Business as usual
Political parties were sidelined from peace talks by the palace and the Maoists in 2003. It is still politics as usual in federal Nepal.
20 years ago this week, the political parties found themselves sidelined by both the palace and the Maoists as the peace talks were finally starting. Cornered, they threatened an uprising that would abolish monarchy altogether, a front page story in Nepali Times reported.
Now in 2023, with the country having transitioned into a federal state with the former rebels as the government, but it is still politics as usual. Even the ‘alternative’ RSP is demanding for its pound of flesh.
Excerpts of the report published in issue #143 2-8 May 2003:
How the tables have turned. Political parties that till six months ago were talking about bringing the Maoists into the mainstream find themselves on the periphery. And the Maoists are centre stage, in the limelight.
By launching street agitations fronted by their student wings and refusing to be a part of the government-Maoist peace talks, the parties have deliberately distanced themselves. Their sights are on a rerun of the 1990 uprising that turned the absolute monarchy into a constitutional one. This time, they threaten, the change may be from a constitutional monarchy to a republic.
Realising that most Nepalis blame them for the ills of the past 13 years, the parties have appropriated the Maoist agenda by borrowing their slogan and trying to appear more radical than the revolutionaries.
The Narayanhiti Royal Palace and the Chand government seem to be taking these threats seriously. The reduction in fuel prices, release of detained students and the setting up of an inquiry into student beheadings in Hetauda all show they do not want the situation to get out of hand.
From archive material of Nepali Times of the past 20 years, site search: www.nepalitimes.com