The way to go now

[npnews]

The way to go now

By Anand Gurung

Now that the government's axe has finally fallen on General Katawal, it now remains to be seen how skillfully the Unified CPN (Maoist), who were the singular force behind the government's decision, will handle the aftermath. It all depends on the Maoists aptitude for crisis management, the flexibility they can show to appease opposition parties (including those within its own) and of course diplomatic dexterity (like it or not, Indian concerns should be considered) to avoid the dangerous abyss the nation is now looking straight into following the decision that has been taken at the expense of other parties.

http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2009/others/feature/may/news_feature01.php

[KC]

Dear Ananda,

I went through your whole article,, its much informative,, please keep on giving your opinion in future as well so that the people living abroad can read the analytical news like this in details,

thanks

[Hitma Hit]

The way to go now

By Anand Gurung

Now that the government's axe has finally fallen on General Katawal, it now remains to be seen how skillfully the Unified CPN (Maoist), who were the singular force behind the government's decision, will handle the aftermath. It all depends on the Maoists aptitude for crisis management, the flexibility they can show to appease opposition parties (including those within its own) and of course diplomatic dexterity (like it or not, Indian concerns should be considered) to avoid the dangerous abyss the nation is now looking straight into following the decision that has been taken at the expense of other parties.

http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2009/others/feature/may/news_feature01.php

This article by Anand Gurung is another prime example of a manipulated media toing the party line of the numerous political parties in Nepal. This type of article not only gives the wrong information to the general public but also degrades journalism to the lowest level.

The army went ahead with the recruitment drive to fill post left vacant by normal wastage and not to increase the strength of the armey and the retired brigadier generals were reinstated only when the Supreme Court issued an interim order not to implement the government decision to retire them.  General Katawal used the powers vested in him to recruit people to fill the vacant posts and implemented the orders of the Supreme Court when he went ahead with the recruitment drive and reinstated eight army generals – nothing was done against government orders. To assume, as Mr. Gurung has, that Katawal thought it was the army's moral victory against the government led by its former nemesis when the Supreme Court decided on the army's favor on both counts, is totally subjective and biased, clearly biased in favour of the Maoists.

It is also difficult to accept Mr Gurung’s claim -“As security experts say, Katawal should have gone ahead with the recruitment drive and reinstated the generals in coordination with the Maoist-controlled Defense Ministry no matter how opposed they were with each other on this issue.”  Not doing this clearly made the army appear flouting, what the Maoists call, "civilian supremacy". The only “security experts” who could have said this are Maoists cocky and idiotic ones like Indrajit Baral. There have been no instances when Katuwal ever challenged civilian supremacy. Had that been the case, the coalition partners in government like the UML and MJF would also have raised this issue. This is blatant Maoist black propaganda.

This article makes it very clear that Mr. Gurung is clearly a supporter of the Maoists as he argues that decisions taken by an independent judiciary should be discarded and the dictates of the Maoists should have priority. His suggestion that Ram Bahadur Thapa should be sacked as the defense minister to appease others government partners and to reappoint him as home minister is a sad attempt to justify one mistake by another bigger mistake. People like Ram Bahadur are fit only in places where jungle law is implemented.  He is also gently alluding that the army chief should try to please the defense minister to get any of his officials proposals approved - this is sickening as it encourages “chakadi”.

The illegal decision of a cabinet without the full quorum (UML and MJF ministers walked out of the meeting when the proposal was tabled) to sack the army chief will not only encourage the radical section of the Maoist party leadership and the restless cadres whose ambitions have grown since the party came into power but also give a monopoly of state power to the Maoist. This must be stopped even at the cost of a brutal civil war and for the establishment of a republic where the rule of law exists.

[getsetgo]

well, The author is right partly in some places with many confusions in the article.

The first thing that author has not mentioned in the article is the maoist led government was the guardian of the Nepalese Army and it never played the role of guardian. Talking precisely, Ram Bahadur thapa was the defence minsiter and he never made the Nepalese army to feel that he is there to promote the professionalism of Nepalese Army. The same thing happened from the Nepalese army side too, it tried to enhance the relation with maoists but could not come closer to the maoist. The differences between the maoist and the NA increased daily as both of them did not try of being familiar. The government always lacked in each and every step of making the Nepalese Army feel that it safe guards them as well. The defence Minister was found of making dialogues with the journalist about the NA instead of solving in the defense ministry. When NA asked of making the Generals to continue, the Maoist looked other direction. The court gave the order and NA did as ordered by the court. In the sports case,  THe government lacked the appropriate time of involving their PLAs into sports. If they would have involved their PLAs before making tie sheets it would really have not created any problems and Nepalese army who thought that their existence as a single army has been threatened took the action of not participating in some games to save the single army existence in the country. Just only one thing was the problem of all these stories, MIS TRUSTING EACH OTHER, NEITHER GOVERNMENT(MAOISTS) TRUSTED NA, NOR NA TRUSTED MAOISTS. and nor the public and civil society or other political parties tried of making the maoists leader and the NA senior generals nearer which would have been better in the national interest of the country and similarly, maoists never showed their intention to respect NA as the national army of Nepal.

[madmax]

“The way to go now “ article by Anand Gurung, I think explains the series of events that lead to current situation and underlying issues that triggered these chain of events.  He has spelled three options for moving forward but there are lot more options than that. Since the key players for this situation is not just Maoist led government and General Katawal but all the coalition partners and opposition parties.
The first option is General Katawal takes his marching orders without making fuss of it. What is the sticking point that has prevented the peace process moving forward? It is the integration of former rebels to the Nepal army which has been opposed time and time again by Katawal. There may be people out there who believe former rebels don’t deserve to be integrated in the NA .What is the other solution to this problem? Create two set of army? Replace Katawal with another General who understands the situation and will compromise for the sake of peace. Otherwise we might as well fight until everyone is dead because without compromise you will never see the integration of two warring factions.  People might have forgotten how bad the war was like the blogger Hitma Hit  who writes “This must be stopped even at the cost of a brutal civil war and for the establishment of a republic where the rule of law exists”. How brutal do you want it to get? Wasn’t 10 years of war with 13,000 dead people brutal enough!!

Secondly now that PM has resigned, the opposition party form a government and find a solution this sticking point of army integration. Let’s see how the Opposition party resolve this issue in order to advance the peace process. Hopefully Maoist in opposition will play more constructive role rather than opposing everything for opposition sake.

[Angel]

huh !!!!! Reading Mr. Gurung article is kind of reading a current situation .  He has analyze the current situation but its not critical enough . I think its time now to say what is going wrong and what is right path.............. What PM did yesterday is a strong move and he has shown guts by better resigning by the post than to surrender.........

The current situation in country is parties are busy in distributing the power and position ........ this is what our classical parties Congress and CPN-UML , We cannot expect more than that from them  ......  There can be no hope in this country ............. God  save my country !!!!!!!!

[lostintime4]

Dear Andy,
When you say he can move from defense to home and save face, you  speak like as if the Govt portfolios are nothing more than  something amassed from a lucrative dowry deal!!! Comn its a  little more than that. And why have nepalnews posted your news now in the first place. After the PM's resignation all these assumption and analysis you make are so irrelevant.

[Sargam]

All arguments developed so far by the partisans of Prachanda boil down to the wailing to be left with jaws dropped, orphans without caretakers around and in the total invisibility of the future if there is any.

Such a hectic situation must provide you all with a spare time to start thinking about why things are worse than before eight months.

What is palpable before your immediate eyes is again you have your destiny at your entire disposal, either to beef  it up with  your conventional wisdom or go rolling down the hill to crack your nuts somewhere in the filth of your past sins. All Nepalese together are quite capable to find out the neat and clean solution by avoiding the neverending horse-trading.

One day you will all be grateful to the incumbent President Ram Baran Yadav to have put an end to the political masquerade that we were the witness and thinking at the same time as to what way the wind will turn.

So far those politicians only think of lining up their own pockets instead of doing their job as to why they were elected.

 No interim Government has the power to sack people who do not obey them or who do not share their way of thinking.

The army is the sentinel of democracy and politics they come and go depending upon the mood of the mass. Whoever challenges the army does have very little sense of what Democracy is.

Now submit your programs for the wellbeing of the country not for your personal comfort.

[lightcz]

disagree.

[aaceresrobinar]

thanks for the info it came really handy. Cheers

[Democratic Person]

I have hearing rumur that MR M Nepal who lost elction( from 2 places) would be new pm. I guess that is an  insult to People of nepal.

[godsavenepal]

I don't know y everyone is making Army an issue they are still confined within their frontier and discipline..  , what i can tell about maoist they are always against the Army of the nation beacuse it is the only force that is capable of stoping them from fulfiling their desire to establish a complete control over the nation ....Nepal Army is enough and capable....If the moaist were really serious of protecting nation , they better dissove their so called army...or best is to  use them in reconstructing the things they destroyed.

[raj66]

ACT IN HASTE AND REPENT AT PLEASURE(NOT LEISURE) SEEMS TO BE THE PREFERRED MAOIST STRATEGY. POOR PLANNERS AND EVEN WORSE CRISIS MANAGERS.

[Democratic Person]

There is meaning of the vote. If vote doesn't matter then we had king none elected pm. Mr. who lost election from two place has no right to pm. Again I haven't heard or seen that guy personally. Her may be very good person may be like God. Still for me it is unacceptable as my pm that lost election. In fact in this matter anyone who stands for election and lost election has no moral ground to be pm.

If so call democratic forced who called democratic come and debate. Give me one reason why should a none election person is better than ex king. If you have guts come uml congress and justify you action.  Maos are chore too.