#303 23 - 29 June 2006 16 pages Rs 30 SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME: Pushpa Kamal Dahal with his wife, Sita Poudel, flies the national flag in Home Minister Krishna Sitaula's official car as he arrives in Kathmandu airport last Friday for talks. KIRAN PANDAY Weekly Internet Poll # 303 Q... Describe how you feel about the current political situation. Total votes: 4,361 Sneak preview Businesses are spooked by what they have seen so far of Maoists above ground Weekly Internet Poll # 304. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q... Do you think the seven party alliance ast week’s pact between the “The situation is very bad for Himalayan Snacks and Gorkha has given in too much to Maoist demands? seven parties and the us,” says Rajendra Khetan of the Brewery units in Chitwan. More delay L Maoists revived hopes for Confederation of Nepali Gurung, who is also a member After gender rights groups went on durable peace but recent hardline Industries (CNI) which organised of the Maoist negotiating team, warpath because of the absence of remarks by Maoist leaders has a conference on Tuesday to which tried to assuage businessmen at women in the commission set up to dampened the mood in the the head of the Maoist’s the CNI meet by saying he was for draft up an interim constitution, the business community. Economic Department, Deb capital accumulation. UML also decided it didn’t have a representative and has demanded The rebel comrades have been Gurung, was invited. “Development and prosperity will a slot. using their first month above Businessmen at the meet not happen without The wrangling has meant that a ground to make contradictory accused the Maoists of inciting industrialisation week has gone by after the Maoist- and often extremist statements. workers to make unrealistic salary and wealth Editorial p2 parties pact and there is only one The government on the other and benefit demands. Maoist- creation,” he said. more week for a draft interim Give us reason constitution to be ready. Even the hand sounds disunited, confused affiliated trade unions are But his to trust you Maoists agree that is not possible. and weak. Because the Maoists competing with mainstream separate remarks Although it will be a cut-and-paste job have better soundbytes, the media unions to be more populist, and in interviews in newspapers on (throwing out everything from the 1990 has given the comrades wide play. this has promoted unions land reform and nationalisation constitution that doesn’t tally with Although the people have affiliated to the NC and UML to have not gone down well (See p7). parliamentary proclamations last month) the parties want the cautiously welcomed all this as a also make even more radical The conference also heard Arjun commission to take its time. sign that peace is at hand, the demands so they don’t lose Narsingh KC of the NC and Bam The delay means an interim statements have spooked Nepal’s members. Deb Gautam of the UML who, government is at least a month away, beleaguered businesses. Dozens of factories have aside from asking businesses to if not more. Parliament still exists, Industrialists have serious closed in Kathmandu, Chitwan, “be patient” and wait for the and its various committees have been busy electing chairmen this week. concerns about the lack of Hetauda, Birganj and Biratnagar political issues to be sorted out, Since the budget can’t wait for the support from both the Maoists and businesses accuse the had no immediate concrete ideas start of the fiscal year, Finance and the seven parties in response government of inaction. “How can about reopening industries. Minister Ram Sharan Mahat is to the mass closure of factories we go on like this?” asks Khetan presenting an interim budget on 7 July. due to escalating labour disputes. who has shut down his Full story p5 2 EDITORIAL 23 - 29 JUNE 2006 #303 Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Desk Editor: Marty Logan Design: Kiran Maharjan Web: Bhushan Shilpakar Vicepresident Corporate Affairs: Sneh Sayami Advertising: Sambhu Guragain [email protected] Subscription: [email protected] Hatiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur [email protected], GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu Tel: 5543333-6, Fax: 5521013 Why, Wewhen have to move beyond quick and fixes to strategic restructuringhow? of the state www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 5547018 epal’s resurrected visible and measurable capacity. fuel prices. The past witnessed HY SHOULD WE TRUST YOU parliament must For example, the declaration attempts at winning political W ? Ncomplement its stipulated of a secular state could have favour by artificially deflating There is a lot riding on last week’s peace pact between the seven objectives with milestones, fared better with full disclosure the price of fuel. Funds to be parties and the Maoists. targets, timelines and in terms, acceptable to both the spent on repairing vandalised If it paves the way to a new Nepal we will see prosperity and comprehensive roadmaps that Hindu majority as well the infrastructure could be saved by development. If it fails, it will be a return to a vicious war which this outline both costs and benefits. multitude of religious outlining the rationale behind time will be a fight to the finish. The overarching goal should ethnicities. For what reason was why national fuel prices must Kathmandu’s social circuit is abuzz with talk of “Munich”, the secularisation of Nepal a “appeasement” and snide references to “peace in our time”. There be heightened public awareness mirror world prices. A simple yet is a perception that the government gave too much away and didn’t that sets a precedent of informed priority? Was the move apt explanation of the magnitude get enough in return. decision-making through designed to demonstrate that and timing of what is sure to To be sure, it does appear as if it is the government that is accurate and timely information. armed insurrection need not be a come, could alleviate politically doling out all the concessions: release of Maoist prisoners, lifting requisite to progressive change? motivated civil unrest. the terrorist tag, dissolution of the house, agreement on an interim Was it enacted to emancipate This rationale applies equally GUEST COLUMN constitution. And the alliance hasn’t even managed to get a public downtrodden constituencies and Dipta Shah to the on-going negotiations with commitment from the Maoists to renounce violence or agree on a enhance social equality? Was it a the Maoists, elections to a timetable for demobilisation. symbolic extension of the constituent assembly, Bhutani But seen from their side, after April the Maoists were beginning Balancing the alleviation of roadmap to permanently refugees and ethnic to feel redundant. Parliament, through a series of proclamations, street anger with discrete, disempower the status of the discrimination. Surely, this had passed most of the demands that the rebels had foght for ten royal institution? Was it all of years to achieve. The comrades felt they were deliberately left out achievable objectives is not an government knows the varied of a seat at the banquet table. easy task. The recently initiated the above? social and political agenda from In a sense, the Maoists can be seen to have made the biggest peace talks bring another Having declared Nepal a which it derives its legitimacy? climbdown of all: a stated commitment to re-enter mainstream dimension of complexity. With secular state, what are the Empowering people through competitive politics. In doing so, the leadership has taken a big an indeterminate time-frame and practical implications of this accurate and timely information risk: not of being marginalised by the parties or decimated by the a mandate partially derived from change? Is the list of public is crucial to democratic military, but of sparking a revolt within their revolution. a constitution that is practically holidays to be expanded to governance and to the perceived It’s a tight rope walk for Pushpa Kamal Dahal as he tries to sell nullified, the current government include Ramadan and success of this resurrected his plan out west this week: to balance his stated desire to join the is challenged with placating the Christmas? Will Hindu parliament. The more mainstream and get his hothead commanders to agree. So when he general public, an irate civil holidays be limited to Dasain information that is shared with talks tough, the target audience is his own rank and file. society, an armed insurgent and Tihar? Will law dictate a the public on what is Even so, the Maoists haven’t given the parties and the public holiday scheme that permits a much reason to trust them. Wildly contradictory statements (“we’re group and its own constituent realistically possible (versus preparing for an October Revolution”), inflammatory and parties. In the meantime, the fixed number of days off, ideally attainable), in what time- irresponsible threats (“if we come government must also continue irrespective of religions frame and through what mode of to power we will ban the NC”) to deliver on a full range of affiliation? What is the timeline operation, the more measured and a refusal to atone for past governance functions that for such changes to go into public frustration is likely to be. arocities don’t help engender includes the maintenance of effect? Given the context of recent confidence that the rebel law and order. Is the deletion of ‘royal’ from political transformations, the leadership is serious about Much like a private enterprise the army where the intended sympathy of the population-at- reaching a negotiated settlement. undergoing an organisational reform ends or will it be large will likely remain with this The bottom line here is that the overhaul, the measure of success supplemented by a systematic government for some time, but Maoists can’t be part of an interim for this government will be the revitalisation of the military? If not indefinitely.