The past foretold - Nepali Times

Editorial
The past foretold
If the political parties are terrified of parliamentary elections in 2013, why don't they at least agree to hold local polls and restore accountability to the grassroots?

FROM ISSUE #636 (28 DEC 2012 - 03 JAN 2013) | TABLE OF CONTENTS

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2013 is not going to be much better than 2012 in untangling the political knot in Kathmandu, by the looks of it. The past year was one of missed opportunities, squandered mandates, wasted prospects. It was marred by political brinkmanship, blackmail and reckless identity politics. Greed and corruption maxed out this year, breaking all previous national and international records as coalition kleptocrats ransacked the exchequer, plundered natural resources, and awarded each other massive contracts under the table. With the government itself setting the example, goons extorted, ran protection rackets and crime syndicates that put post-1990 Russia to shame. It is difficult to imagine that the Nepali state can do any worse in 2013, but it looks like we are headed for another 365 days of the same.

It has by now become common knowledge that the reason for this open-ended deadlock is because the two top leaders of the Maoists are circling each other warily, unwilling to give the other an advantage in the forthcoming party convention. The candidacy of the NC's Sushil Koirala was brokered by none other than Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in order to sideline his rival within the party. Prime Minister Bhattarai saw through it and adamantly refused to step down if Koirala was going to replace him. The Madhesi partners in the coalition are cosy in their posts, and also refused to go along.

Seen from this angle, everything else is a distraction: the repeated deadlines by the president for a consensus government, floating the candidacy of a neutral caretaker or civil society stalwart, or even reviving the proposal to revive the CA. President Yadav decided to push ahead with his India visit because he knows fully well that for the formation of a consensus government, there first has to be a consensus within the UCPN (M).

The opposition NC and UML, devoid of any fresh ideas of their own, are in lazy reactive mode. It is not enough anymore to say you stand up for democracy, and against a prime minister with supposedly totalitarian mindset. What is your platform, how are you going to confront a demagogue-in-the-making? C'mon, is Sushil Koirala the best you can come up with?

The question now is whether we are going to allow the nation to be held hostage for another month while we wait around for the Great Duel at the Maoist convention in early February. Even as we analyse the bewildering political convolutions in excruciating detail, the clock ticks towards 2013. By next week it will be too late to schedule elections for May. And that seems to be exactly what the parties are secretly hoping for by prolonging the haggling: to let the poll cut-off date lapse.

If they don't dare face parliamentary elections, one way for the political parties to collectively salvage their reputation is at least to agree on local elections in May. This would kick-start development, restore accountability to district and village units, and reassure the public's faith in government which is at an all time low. Sadly, that is the best we can hope for 2013.

1. K. K. Sharma
Ha ha.. hope again !...... incompetents of yester years, will remain incompetents in coming years.... obvious.

Posted on: 28 DEC 2012 | 5:39 PM NST

2. sunil rai

Its not as bad as you may think, Mr Editor ! There are always elements of surprises. A slap was not enough for Dahal, next he will get a kick in his ass. The Nepali patience is wearing thin, almost worn out, can you guess what can happen if this brewing anger is suddenly released, say in January. If Bhattrai is the obstacle to Nepal's future, then we should wipe him out, a public hanging ,so other commies will then disappear, vanish. Unless the vile communist like Dahal and Bhattrai are destroyed, Nepal has no chance. If Bhattrai had his way, he would sell Nepal to his Indian bosses tomorrow.

So we all better watch out, for the time to punish the evil men of Nepal is drawing near. A new day will dawn soon in Nepal.

Posted on: 29 DEC 2012 | 5:25 AM NST

3. sachin kafle
problem(s) not only lies in political sphere but also in Nepalese society......both shapes and get shaped by each other.....the nosediving moral decadency is the heart of the problem.......

Posted on: 29 DEC 2012 | 7:25 AM NST

4. Sudha Shrestha

What is the common and close bond between Indian and Nepali leaders - the rape of innocent girls and women ! The male dominated societies of India and Nepal must be proud to report the rapes every day in their esteemed newspapers.

For too many years now, in both countries women have been abused daily. How does this happen. I read today that Mr. High and Mighty Bhattrarai, the self proclaimed dictator of Nepal, even refused to accept a petition on behalf of a woman who was raped by govt. employees. My blood is boiling that Nepal has a leader like Bhattrai who himself is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Nepalis.

Nepali male leaders must be forced to have sex ( Raped ) like the poor women are forced. The punishment has to fit the crime. We must come out of the dark ages we live in. The men must be exposed for what they are, they are animals, dogs in particular.

Nirbhaya has died in Singapore ! That is glorious day for Indian leaders. The Nepali woman raped by a cop, what a glorious day for Nepali leaders. As long such vile men are alive, our society will continue to suffer. We must do a better job in choosing our leaders. No more criminals, no more murderers, no more rapists, no more gangsters.

Posted on: 29 DEC 2012 | 11:06 AM NST

5. Must love dogs
#6 what an insult to dogs

Posted on: 29 DEC 2012 | 9:08 PM NST

6. Madhukar Thapa
I hope� the�Nepali Netas are fearful for their very life and existence.I dare our PM, Baburam Bhattarai or our dear leader Pranchanda to come out in a public place on their own without any security or body gurads. These cowardly men, they cannot even face their own people with out fear of being beaten up, how will they solve our problems. For God's sake, Nepalis must understand by now that its our leaders that are the cancer of Nepal and they should cut and thrown away in the trash bin where they belong. If we hang one dirty, corrupted politician, a million Nepalis will benefit. Nepalis cannot tolerate any longer the rape and abuse inflicted on them by the very people they choose to serve and protect them.� You can count the people that are obstructing the growth and future of Nepalis. The top names on this list is BABURAM BHATTARAI� AND PUSHPA KAMAL DAHAL, followed by a Koirala or Gupta or Gachaddhar or Shrestha or Mahato. You know who they are where they live, put them on notice, watch their actions and words and then�give them the treatment they deserve.�Enough is Enough. The time for revenge is here and now.��

Posted on: 29 DEC 2012 | 9:39 PM NST

7. who cares
the common in between nepal and india is bollycrap.

in both country, rapists (usually mentality, attitude, character) are glorified. in india mainly my males and in nepal by females. look closely the attitude of so called heroes in the moveis (in real life too). in india, usually those i see outside the halls are males and in nepal, the followers are females.

how the follower of indian movie whistles when rascals abuses women/heroin or who ever.

and by the way, this is not the problem of present in nepal.... to be frank, this problem has significantly came down after democracy. mandalas/shas used to promote rape/abusing of women (i dont know about the time before that) to keep people in check and to make mandalas/royal army happy. but hardly any body knows that.

during the time of panchyat, it was almost impossible for women to go out of their house.

but what can i say, nepalese have a habit of forgetting past. all they see is present. present is bad.. past was great.. they dont even remember why we kicked out panchyat.. today some think panchyat was better. keep it up, keep on circling just like a dog with his tail on his mouth.

Posted on: 30 DEC 2012 | 10:17 AM NST

8. renu shrestha
I found myself laughing while reading the forecast for Nepali politics in 2013 in this week's editorial. The same things could have been said at the end of 2009, 2010, and 2011: deadlock, parties trying to prolong the transition, the musical chair for the post of prime minister. We haven't really moved forward in any substantial manner in the past five to six years. The new constitution still seems like a far away dream and who knows what is going to happen to the federalism issue. I don't want to sound so pessimistic, but NT could probably rehash this editorial at the end of 2013.

Posted on: 02 JAN 2013 | 4:47 AM NST

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