News, Views From Nepal

Election, Statute must to strengthen republican system Yuba Nath Lamsal   Today’ we are observing the Republic day. This day marks the historic moment that heralded a new chapter in Nepal’s political history by formally bidding adieu to more than two-century old monarchy and giving birth to the republican system in which people are sovereign and supreme to chart out their own destiny. On this occasion, we must take into account a kind of dire reality that we have not yet been able to institutionalize the new found system even in a half-decade.   We are still in the phase of political transition—the phase in which we have done away with the old system but have not yet fully developed and institutionalized the new one. In other words, the country is still in the political labor pain struggling to give birth to a system in which the achievements and agenda of the people raised during the Jana Andolan II and all other hitherto movements of the people would be solemnly for...

Yuba Nath Lamsal The recent visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang   to India and China, as a part of six country maiden sojourn since he assumed the premiership, has been analyzed as a diplomatic move with far-reaching impact not only   for better and closer relations between China and South Asia but also peace, security and balance of power in the region. With the end of Cold War marked by visible policy shift of the United States in South Asia with that has shown a clear tilt towards India and distance with its traditional Cold War era ally Pakistan, many have predicted a U-turn in the balance of power in South Asia. In such a situation, South Asian countries especially Pakistan has looked more to China to fill the void left by the US policy shift in security and balance of power. Although China is not interested in propping any particular country against other, Beijing is definitely serious for peace, stability and time and situation. It is against this backdrop, Li’...

Yuba Nath Lamsal Nepal’s politics is said to be estranged in the sense that politicians and parties are slowly being alienated from the people. The relationship between the people and politicians is marked by skepticism and mistrust. Politicians are the least trusted breed in the eyes of common people. Parties and leaders are slowly losing credibility. In a democracy, there should be a lively link, strong relationship and trust between the people and politicians.   And this makes democratic polity vibrant and functional. Devoid of such a trust and goodwill on the part of the political parties and their leaders, it only serves to vested interest groups that ultimately paves the way to the rise of dictatorship, no matter however best and democratic system it may be in paper and principle. So far as Nepal is concerned, there is little cohesion in the development of Nepali politics. Every time when political change takes place, it has marked a systemic break and departure. W...

Yuba Nath Lamsal It is unfortunate that foreign policy remains to be the most disputed sphere in Nepal’s political spectrum. Foreign policy is something that requires national consensus and a unanimous voice of all political parties and the people irrespective of their different political and ideological line and leaning. The national consensus is foreign policy because the core objective of the formulation and the conduct of foreign policy of any country is to protect and serve the national interest. But our parties define and interpret foreign policy, its objectives and priorities in different ways to suit their partisan interest. It would, therefore, worthwhile to go back to a little past and delve on how different regimes, rulers and parties defined and prioritized Nepal’s foreign policy. While interpreting and analyzing Nepal’s foreign policy, one should begin with the foreign policy counsels given by late Prtithivi Narayan Shah, who is the unifier of modern Nepal. Prio...