Responsibility Free Government

- Dwarika Pd. Shrestha©

The day was Sunday, the 7^th day of Falgun, 2068 B.S. or 19^th of February, 2012 A.D. the Democracy Day (D-day). Nearly seven decades ago, Nepal’s only Democratic Party, the Nepali Congress had contributed a lot to introduce the Democracy or the Parliamentary Democracy in the country under the Nepali Congress led by late B.P. Koirala. Thus the 7^th of Falgun was highly valued politically and the Day was observed in a form of National festival too with the trumpet being played at very dawn of the day from the top of the Bhimsen Tower to help awaken people in the system. That was used to celebrate officially and nationally with demonstrations of different Governmental activities, costumes and different events related with different culture, tradition, caste and community that were available in the country and many more. But, all of those scenes and events were remained simply in the memory of the Nepali people. Neither the Trumpet was played at the very dawn of the day from top of the Bhimsen Tower nor any other event and parade was organized to celebrate the Day. The7^th of Falgun, 2068 B.S. remained simply in memory of the people due to the present Government’s more time being consumed by an issue of integration of army and the like.

A friend of mine asked a gentleman in a restaurant that how did he observed the D-day this year. He said that he was on queue of LPG gas line with empty gas cylinder from 8 A. M. to 11:30 A.M. He went to Gas station for petrol after his morning meal at 1:p.m. and got fill up the tank of his bike after two hours. In fact, he didn’t see any special program too on this day. The parade ground (Tundikhel) was open and clean though the military pavilion or Sainik Manch was left decorated to some extent with a few ribbons and festoons, he commented.

The news media next day came up with the headlines like the political party leaders slammed the Government for ignoring the D-day. Many party leaders and the members of the Constituent Assembly (C.A.) had expressed their diversity about the issue in different meetings and programmes. Again, the Government and the staff of Public Enterprises had a comfortable day on the 7^th of Falgun because their offices were remained close as ritual during the D-day.

The new change:

After a new political change took place in 2063 B.S. the largest party in the Constituent Assembly (C.A.), the United Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist (UCPN-M) had declared the system in the country as the Federal Republican Democracy. The country is still lacking its own statute. The 601 member CA formed four years ago for 2-year period through an election in public poll and the nomination of political parties to write the main statute of the country have completely forgotten their assigned job. The statute drafting date is still postponed. Therefore, what the system the country is going to adopt, is yet to know. The missing of observing the D-day indicated that the Government is not adopting the Democratic system in the country. The obvious fact was that ‘No Democracy means, Federal Republican Democratic System was a mere imagination without base’. It was surprising to know that how come the political fighters for Democracy (with different ideologies) could ignore the Democracy day that used to be observed since a few decades last.ª

Restructuring the country:

Despite that the prime duty related with the statute writing and the peace processing in the country has yet to be started with even at the end of the 4th year, the expiration of the due and date of the service of CA members has become big concern to them. Because, more the time and date of the CA service was prolonged, more the income of big amount of money as a salary and incentives will be processed on to them for a comfortable life style in the Capital. So the CA members want neither to go for the assigned job nor the life of CA be terminated. The given life for the CA was 2 years only. Now it’s running at the last quarter of the 4^th year.

In this context with a view of establishing the Federalism in the country, the big parties are in mood to create more provinces in the country like in India and in the USA. After a two month long discussions the State Restructuring Committee (SRC) of CA has formed two committees on the basis of majority members committee and minority members committee. Very recently the Maoist-Madhesi majority member committee has submitted the 11-province model report, whereas the minority member committee submitted the 6-province model report to establish the Federation in the country.

The proposed 11-province report has come with the 11 provinces like: Limbuwan, Kirant, Tamsaling, Newa, Narayani, Tammuwan, Magrat, Karnali, Madhesh-Mithila Bhojpur, Madhesh-Abadh Tharuwan and Dalit. The special area for Dalit is not shown in their map. Similarly the Minority Group has proposed a report of 6-province report. The authenticity to name the provinces is bestowed to the Province Management Body itself. Wonderful fact is that, none of the group so far has yet to come up to any certain point where the group could prove their respective report justifiable to the country and the people. The country, according to the present geographical and political division is divided into five Development Regions, 14 Zones and 75 districts. Majority of the people and the political activists as well agree that the Government could manage the present division properly, that would be the best. Yet a long and time consuming discussion between the political leaders and the people is awaited.

Development:

Development is, of course, the main concern of each and every people or party at any time in any country. The infrastructure development is taken as the prime point to start with the Development. The road in Kathmandu streets has become very narrow these days, because it has to be plied on by more than 400,000 cars and heavy vehicles and more than 600,000 two wheelers almost daily. The strength of the streets that was built about four decade ago has remained constant. Thus the ‘Traffic Jam’ is very much obvious. A Government officer on car from Chabahil has to come out from his house an hour earlier to the schedule of reaching to his office at Singh Durbar, hardly 6 kilometer far away. In this context the new Government has begun a mission of lunching road widening program. Though, it is not equipped with any proper planning and subsidies. The road widening programme was as old as 30 years at least. But since the proper economic planning and financial support had not been managed, it couldn’t have been launched. The present Government has become less concerned with these problems. She has started the work with a short time effort, in which the issue of compensations, subsidies and proper planning were negligible one. Since it consumes lot of time and brain exercise, they don’t have time to spare for it. They chalk out the name of area and the place to widen the road in the previous Friday evening and start demolishing the private buildings or other structure of the area from very early Saturday morning in a short notice basis. No one has time neither to ask nor to deal with the compensation nor any sort of alternate planning as a substitution to the sufferer. People some time venture to ask that why the Government has taken the action so promptly? They are answered that many time the President or the Prime Minister had to delay their flight while going to foreign country for a visit due to ‘Traffic Jam’. It seemed that they should be carried out by helicopter up to the Airport. The ‘Traffic Jam’ has become an unavoidable problem now.

The road in Kathmandu is very hazardous. The walk ways are full of dust and pebbles. Neither the drive ways have been extended nor have the dismantled walk ways been made up as expected. The dismantling task is yet to be discontinued. No body knows the when and where about of the road widening program is conducted. There will be no notice previously. Watch out the Bulldozer may come at any time, any day to hit your house, especially on Saturday.

CAMs lose credibility:

The CA members, either elected in the public poll or selected by the party boss with a faith that they together could fulfill the purpose of the Constituent Assembly (CA) within the given time of two years was found false. The main task of CA is to complete the statute writing within the given time of 2-yr period. It was a belief of the people that all the CA members should be equally qualified, experienced and well read. But many of them were simply a fake one.

Many of the CA members (CAMs) had their best exercise in selling the red passports during their 4-yr stay in the CA and earn big ransom of money within a couple of nights. The red passport, approved with all sorts of Government and diplomatic facilities are given to the senior officers working in an Executive, Judiciary and the Legislative bodies of the Government. The CA members are regarded as law makers thus the red passport has become one of the incentives they are given. Consequently, more than 10 law makers have missed their rank and file after they were proved guilty from the Supreme Court. But again there are still some strong muscles of the Largest Party in CA, like Messrs Agni Sapkota, Prabhu Shah, Bal Krishna Dhungel and few more, whom though the Supreme Court has accused and sentenced murderer in different cases, are still working as law makers. In the meantime, the Government is going to propose new money laundering bills very soon to make the illegal money and the properties earned during the decade last legal.

Corrupted Ministers:

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has convicted Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta, the sitting Minister of Information and Communication on corruption charge and sentenced for one and half year jail and fined Rs. 8.4 million. The security police took him to prison at Dillibazar, Kathmandu a couple of days ago. The term of his minister ship was terminated automatically. Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai need not to have any official botheration to suspend or save him. This way, the Dillibazar Jail has now become a house for 3 political leaders. Shyam Sundar Gupta, the sitting law maker till a few weeks ago was also sent to Dilibazar prison on February 17. Mr. Gupta, a sitting law maker and a former minister was proceeded to Jail by District Court on charge of abducting Pawan Kumar Sanghai, a business man with a view of making a good amount of money within a couple nights. He was under police custody for a couple of months last. Similarly the Jail also has given shelter to another veteran politician Chiranjivi Wagle, a leader of the Nepali Congress on charge of corruption since last year. All these 3 jail birds have become ministers for many times in the country earlier.

Conclusion:

The CA is now at the last stake. Its terms were terminated three times earlier. In all the three times the Supreme Court blessed the CA to survive 6 months more each. Three months ago it was terminated in its 4^th time. Again they appealed for more extension. The Supreme Court granted them to exist for the last 6-month life. As per the verdict of the Supreme Court given to the CA that was the last chance they got. So no more expectation could be done. The SC is very rigid now at its verdict.

There are hardly 3 months to go now to complete the last extension. The CA has many things to do to begin with the statute writing. The CA members, including Prime Minister Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai, the leader of the largest party Prachanda, Mr. Subash Nemang, the speaker of the House, also a well known lawyer previously are found busy to get registered their petition in the SC to extend the date of the CA for six months more and so on. But the SC is denying accepting the petition. The political Tug-of-war like this between the Legislative Body and the Judiciary is going on. The CA has also threatened the Judges to impeach if their petition was not entertained and granted an extension. The issue has become now the talk of the town. Wait and watch was the only temporary solution to experience the change on the affairs.

Tailpiece:

There are many accused defaulters in the Constituent Assembly. They are found clean in the House though the defaulters laundering bills have not been proposed yet. Police are always in search of them to arrest, but the defaulters in other hand, are neither absent in the CA meetings nor in other functions, their photo blocks are appeared in the news print but never got into the police catch.

X – X – X

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© Mr. Shrestha is a senior Journalist.

 After the new political change took place, the country has been ruled by 4 sets of the Government so far, all known as Care taker Governments. Mr. Puspa Kamal Dahal – Prachanda, the leader of UCPN-M led the first set of the Government for 9 months as the Prime Minister. The 2^nd set was led by Mr. Madhav Km. Nepal, the leader of UML for more than 18 months, the 3^rd set was led by Mr. Jhala Nath Khanal, the leader of UML again for more than 9 months and the 4^th set is being led by Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai, the second leader of UCPN-M as a PM again on its 5^th month.

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Dillydallying II

Who Talks Politics…?

 Constitution or without Constitution

 -Dwarika Pd. Shrestha

Revival of Constituent Assembly, Public poll, Completion of Peace Process, Issuing full-fledged budget, Ordinance/s, Round Table Meeting and the like are some more agendas to buy more time again.

The 14^th day of Jestha, 2069 B.S. and 27^th of May, 2012 A.D. accordingly, the very valuable Sunday passed by, but the expected out come from the Constitution Assembly (CA) could not be materialized. The long awaited draft of new constitution for Federal Democratic system did not appear. People were shocked. The political champions- specially the big chieftain/s of all big political parties participating in the CA including Mr. Puspa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda, the leader of the largest party and few more non-elected leaders , like Madhav Kumar Nepal staying outside CA were completely failure. They ate and lived in a luxurious life all through four years time at the cost worth more than 10 arabs (10 billions) of rupees, that could help establish some good large scale industries in the country providing employment for more than 60,000 people or construct a long Highway connecting many parts of the Country. It would be surprising to know how the ex-CA members and the special big liars, leading the large political parties in CA could digest that heavy amount of money. They know, all the money were raised from the commoners and lent from different friendly countries.

Again dillydallying:

Despite the 15^th of Jestha remained calm, quite and peaceful, many events like political demonstration/s, caricature of chieftains, interactions, interviews of the shameless chieftains of the political parties were demonstrated on the street and appeared in many of the electric and the print medias. Many stories and reports made public tried to convince the people that the failure of Constituent Assembly caused simply by non-cooperation among different political party members in CA. That had not damaged the value of the people’s verdict and votes, the reports indicated. In another hand, the failure of the CA in its assigned job projected the CA members and other related ones like cheaters or louse that socked the National resources like blood from human body. The people had given them only 2yrs. time to accomplish the assignment. But they extended their term by two years more on their own and were successful to sock the blood of Nepali people for 4 years continuously with all dillydallying clues and ideas.

Political dilemma:

Political condition of the country at present is very much in transitional period. After the CA was declared terminated, the country is surviving neither for any condition nor for any compulsion. There is no constitution, no parliament, and no law and order. Since the running Government kept protecting some of the accused murderer as law makers in CA past, people were of the thought that there was no law in the State at present. The termination of CA also caused termination of each and every CA member automatically as an elected representatives of the Legislature. So Babu Ram Bhattarai’s term also was no more. Thus the running Government under his Premiership carries neither constitutional nor legal values. The present Government was declared as a CareTaker only. Mr. Bhattarai, in other hand has become very shrewd to cash out the situation of no constitution and no parliament in the state. He is surviving. No body knows, how long?    

The recent political transition was found due to lame political exercise of the present self-centered leaders of different political parties. If the sincere scribe was not wrong, the transitional period of politics in Nepal had begun more than two decades ago. The transition stage caused simply due to high command of the self –centered leader/s of the then political party in power. Some of them tried to become like George Bush, the junior of the USA whereas, the other tried to be a billionaire. An electronic media said that the UCPN Maoist of Nepal was known as the richest political party in Asia at present. 

Whither Prachanda?

Though Prachanda or Puspa Kamal Dahal tried his best with several dillydallying logics and ideas, Mohan Vaidya, one of the three Vice Presidents of original UCPN Maoist took away more than half of its strength to form the new NCP, Maoist party in his leadership. Prachanda was blamed as dishonest and feigned leader to the Party.  Prachanda along with Babu Ram Bhattarai and Narayan Kazi Shrestha, both Vice Presidents of the UCPN-Maoist and sitting Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister respectively are still with the original Maoist Party. Yet NK Shrestha has reportedly formed some new group, which is yet to make public. Similarly, Bhattarai, the Prime Minister hardly listen to his original leader and like to stay in power although he was advised to step down by him.  Bhattarai turned down his advice. Prachanda thus was turned voiceless at present. His interact to the public was virtually nil. Does Prachanda still deserve continue the leadership in the party? That’s a question the people think of at present but also difficult to make any comment, that was too early.

 Who Talks Politics …?

The political scenario after the failure of the Constituent Assembly (CA) has changed completely. On top of that, the big parties have been fractioned in to two. The Unified Nepal Communist Party UCPN Maoist, former largest  party in CA was divided into two. Mr. Mohan Vaidya, one of the former Vice-Presidents of UCPN-Maoist led the new Maoist party named as NCP, Maoist. Mr. Puspa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda remained as the President of the UCPN Maoist. Similarly, Madhise Forum also divided in to two. Mr. Bijaya Gachhedar led old one and Mr. Sarad Bhandari led the newly formed party of the Forum. The second largest party, Nepali Congress in CA, was virtually fractioned was reportedly merged. So the political scenario at present was different. The changed scenario was neither healthy for any party nor the people nor that’s healthy for the system they (the political parties) wanted to establish in the country after 1963 revolution. That had been very much individualistic and help defend the self-interest of the leader in power. They do not hate even to protect any illegal elements and the activities if the event as well as the actor was in favour of them and support their every illegal activities. Like it was said, ‘the Politics is a dirty game.’ Dirty politics was a result of dirty vision, dirty program and dirty activities. Will Nepal be free of dirty tricks soon?

The End