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| Sunday, 6 February 2005 |
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Democracy assailed in Nepal by M.P. Muttiah February 1, dawned in Nepal with dark clouds looming large over democracy. King Gyanendra dismissed, Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba's government, and had taken control of Nepal for three years.
The King suspended several provisions of the Constitution, including freedom of the press, speech and expression, peaceful assembly, the right to privacy, and the right against preventive detention. State radio announced on Thursday all news against the proclamation of emergency and the sacking the government was banned for six months. This is the second time, a king has taken power since Nepal relinquished its absolute monarchy, and elected its first prime minister in 1991. Scores of important political, party and trade union leaders, including four former Prime Ministers were under house arrest. Choppers fired on the students who demonstrated against the emergency in Pokhara. India, which is Nepal's longest trading partner, with strong religious and cultural links, and shares an open border said the King's decision constituted a serious setback to the cause of democracy and, cannot,but be a grave concern to New Delhi. It said that the latest developments brought the monarchy and the mainstream political parties in direct confrontation with each other. Further, a fear gripped in India, that crackdown on Maoists could have repercussions in the Maoist belt in Bohr, where State elections are being held now. Indian Army Chief, Gen. J.J. Singh has turned down an invitation to visit Nepal for discussions with his counterpart there. The visit of the Central Army Commander Lt. Gen. Ram Subramaniam, to Kathmandu has also been put on hold. UN Chief Spokesman, Fred Eckhard, speaking for Secretary General, Koffi Annan, said he was deeply concerned at the action taken by the constitutional monarch. The US's State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher, said that his country was deeply troubled. A new Constitution promulgated in 1962, established partyless system of Panchayat (councils). Birendra succeeded King Mahendra in 1972. After agitations, slight reformations of the Panchayat system were introduced after a referendum in 1980. Protests that erupted again in 1990, were dealt severely. However, later that year, the king dissolved the Panchayat system, lifted the ban on political parties and released all political prisoners. Interim governments were formed by National Democratic Party leader, Chand, and Nepali Congress Party leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. Nepali Congress won an absolute majority in free and fair elections in 1991, and Girija Prasad Koirala became Prime Minister. After, 1994 polls, Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist), with Man Mohan Adhikari, formed a minority government. The UML government were followed coalition government since then. The CPN(M) was led by Pusdhpa Kamal Dahal, or popularly known as Comrade Prachanda. After the fall of Adhikari government in September, 1995, and the following severe government atrocities against its members, in western Nepal, the party found the time ripe for revolution. When the Deuba's government, disregarded a list of 40 demands, presented by CPN(M), it started violence against State institutions and individuals in mid-western Nepal. The CPN(M) calls it as people's war aiming at a fundamental change of economy and social structure to introduce a new kind of democracy. But, the Nepali State, calls it as terrorist activities. In an interview to the Revolutionary Worker, Prachanda said: "The unjust war of oppressive class is waged on the strength of arms and the technology, while the just war of the oppressed classes is waged on the strength of correct ideology and the cooperation of the people. It is historically proven scientific fact the ultimately it is the just war which will reign over the unjust war. The mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of people along class, caste, nationality, regional gender questions around the people's war provides a strong basis for winning this war." Governments in Nepal changed very often since the CPN(M) started its campaign. Although the country had seen 13 Prime Ministers in 14 years, none of them addressed the political, social and economic issues, when searching for solution. After the monarch took over in 2002, CPN(M) suggested round-table of all political forces, including the king and security forces, followed by the formation of an all-party interim government and General Elections for the Constituent Assembly that would draw up a new Constitution. In January, 2003, the government and the CPN(M) declared a ceasefire and in March that year agreed a code of conduct for peace talks. After three rounds of talks, the CPN(M) upheld the only fundamental principle - the Constituent Assembly. This was rejected by the Royal government and submitted vague proposals for major constitutional reforms. As a result, CPN(M) broke the talks and returned to violent activities, that have taken a toll of 11,000 lives. It says that the government had no control over neither King nor Army. The CPN(M), which is said to be controlling more than 40 per cent of the area, called strikes and blockade of national highways, cost heavily. The hope for the political reforms, that the political parties and CPN(M) had with the former King Birendra, who was killed in with his family in a palace feud, gradually faded away with King Gyanendra assuming power. He had appointed four prime ministers since he came to the throne, but none of them were able to deliver the goods since the authority fully relied on the King, and the prime ministers were not been able to take any decision hostile to the Palace. The present crisis, has strengthened the hands of CPN(M). The king was denied an opportunity to gain legitimacy by representing the country at the now-cancelled SAARC summit, that was to be held in Dhaka today and tomorrow. Gyanendra, seeking to explain his position directly to countries that on which Nepal depends for aid. Indian Ambassador, S.S. Mukherjee, was the first diplomat to be called to the Foreign Office. The newly-appointed Foreign Minister Nath Pandey had consultations with him. The Ambassadors of China, UK and the US too were called to the foreign ministry. The King, according to reports, did not want to offend any of these countries. The newly-appointed Home Minister, Dan Bahadur Shahi, called on the CPN(M) to come to the negotiation table and help to solve the present political crisis. "If the Maoists, do not come forward, we may have to think of alternative steps," he said. However, CPN(M) leader Prachanda denounced the king as a "national betrayer" and called for a broad political front with those opposing 'feudal autocracy'. In a statement, smuggled out from former Prime Minister, and Congress leader, Garage Praised Cariole, who is also under house arrest, appealed to all democratic forces to join hands and move ahead against the coup d'etat in order to restore sovereignty of the people. The CPN(M) said, that they would launch series of agitation this month and the next. A nationwide strike would be held in April, because mobilisation has become difficult since all forms of reaching out to the people blocked and the internet, phones down.owever, external pressure that could be brought on the King of Nepal, lies with India, which has given $85 million, and the US, $40 million, while the United Kingdom that has committed $50 million. These countries are still trying to decide whether the aid should be withheld on account of the crisis. There is a possibility of the international lending institutions'$73 million, to be held back. Internally, the forces that were locked in the three-way struggle, among the king, the rebels and political parties, now witness a two-cornered contest - the king versus the rest. |
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