#628 2 - 8 November 2012 16 pages Rs 30 HEAVY RIDE: A mahout takes his elephant on an early morning walk near the Rapti River even as Sauraha is shrouded in thick fog. BIKRAM RAI Not everybody’s cup of tea by Anurag Acharya In the arithmetic of power politics, ignoring the inclusion agenda in Procasti-Nation the Tarai may prove costly for the parties lephants have excellent they said they would use the the Nepali Congress and UML page 11 memory and they never festival season for ‘mind fresh’, which have become parties Eforget. Nepali leaders, on and come up with a consensus. singularly lacking in new the other hand, are notorious for That did not happen either. ideas, Pushpa Kamal Dahal is their forgetfulness and the ease Now they are promising a deal terrified of facing the electorate with which they backtrack on ‘by Tihar’. which is why he wants a promises. The reason there is no deal CA reincarnation by hook or Procrastination and is that no one really wants a by crook, the rump Maoists postponement have become deal. This elastic transition also want a stab at prime Best foot a way of Nepali politics, and benefits everyone: the Baburam ministership but don’t really forward the people tuned off long ago. Bhattarai-led Maoist-Madhesi care how they get there, and the The leaders had promised the coalition is perfectly happy Madhesi parties are comfortable The captain of the Nepali people who elected them that to extend its tenure so it can being sought-after kingmakers. women’s football team is taking they would have a deal to break self-enrich itself on a grand huge strides and driving the game to greater heights the deadlock before the Dasain scale from state coffers, rigor deadline. It didn’t happen. Then mortis seems to have set in on Editorial page 2 page 6-7 2 EDITORIAL 2 - 8 NOVEMBER 2012 #628 “DID THE PRESIDENT CALL?” epal’s political leaders had promised the unlock the deadlock, and kick-start development. people who elected them that they would The NC and UML, plagued by internal rifts haven’t Nhave a deal to break the deadlock before the been able to come up with any new ideas and keep Dasain deadline. It didn’t happen. Then they said repeating ad nauseum their mantra of launching they would use the festival season for ‘mind fresh’, a street agitation if the prime minister doesn’t step and come up with a consensus. Emerging from the down. They’re bluffing because even the royalist holidays burping from excessive indulgence, they sat party can pull more genuine supporters on the streets on sofas at the party tea parties this week promising than their rented crowds. Besides, why should the a deal ‘by Tihar’. Procrastination and postponement Nepali people be called upon repeatedly to descend have become a way of Nepali politics, and the people to the streets to bring down leaders when that should tuned off long ago. be done legitimately through elections? The reason there is no deal is that no one really wants a deal. This elastic transition benefits everyone: For elections we will need a government of the Baburam Bhattarai-led Maoist-Madhesi coalition national unity just so that there is no incumbent is perfectly happy to extend its tenure so it can self- advantage, and it is a level playing field. All the enrich itself on a grand scale from state coffers, rigor parties pay lip service to a consensus government, mortis seems to have set in on the Nepali Congress and what is holding things up is the chicken-or-egg and UML which have become parties singularly BIKASH DWARE conundrum: the prime minister says he won’t step lacking in new ideas, Pushpa Kamal Dahal is down until the opposition comes up with a candidate, terrified of facing the electorate which is why he wants a The reason there is no deal and the opposition wants Bhattarai to step down first. CA reincarnation by hook or by crook, the rump Maoists is that no one really wants a And now they are playing politics again, and using the also want a stab at prime ministership, but don’t really budget ordinance as a bargaining chip. Even Bhattarai’s care how they get there, and the Madhesi parties are deal. This elastic transition international supporters now feel he should step down comfortable being sought-after kingmakers. benefits everyone to pave the way forward. Dahal is flogging a dead horse when he tirelessly If all else fails, President Ram Baran Yadav will have pursues his demand to resurrect the Constituent between them, but they have fallen for Dahal’s argument to act. Like the king in chess, the President’s moves are Assembly. The reason he is obsessed with this option that he will scratch their backs if they scratch his. restricted, but he can (and is allowed to) play a pivotal is because he can gain some momentum on his real goal Besides the technical, legal, and even ethical issues role to remove obstacles during times of prolonged of being an executive president by exploiting identity over CA revival, the most important argument against it national paralysis like this. So far, President Yadav politics, sidelining his party rival Bhattarai, and keeping is that we all know what will happen next: once the CA is has played his cards cautiously. He may now have to elections off the agenda. Few within his party trust revived it can be made to extend its mandate, perpetuate threaten the party leaders that if they can’t come up with Dahal anymore, but the wily Chairman has found strange itself, while five-six men sit in a dark corner and haggle a consensus government, he will have to declare one. bedfellows in NC politicians Sher Bahadur Deuba and endlessly, and futilely, over power. Like Selina Meyer in the sitcom, Veep, the Prime Ram Chandra Poudel to back his resurrection plan. The Which is why there is really no better alternative Minister may have to repeatedly ask his secretary in irony of it all is that Deuba and Poudel have no love lost now than to go for fresh national and local elections to Baluwatar: “Did the President call?” ON THE WEB www.nepalitimes.com PRIVATE WISH FOR fact, Muni’s revelation goes beyond the don’t seem to care and run their Making tourists pay to enter THE PUBLIC GOOD book and undermines and scoffs at most pharmacies like departmental stores. every single site around the Valley This is a superb, hard-hitting existing literature on Nepal’s transition. The situation has become so bad that is a bad idea. Not all tourists are editorial, kudos to the writer for If only one instance of behind-the-door if a particular doctor does not prescribe loaded and having to pay every saying it like it is (‘Private wish for agreement led to such an upheaval, one antibiotics, the patient automatically 100 metres is downright annoying. the public good’, #627). The political can only imagine what mayhem would assumes the doctor is incompetent. Also what kind of message are we class really has to keep its selfi sh be unleashed if many of the clandestine Also people don’t seem to understand sending visitors that we are just after interests on the sidelines and forge agreements between Nepali and Indian that incomplete use and misuse of their money and we will suck them ahead for the greater good of the leaders were made fully public. antibiotics will cost them more money if dry at every corner? A better solution people. But we need more than the Anil they get pneumonia or TB in the future. is to increase the visa fees and give tired old exhortation for consensus Ramprasad foreigners a single ticket that is valid to untangle this deadlock. The It is indeed a great irony that the at all historical sites and museums parties must fi nd points to agree on party which vehemently opposed the PRE-DEPARTURE QUESTIONNAIRE for a month. and move forward while agreeing OHCHR’s recent report on the confl ict, I personally don’t mind paying Mangal to disagree. There may be a need would not comment on Muni’s article. higher entry fees because one for another neutral international More than the report, Muni’s piece has man’s tourist attraction is another’s facilitator (like in 2005) because the potential to derail the peace process. writers like him that leaders think that place of worship and I don’t see an these clowns are never going to be Nidhi they can do whatever they want. He easier way of distinguishing between NOTE: able to fi nd a solution on their own. needs to stop making excuses for the devotees and day-trippers (‘Pre- We invite you to send us pictures Guru Whatever the reasons behind corrupt four party syndicate. departure questionnaire’, Backside, of daily life in Nepal with a brief this book, one thing is for sure: Muni B #627). Having said that, fees can be description- location, subject, If there is anything that is is thoroughly disappointed by the exorbitant (for example in Bhaktapur) and thoughts on the image- keeping Nepal and Nepalis afl oat, it Maoists’ ‘revolutionary spirit’. It must The CA may be dead for those who and often pretty infl exible too. If we are to [email protected]. We has to be Pashupatinath. How else be disheartening to realise his student benefi t from the way things are.