Internal Political Developments

Dahal and Baidya Settle Their Rift based on Temporary Arrangements; Bhattarai Camp Worried: Putting off the ideological and political differences aside for the sake of party unity, the establishment faction led by party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and hardliner faction led by party Vice-Chairman Mahan Baidya are planning to move ahead with 'temporary arrangements'--simultaneous emphasis on peace-constitution and preparations for a possible revolt.

Along with this agreement of the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M), some leaders claimed that the possible split of the party has been averted for the moment.

It is said that the parallel political documents presented in the Central Committee meeting by the rival factions are likely to be replaced by a new common paper on the party's immediate policies and programmes. According to media reports, the factions have agreed to prepare for revolt in a 'secret manner.' The hardline faction agreed to such a plan after Dahal convinced its leaders that the party "has not sold out its agenda" and will stand firm on it in the coming days. “If we publicise the revolt strategy, it will be a pretension for other parties to stall the peace and constitution writing processes,” media quoted Dahal as telling the meeting. “I will not go against revolt if other parties force the Maoists to surrender, but we should work for peace and constitution till the last minute,” Dahal said. To appease the party’s hardliner faction, the UCPN-M Chairman Dahal has prepared a new policy paper where he is ‘slightly rigid’ than his previous position on peace and constitution. In his draft of the consensus paper, Chairman Dahal has said that the Maoist combatants should get the “second position” in the proposed Directorate of the Nepal Army and that some combatants should be given top posts. He has also mentioned a directly elected presidential system, ensuring representation of workers and peasants while fixing the electoral system, scientific land reforms and identity-based federalism as the party’s bottom-line of constitution drafting.

However, the draft paper is yet to be accepted by the hardliner faction led by Baidya. The hardliner faction urged Chairman Dahal to clearly mention revolt, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s resignation and formation of national consensus government in the paper. The Baidya faction has also demanded making concrete programmes to take to the streets immediately to mount pressure on the other parties to incorporate their agenda in the new constitution. The hardliner faction has been demanding that the four-point agreement signed with the Madhesi parties be scrapped and the BIPPA signed with India be put on hold.

Contrarily, the Baburam Bhattarai faction of the UCPN-Maoist seems to have become suspicious of the recent development inside the party. The Bhattarai camp of the Maoist party, during a meeting with Dahal has not only enquired party Chairman Dahal about the fate of the government, but also requested to explain the agreement forged with the Baidya faction. The suspicion arises when leaders found Chairperson Dahal’s assurance to both Bhattarai and Baidya of his support in the same breath. Dahal has assured Bhattarai that the government will not change for now, while he has told Baidya that he has spoken to the PM about his resignation and formation of a new government, said one of the hardliner leaders Hari Bhakta Kandel.

In the meantime, sixteen political parties including the main opposition parties—Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist and Leninist (CPN-UML)— urged the UCPN-M to abide by the agreements signed in the past. A joint meeting of 16 political parties, held at Singha Durbar in the Capital on January 9, 2012, issued a joint statement to the effect that the Maoists are obstructing the peace process. Accusing the Maoist of altering the agreement on issues pertaining to constitution drafting forged by the Dispute Resolution Sub-Committee, the political parties concluded that the Maoist have backtracked from the peace process, and urged the Maoists to be serious and responsible for the same.

Foreign Relations

Relations with India

Former King Gyanendra’s Family Visit to India: Gyanendra Shah, the last king of Nepal, arrived in Delhi on January 11, 2012 on his way to attend his relative's marriage ceremony in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Shah, accompanied by his wife Komal, former crown princess Himani and grandson Hridayendra, among others, who left for Jaipur on January 13, 2011 after two nights stay in New Delhi, will again return to New Delhi and spend few more days after staying for about one week in Jaipur. Media has projected the possibility of the ex-King holding meetings with high level leaders across the Indian political spectrum.

Relations with China

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiaboa on Four-Hour Surprise Visit: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Kathmandu on January 14, 2012. The Chinese Prime Minster was welcomed by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, Constituent Assembly Chairman Subash Chandra Nembang, among other high officials at the airport. The two countries, during the visit, signed eight agreements including dry port management on Nepal-China border, frontier pasture agreement, establishment of training academy for the Armed Police Force of Nepal, and an agreement on assistance to Nepal worth US $750 million.

In fact, Chinese Prime Minister Wen’s trip is the first high-profile Chinese visit since the abolition of monarchy in 2008. Wen is also the highest ranking official to visit from Nepal’s immediate neighbours—India and China—since 2001. Earlier, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited Nepal in 2001 and President Jiang Zemin in 1996. Chinese Prime Minister Wen, who has been accompanied by Cabinet members including Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Commerce, and Public Security , Politiburo member Zhao Yongkang of the Communist Party of China, among others in the delegation, met President of Nepal Dr. Ram Baran Yadav at the latter's residence in Shital Niwas and other leaders in Singha durbar.

Though Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visit to Kathmandu was kept under the wraps till the last moment with neither Nepal nor China making any formal announcement. Even two hours after media broke news of Wen´s much-talked-about visit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayankaji Shrestha said the visit was still not certain. Even the Chinese foreign ministry website was silent about Nepal visit although it had published a schedule of Wen´s visit which says he is visiting the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar from Jan 14-19.

The meeting was kept so secret that even President Ram Baran Yadav was informed only on January 13, 2012 that Wen was coming to Shital Niwas for a meeting on January 14, 2012 in the afternoon. Senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) had reached Shital Niwas one day before to inform the President about his meeting with Wen at 3 p.m., on January 14, 2012, according to government sources. The President then had to change his already fixed schedule. According to media reports, the MoFA officials had asked the President and officials to keep the meeting secret. Same was the case with Constituent Assembly Chairman Subas Nembang. The MoFA had asked him not to schedule any appointments and functions between 11 am to 4 pm on January 14 but he was not told the reason. Then he had to inquire why he was asked to keep himself free during the time. The prime minister on January 13, 2012 called Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala, who was in Nepalgunj, to come to Kathmandu. But Koirala was not informed about the time and venue of the meeting till 10:12 p.m. Also, it was not clear till late evening on January 13, 2012 whether Wen will meet CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal. Finance Ministry officials were surprised when they got a phone call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at around 4 p.m. on January 13, 2012 to remain on standby for meetings. It was only at 4:30 that the Prime Minister’s office finalized the menu of the food to be served to Wen and his delegation.

Interestingly, Foreign Ministry officials said they did not know about the visit until media broke the news about Wen´s visit at around 4 p.m. on January 13, 2012. Sources said MoFA officials were asked to inform the Tribhuvan International Airport for diplomatic flight clearance on January 14, 2012 but were not told who is coming and at what time. It has reported that security measures were tightened at the TIA, the only international airport, in Kathmandu. Reporters were barred from entering the TIA. A large number of security personnel were deployed in and around the airport ahead of Wen´s arrival in Kathmandu. Journalists from private media houses were also barred from entering Singha Durbar to cover the news.

Meanwhile, security had been beefed up across Kathmandu Valley since the afternoon on January 13, 2011, while police kept tight vigil around Tibetan inhabited areas like Bouddha, Syoyambhu and Ekantakuna, police said. It is said that several Tibetan exiles were detained from various locations in the city for security reasons. All Tibetans´ tickets for domestic flights from the airport were cancelled. Security had been beefed up in the areas near the Chinese embassy and China’s consular office in Hattisar considering possible protests by Tibetan exiles.

In the meantime, the leaders of two major opposition parties – the NC and CPN-UML – said that it was the government’s worthlessness, which cut short the Chinese Prime Minister Wen’s visit. Addressing a program organised at the Reporters Club in Kathmandu on January 15, 2012, the NC leader and former Foreign Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said, “The Chinese prime ministers in the past used to stay in Nepal. However, Jiabao did not because of the disarray of our country. This is not a good sign. This is our fault.” Stating that the shortened visit has disgraced the Nepal in the international arena, Mahat said, “Everything matters in the international level such as: how long did they stay, how they felt.” Mahat further claimed that the government is humiliating itself by asking for aid for unimportant affairs. He said that just because China has been assisting Nepal in the past, we should not act like beggars every time. Similarly, UML Central Committee member Bhim Rawal said that the confidentiality of the Jiabao’s visit and the unannounced curfew after his landing proves the government’s worthlessness. Rawal claimed that this has sent a wrong message in the international sector that Nepal cannot host high-level officials.

By Uddhab Pyakurel