RE: Please extend gratitude to president

September 3, 2012

Dr Surya Dhungel

Surya jee

Good to hear from you. Hope you will have some quality time with your first grandson. Also congratulations to you and your wife and the proud parents.

I fully agree with you regarding “ordinance tactics”. But the tactics and the prolonged stay of care taker government harms our motherland, howsoever the shorter the duration of the stay is. Therefore, firm action is called for to “evict” the squatter care taker government.

You seem to bank too much hope in the political parties. The country is in such a mess because of these very political parties. Therefore, I am not hopeful of them getting their act together any time soon. In a couple of weeks’ time, BRB and his cronies will be “forced” to send another budget ordinance as the current one is about to run out and the president will be sort of given an ultimatum saying that the country will be paralyzed. I am apprehensive that at that time the president will be impelled to “meekly” (begging pardon for the choice of word) promulgate it. In this manner the care taker government will get another lease of life.

At the moment, the president is the only legitimate institution in this country and it is incumbent upon him to rid the country from the situation of “lack of governance”. Otherwise, the president will be failing to “protect and abide” by the constitution, as stipulated in Article 36A (2) of the constitution as the care taker government is doing many things in contravention of the constitution. I can see a parallel of the current situation and ouster of Katwal 3 years ago. Under the constitution the president doesn’t have right to appoint a commander-in-chief. But he used the power to “right the wrong” (manifest in removal of Katwal in contravention of constitution) by reinstating Katwal. Had Prachanda followed the due process (recommending to the president to remove Katwal from office) the president would not have had much choice but to oblige the government with executive authority. Therefore, the situation is almost similar, except for the fact that this government doesn’t have executive authority and the magnitude of what BRB and his cronies are doing is a lot higher than the removal of government servant (Katwal was one). The difference is like between an earthquake of 1 Richter scale vs. 8 Richter scale.

Therefore, I hope the president will wake up (with due respect him and hoping that he wouldn’t take the word personally) soon and cease to depend on the political parties (for example NC is busy exonerating Khum B Khadka, already in jail and UML is busy to ensure that the likes of Ashok Rai doesn’t desert the party) and call for the formation of consensus government under article 38(1) of the constitution (I am unable to fathom why he is hesitating to do so even after more than 3 months of BRB becoming care taker PM). Failing which he should simply form a transition government comprising non-political people with clean record and cleaner conscience. This government will consult the political parties with regards to the way forward. In my considered opinion the way forward is to build upon the work already performed by CA. This government should, simultaneously, conduct a referendum on the outstanding issues (like whether federalism on the communal – recognition of ethnocentric identities – lines or water resources), hold election to both parliament and local bodies. In other words, the transition government will hold general election affording the citizenry to vote for three things: decision regarding federalism, elect a parliament and local village and municipal councils (each voting center will have 3 boxes).

If you feel that I should explain these to him in person, I will be more than happy to do so when both of us are back (I am going to Dhaka tomorrow for a regional conference on Ganga basin).


With best regards,

Sincerely,


Ratna Sansar Shrestha, FCA
Senior Water Resource Analyst
www.RatnaSansar.com


From: SPS dhungel [mailto:dhungel_sps@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, September 3, 2012 5:58
To: Ratna Sansar Shrestha
Subject: RE: Please extend gratitude to president

Dear Ratna ji,

I am in Sydney for a week to see my first grandson.

However, I am following the developments closely.

Ordinance tactics to divert political attention from the real world may not work for long. It all perhaps
depends on the genuine role of other political parties.

Will return by the weekend.


Thanks and with warmth,

Surya Dhungel