Nepal

Ben Peterson, Green Left Weekly
The movement in Nepal for the restoration of civilian supremacy continued in December, with 100,000 people demonstrating in Kathamndu on December 22 on the final day of a three-day general strike called by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M).

The general strike was the culmination of a series of mass demonstrations and blockades of local and national government offices. The UCPN-M-led demonstrations are part of the campaign against the unconstitutional actions of President Ram Baran Yadav in May 2009.

By Stuart Munckton/Green Left Weekly
“This is not just a Maoist movement”, Green Left Weekly’s correspondent in Kathmandu, Ben Peterson, said on the struggle that has erupted in Nepal. “This is threatening to become a new people’s movement, like the one that swept away the monarchy.”
Peterson was commenting on the large number of daily demonstrations across the country to demand respect for the people’s will. They have come in the aftermath of the forced May 3 resignation of Prime Minister Prachanda and other members of the government belonging to the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M). Peterson described the events as a “soft coup”.

By Ben Peterson
On April 10 across the country by-elections were held in 6 constituencies that had been left vacant in the last 12 months. These elections took place in a range of areas, in different parts of the country, in areas where different ethnic groups and where political parties were powerful so in effect these elections gave a good reflection in the political mood amongst the people. While only a fraction of people could vote, and the small amount of seats at stake would not affect the balance of power within the parliament, these elections were incredibly important because of the role they take in the wider political struggle in the country.
In these elections, the Maoists (again) won considerably.

The combination of a ten-year long “people’s war” waged by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and a pro-democracy uprising in 2006 overthrew the centuries-old Nepalese monarchy and paved the way for elections to a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. Elected last year, the largest number of seats are held by the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, which is aligned with the PLA and currently heads a coalition government.
Ben Peterson visited a PLA camp in March. The account below is abridged from his blog.

By Ben Peterson
A senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M), CP Gajurel stated that the Maoists are prepared to unleash yet another “massive” struggle to institutionalise the Nepal’s new republic, According to a January 4 NepalNews.com article.
“We are all geared up to launch such a struggle from the street, the parliament and the government”, he said, adding that the country would achieve sustainable peace and development only after the success of another “severe” struggle to “uphold the aspirations of ordinary people”.

This is another 21st century David v Goliath story. According to an August 29, 2008 report by the UK Independent, one of America's biggest military contractors is being sued by a Nepali labourer and the families of a dozen other employees who say they were taken against their will to work in Iraq. All but one of these Nepalese workers were subsequently kidnapped and murdered. The contractor is KBR, formerly known as Kellogg, Brown and Root and once a subsidiary of Halliburton, the company of which the US vice-president, Dick Cheney, was once the chairman.

By Ben Peterson
For four months following the historic elections for a constituent assembly — which formally ended the monarchy and established a republic — the small Himalayan nation was in a state of limbo as right-wing forces disrupted attempts to establish a national consensus government.

Students in Nepal have staged protests over fuel price hikes and transport fares. They stoned vehicles and set several of them on fire in the capital Kathmandu. This follows last week's dramatic fuel and transport price hikes. Al Jazeera's Subina Shrestha reports.