redguard2009
7th November 2008, 05:24
Since the landmark CA assemblies which rocked Nepal earlier this year which saw the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) sweep a decisive victory, not much has been heard from the little country.
For the most part it seems that the Maoist government is busy enacting reforms and focusing its attention on stabilizing the government and economy. High-level officials of the CPN(M) have declared their intent to nationalize private schools, and high-level talks with neighbouring India have only recently begun, with the two nations' economies being the main topic of discussion. The relationship between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) have strengthened with the two forming something of an ad-hoc alliance (though they clash ideologically often). Jointly, however, they have been able to enact reforms and transformations in policy and procedure without much interference from Nepal's other, smaller political parties; after the CPN(M), the CPN(UML) is the second-largest political party in the country.
The move to merge the Nepali Army and the Maoists' PLA have continued to go on but has not yet occured; it is a fragile affair that, it is said, must be done carefully. However, the Nepali Army is still largely headed by officers who have been hardened anti-Maoists, a tendency developed over the 14 years since the beginning of the insurgency. But it seems that the merge will go off without too many hitches; the fear brought up earlier in the year that the Maoists' attempt to dismantle the power base of the Nepali Army may lead to an attempted coup by army leadership never materialized -- at best it has and will lead to many resignations from the officer corps and generalship but the threat of violence appears to be long gone.
As stated by the CPN(M) before and imemdiately after the election, their main focus will be to transform Nepal's political and economic scene. For those that claim no progress (or not enough) has been made in Nepal would do well to remember that in the span of roughly 6 months Nepal has successfully re-written its constitution, abolished its monarchy and completely transformed the structure of Nepali governance, as well as begun dismantling the imperialistic nature of the Nepali Army, and begun the nationalization of important private sectors such as education and healthcare. These are no small gains, especially considering that the rest of us have little to show for our own gains other than potential increase in newspaper sales. At the very least, the process of transformation in Nepal should be analyzed closely as an educational tool on how undeveloped and under-developed countries can go about revolutionary change and transformation. Nepal will not become communist or even socialist anytime soon; but they are making enormous gains bringing Nepal into the 21st century with the rest of us.
For the most part it seems that the Maoist government is busy enacting reforms and focusing its attention on stabilizing the government and economy. High-level officials of the CPN(M) have declared their intent to nationalize private schools, and high-level talks with neighbouring India have only recently begun, with the two nations' economies being the main topic of discussion. The relationship between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) have strengthened with the two forming something of an ad-hoc alliance (though they clash ideologically often). Jointly, however, they have been able to enact reforms and transformations in policy and procedure without much interference from Nepal's other, smaller political parties; after the CPN(M), the CPN(UML) is the second-largest political party in the country.
The move to merge the Nepali Army and the Maoists' PLA have continued to go on but has not yet occured; it is a fragile affair that, it is said, must be done carefully. However, the Nepali Army is still largely headed by officers who have been hardened anti-Maoists, a tendency developed over the 14 years since the beginning of the insurgency. But it seems that the merge will go off without too many hitches; the fear brought up earlier in the year that the Maoists' attempt to dismantle the power base of the Nepali Army may lead to an attempted coup by army leadership never materialized -- at best it has and will lead to many resignations from the officer corps and generalship but the threat of violence appears to be long gone.
As stated by the CPN(M) before and imemdiately after the election, their main focus will be to transform Nepal's political and economic scene. For those that claim no progress (or not enough) has been made in Nepal would do well to remember that in the span of roughly 6 months Nepal has successfully re-written its constitution, abolished its monarchy and completely transformed the structure of Nepali governance, as well as begun dismantling the imperialistic nature of the Nepali Army, and begun the nationalization of important private sectors such as education and healthcare. These are no small gains, especially considering that the rest of us have little to show for our own gains other than potential increase in newspaper sales. At the very least, the process of transformation in Nepal should be analyzed closely as an educational tool on how undeveloped and under-developed countries can go about revolutionary change and transformation. Nepal will not become communist or even socialist anytime soon; but they are making enormous gains bringing Nepal into the 21st century with the rest of us.