that The road ahead is not easy. Declaring Nepal a republic will not narrow, hill-centric way, a marker Upendra used the king and Prashant Jha make our woes go away overnight. The first task for the assembly of national unity for many. The dumped him instead of allowing is to institutionalise the gains of the past 70 years of democratic institution manufactured an the king to use him. struggle. This will require procedures for the conduct of assembly gambled with history on association with Hinduism. And The possibility of a sessions to be of international standards. Work of expert committees apart, the right of every member to be heard should be Wednesday night. A the Hindu king, in some ways, conservative backlash by active honoured and the party whip should be limited to voting. constitutional impasse seemed a provided a fragile bond between royalists is remote. What is more Once the chair and deputy are named, the formation of possibility. Fortunately, the Pahad and the Tarai. This likely is that Hindutva forces committees and their composition will be critical to the success of contentious issues were pushed explains the ambivalent and will stoke religious emotions, the constitution drafting process. It’s encouraging that the for later and the country was relatively sympathetic particularly in the Tarai. There is assembly reflects Nepal’s diversity, but it must maintain cohesion declared a republic 12 hours relationship of the Madhes with a fear in the plains that a secular to deliver results. Committees to draft laws related to fundamental behind schedule. the monarchy. republic, with no Hindu king to freedoms, the system of governance, civilian control over the army There was a jarring note in the Of course, the monarchy had take care of Hindu interests, will and bases of provincial autonomy will have to be led by competent otherwise sober session: the become a symbol of divisiveness mean rampant cow slaughter. lawmakers with deep understanding of Nepali realities, not unnecessary rendition of Indian rather than unity in recent years. Nepal’s politicians have not populists playing to the galleries. speaker Somnath Chatterjee’s As political consciousness grew, reached out to allay As a legislature, the assembly will have to immediately start work on the budget when the new finance minister takes charge. letter. Yes India is a special people realised Narayanhiti was misconceptions and clarify that a The new government will crash head-on into a food-fuel crisis as neighbour, yes they supported the fountain of several levels of republic will not be anti-Hindu. soon as it comes to power. With the republican dream realised, the our peace process. But why was discrimination and oppression. Hindu groups will play on people will want more from their elected leaders than slogans. there any need to read out a note And Gyanendra turned out to be this fear. They will need to feel tangible improvement in their lives. from an Indian functionary on a the biggest republican. Nepal Fortunately, these groups Assembly members will have to help sustain and support the historic Nepali occasion? Who obviously did not need the king have barely any organisational weakened instruments of the executive so that development took that decision, and why? for national unity. strength, no strong leaders, and delivery catches up with lost time. Wednesday’s brinkmanship But Wednesday’s move has negligible mass support. But if Unlike the restless populace of volatile new democracies, may have appeared dangerous, made the nation-building process there is rising discontent against Nepali voters showed their fortitude last month. But our politicians but the gradualist abolition of the more urgent. The constituent the Maoist-led government, and have the habit of cutting the tree on which they sit. They will now monarchy over the past two years assembly has to create a common if the tension in Madhes have to show accountability and patience as the constitution sense of citizenship, based on continues with added inter- drafting process drags on inclusive political principles, religious and inter-caste through two years. rights and civic duties. It was not conflicts, the Hindu right will Our raucous civil society only the monarchy that ended on capitalise on it. They held a and edgy media will do well not 28 May, the idea of subjecthood meeting in Balrampur in UP last to be too harsh on the assembly and ethnicity-centred citizenship month and are trying to members, most of whom are collapsed as well. Over the next reorganise and re-strategise. new to the ways of electoral two years, a more territorial, Given the political consensus politics. For the sake of the political and inclusive idea across parties and across regions, Nepali people, the new of who a Nepali is has to the republic is here to stay. government should also be be consolidated. Wednesday was the easy part. given a chance to deliver. The representatives of the The real challenge of constitution Madhes voted along with the rest writing begins now. SAM KANG LI More interesting times Looks like we are cursed not to live through dull days hen Prime Minister Girija Koirala the morning. It would have saved the newly- bringing the 240-year old Shah dynasty to October in 2002 and finally 1 February 2005 finally arrived at the Constituent elected members unnecessary fatigue and an abrupt and ignoble end. Much of it is well were milestones in the slide of the Shah W Assembly on Wednesday, night had the embarrassment of the diplomatic corps deserved. However, it was probably the dynasty into political oblivion. Gyanendra fallen. He ignored the Nepal Army’s guard ridiculing “the Nepali way of doing things at misadventures of the then Royal Nepal signed the death warrant of the monarchy of honour that had waited around all day in the last hour” in the visitor’s balcony. Army that ultimately helped bring down the day he acquiesced to the army’s New Baneswor. Early on Wednesday morning, Maoist the monarchy. request to fracture and sideline the NC. Koirala must have been sore at the way negotiators were the only ones to arrive at Even from the sidelines, it was clear The army’s strategists see the NC as negotiations had drifted at Baluwatar all Baluwatar fully prepared. With an eye on from day one of Gyanendra’s reign that the the biggest obstacle in finishing the job of day. With his own cabinet colleagues and the post of an executive president, the army would hold sway over all affairs of the militarisation of governance in Nepal. If senior party functionaries dealing directly Maoists insisted that the change in interim state. The moves of consolidation of power it’s necessary to prop up Maoists to constitution must accept their party that began to unfold within a month of his achieve that aim in the short term, so be it.