The Pakistan President, Gen. (retd.) Pervez Musharraf, seems to be determined to stay in his post despite calls by many sections asking him to resign and go into exile. The former military ruler, now civilian President, knows that his days in the top post are numbered. It would be better for him to quit on his own rather than face the prospect of being impeached by the National Assembly (the Parliament of Pakistan).
Pakistani women protest the gag on the media that was imposed during the Emergency . . .
The historic first meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) of Nepal has endorsed a proposal to amend the interim constitution implementing the declaration of Nepal as a federal democratic republic. Out of the 564 democratically elected members of the CA, an overwhelming majority of 560 voted in favour of the proposal while only four members voted against it. With this move, Nepal’s 239-year old monarchy along with its associated filthy oppressive feudal structure has been officially abolished!
A himalayan achievement for the Himalayan country . . .
Image: Wikimedia commons
Take a look at the historic moment for the people of Nepal . . .
If the video does not load, you can watch it here.
Nepal’s last king, King Gyanendra, now Mr. Gyanendra, was a deeply unpopular figure in the country. He ascended the throne after his popular brother King Birendra and his family were killed in the June 2001 palace massacre allegedly carried out by Crown Prince Dipendra at the royal palace under mysterious circumstances.
A year later, the King declared a state of emergency and sent troops after the Maoist rebels when peace talks collapsed. Gyanendra appointed a series of prime ministers– Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Surya Bahadur Thapa and Sher Bahadur Deuba who was sacked again in February 2005 after which the monarch assumed absolute power drawing international condemnation. The King was viewed by the people as a tyrannical despot after a crackdown on political parties, the media, the Maoists and the people. Nepal’s seven main political parties and the Maoists teamed up to force King Gyanendra give up his dictatorial powers in April 2006.
The process has now been completed with the removal of the despot, his notorious son Paras and his coterie from the ceremonial roles that they held. The tyrant did not want to go without causing some trouble. Criminal royalist scum beings detonated two bombs outside the Birendra International Convention Centre in Baneshwor, the venue of the Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting on Wednesday evening. Thousands of people had gathered outside the BICC to cheer the announcement of republic by the first CA meeting. The bombs occurred just before the Assembly was about to get underway. Following the voting result, the CA also approved a proposal stating that the King should vacate the Narayanhity royal palace within 15 days. The proposal states that the King will lose all perks and privileges except his rights as a common citizen. The Narayanhity royal palace will be turned into a national museum or used in national interest as deemed necessary by the government, the proposal adds.
The Constituent Assembly elections were held in a free and fair manner under international supervision. The Maoists emerged as the single largest block in Parliament. The Constituent Assembly now has a big job on its hand to draft a new constitution for the Federal Republic of Nepal.
Talking with a few Nepali friends here, I discovered that they wholeheartedly welcome the changes in their home country. They were absolutely delighted that the tyrannical despot who lorded over a filthy oppressive feudal system has been forced out of his role. A feeling shared by almost all the citizens of Nepal.
The government has announced a public holiday on Thursday and Friday to celebrate the declaration. Rallies and celebrations have begun across the country on Wednesday with a large number of people participating to welcome the announcement. Civil society organisations are also holding rallies in major cities around the country including Pokhara and Biratnagar. Similar events were held on Tuesday as well. The Nepal Bar Association (NBA) lit candles at its office Tuesday evening while pro-republic artists performed at the Open Theatre the same day. The political parties have asked its cadres and sister organisations to organise rallies and demonstration to celebrate the historical event.
I heartily welcome my fellow South Asians into the club of countries that have abolished the filthy oppressive concept of feudalism!
Long live the Federal Secular Democratic Republic of Nepal!
After plenty of depressing news, one finally gets to hear that things are changing in Pakistan for the better. This is good news for the whole world.
The people of Pakistan overwhelmingly voted in favour of democracy in the elections to the National Assembly and the Provincial Assemblies held last month. The Pakistan People’s Party[PPP] and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz[PML(N)] are forming a coalition government with the help of other parties and the Vice-President of the PPP, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has been sworn in as the Prime Minister. There are rumours that he is a stand-in Prime Minister till Asif Ali Zardari of the PPP takes over the reins. Another good news is that Pakistan’s National Assembly gets a woman Speaker for the first time in its history. Dr. Fehmida Mirza was elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly by the newly elected deputies of the Lower House. It is very interesting to note that she was not elected from a seat reserved for women, but from a general constituency.
The most heartening news was that immediately after being sworn in as the Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani ordered the deposed judges of Pakistan’s Supreme Court to be freed from house arrest. The newly formed coalition government has also pledged to reinstate all the judges of the Supreme Court within a month of assuming office. This is a great victory for democracy, freedom and the rule of law in South Asia’s second largest country.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry is a very courageous man indeed. He and the other deposed judges of the Supreme Court have taken some very important decisions. The most courageous decision of them all was the decision to order the release of hundreds of people who were detained for being suspected terrorists. Many people have been “disappearing” in Pakistan in what is a gross violation of human rights. Their case has been taken up by two courageous people, Fakhruddin Ebrahim and Asma Jahangir from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. I wish them all success in their endeavours to stand up for human rights and justice and truth.
Pakistan is a country with plenty of problems. Strained relations between the Army and the government, judiciary and the civil society, strained relations between the federal and provincial governments, suicide bombings that have become a regular feature, parts of the North-West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan that are not exactly under the control of the government, widespread poverty in the rural areas that is a result of the feudal system and illegal practices that go against human rights can make one believe that Pakistan is a state that is failing.
As the events of the past few weeks show, things are indeed changing for the better in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan have reposed their faith in the democratic process and an independent and free judiciary that is willing to uphold human rights and justice even at a great cost to itself. In a nuclear armed country that holds the key to peace, prosperity, democracy and stability of the entire region, these are very good signs indeed!
