Just sharing a fresh discussion going on in Nepal Democracy Google group. To give you a general mood and direction:
My first reaction to the Maoist draft:
From: DK
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 4:29 PM
To: nepal democracy
Subject: [ND] Maoist draft of the new constitution out: ideology-ridden
FYI,
Maoist’s draft of Nepal’s constitution:
http://www.baburambhattarai.com/docs/constitution-final.doc
I am yet to study it seriously. From what I have read so far, I would
give it a C grade.
My biggest disappointment was that I felt it lacked a vision for a
prosperous Nepal. I felt this constitution makes Nepal a pretty
dogmatic state with it’s vision limited to, say, distributing it’s
existing poverty as fairly as possible among the ideologically
reconstructed shareholders !
However, it is not all hopeless. I felt that it can be moderated and
improved significantly using the contradictions among various parts
and articles within the draft alone.
Ahile laai yatti maatra.
DK
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A fellow member’s reaction:
From: XX
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 6:57 PM
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: [ND] Re: Maoist draft of the new constitution out: ideology-ridden
DK,
I am still waiting for the "just like the UML but with a harder edge" version of the maoists you promised/predicted several years back when many of us were arguing that the CPN-M was a hopelessly ideological party. its like a dinosaur egg... takes a long time to hatch i guess..
You may be surprised by the draft, but not me.
XX
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My reply
From: DK
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 8:55 PM
To: nepal democracy
Subject: [ND] Re: Maoist draft of the new constitution out: ideology-ridden
XX,
Wait for UML’s draft. UML ko ke kura, NC’s draft will do, particularly
if Ramchandra Poudel gets to write it.
So, until we get to read UML’s draft, we don’t know if I was really
wrong.
But if we look from the perspective of the extreme paranoia about
Maoist (that they are going to establish a North Korea/Pol Pot’s
Combodia in Nepal), Maoist certainly disappointed them. Maoist draft
does not compromise multiparty democracy, except for saying that pro-
feudalism and pro-imperialism parties will not be allowed.
But beyond this ideological and comparative thing, my major concern is
that probably no political party is going to come up with a draft that
solidly envisions a prosperous nation (with economic growth as a top
prioritized direction, that is) beyond wishful thinking. I am afraid
that NC too will choose prioritizing ‘justice’.
That would mean that Nepal will have to forget the constitution (or
keep ‘amending’ it frequently) and make progress anyway and anyhow.
What a waste of the constitution and the struggle for the Constituent
Assembly that would be.
DK.
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Fellow member’s follow-up:
From: XX
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 10:18 PM
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: [ND] Re: Maoist draft of the new constitution out: ideology-ridden
DK:
you say:
".Maoist draft does not compromise multiparty democracy, except for saying that pro-
feudalism and pro-imperialism parties will not be allowed."
...
I think most people reasonably educated in the history and meaning of democracy will agree that this is akin to saying "your diet will not be compromised, except that no solid foods will be allowed."
I am sure that you are old enough to remember that the Panchayat system also created various litmus tests for election candidates..... right?
DK, somehow I am not surprised that that clause in the maoist document does not faze you....
I think there are many people in Nepal who are willing to allow someone to take liberties with democracy in return for clean/non corrupt, effective governance and economic development... something no one in Nepali history has been able to provide...... with the exception of maybe Amshuvarma.... :)
maybe that is not what your thinking is, and as you like to say, I am creating a 'straw-person' here...
but its really hard to read anything else into your casual attitude towards such potentially autocracy-inviting clauses.
finally, SO WHAT if a FEUDAL wants to run a political party.... ? Or a PRO-IMPERIALIST ? in a democracy they ought to be allowed to hoina?
THe WHIG party in UK as well as the TORIES had definite 'feudal' origins, with the latter most definitely tied to landed (feudal ) interests in the UK. The WHIG party was the 'peo-imperialist" party of the time.... supporting business/merchant classes against royal prerogative.
But liberal democracy in UK stood the test of time, evolved, and is now regarded as among the most stable. "Prachanda" of the UK, i.e.Cromwell, made an attempt to sideline all his political opponents, and in 1653 got himself declared the "lord protector" of England, Scotland and Ireland. Cromwell died in 1658; his body was exhumed by those he had persecuted earlier, and his dead body was beheaded in public....
A little more than 100 years after Cromwell, the whig and tory parties gave shape to competitive democratic government in England,... descendents of the same forces Cromwell persecuted on way to declaring himself the equivalent of "President" of UK of the time...
best,
XX
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and the debate continues.
Nepe
Last edited: 02-Mar-09 10:53 PM