I agree with Daniel Lak's remarks in 'So far so good.' (#143) on the current role of political parties in our kingdom. Whether directly or indirectly, they are solely responsible for the mess we find ourselves in. We have already witnessed them squabbling over tax-free vehicles, telephone lines and government house. We can not expect anything better from these 205 human beings. The time has arrived to find alternatives.

Surya Bhattarai,
by email

. Daniel Lak's article 'Closure is a good thing' (#142) is not "disappointing", as Cherry Bird states in Letters (#144). The near total failure of the INGO and NGO system is a shame in itself. Nearly two decades after watching Nepal, the current state of the nation is an underachievement. A private company survives on results. In the development sector, people are paid irrespective of results, and SUVs, conferences and meetings are billed to the office. I wish there were more public discussions on development. Lak's column is late in the coming but welcome nevertheless. Thank you for publishing such "disappointing. simplistic . irresponsible" articles. Keep them coming.

Navyo Eller,
Kathmandu