- Nepal’s Local Elections
- Sri Lanka’s Economic & Political Crisis
- North Ireland Elections
- Putin’s War in Ukraine
By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
Local Elections in the Himalayan Federal Democratic Secular Republic (HFDSR)
At the outset, it must be made clear that in our country:
- Federalism is non-functional
- Democracy is in shambles
- Secularism is in name only
- The Republic per definition should be a state without a king, but unfortunately, we have now been burdened with countless ‘uncrowned kings’, who only know how to lord it over their subjects [demoted from being equal citizens! ].
The forthcoming elections at three levels, starting with those at the local level, may bring forth ‘winds of change’ [so hope the majority of the people ].
Major Parties Have Failed to Run the Country
As the Chairman of the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP/National Democratic Party), Rajendra Lingden rightly pointed out, all the major political parties, including the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre had failed to run the country in a proper manner (my Republica, April 9).
Stating that the country was in the grip of an unholy alliance of incompetent leaders, Chairman Lingden said the major parties were not in a position to develop the country.
“Make the RPP win in the upcoming elections. We want honest politics and development of the country,” he said while addressing an impressive mass gathering organized by the party in Kathmandu last month.
Unlike the major parties which are promising heaven on earth, or a land of milk and honey [the ‘Switzerland of Asia’, the ‘Singapore of South Asia’, blue water ships on our white water rivers; and the like] the RPP is concentrating on the basics.
Chairman Lingden also underlined that corruption was rampant in the country, and the government and its leaders wholly incompetent.
His observation is very apt, because since the introduction of Loktantra, or supposedly ‘people’s democracy’, all state institutions have been denuded of ‘checks and balances’, and the state coffers treated as a milch cow.
The politicians have accrued so much power that they have become giddy: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton).
Verily, these so-called leaders have corrupted our politics beyond repair. It is not ‘politics’ per se that is ‘dirty’, but these politicians that are filthy beyond redemption!
Chairman Lingden made the very interesting observation that all the major political parties have different names, but are no different from each other in terms of agenda and understanding. [It is noteworthy that CPN-UML vice-chairman Ishwor Pokherel has advised Prachande and Makune to join the NC, claiming at the same time that “Political stability, economic prosperity and good governance are not possible without the UML’s leadership.”]
He was speaking at Kusma Bazar, Parbat last week, where he also stated that the RPP is an alternative political force. If victorious, it could start to build a prosperous nation.
Among others, it would introduce free education up to grade 12, set up a modern hospital in each local unit, carry out health screening of women and elderly persons at home and maintain zero tolerance of corruption. All be very concrete and doable proposals.
Speaking in Banepa, Chairman Lingden also urged the electorate to cast their votes after careful consideration of such vital issues of unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment. Leaders, and political parties should be considering it their prime duty to address them head on (my Republica, May 6).
Sri Lankan President Calls Second State of Emergency
Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa [former president and brother of the present president] finally quit on Monday after a day of violence saw three people including an MP killed and over 150 wounded as government supporters armed with sticks and clubs attacked protesters (AFP/ May 9).
Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared a state of emergency for the second time in five weeks, giving security forces sweeping powers as a nationwide strike demanding his resignation brought the Indian Ocean island paradise to a grinding standstill (AFP/Agence France Press, May 6).
A spokesperson for the president said he invoked the tough law to “ensure public order” after shops closed and public transport was halted last week Friday by unions blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis since independence, which has ignited weeks of unrest in which all sections of the people participated.
Earlier, police used teargas and water cannon to disperse students attempting to storm the national parliament demanding Rajapaksa resign immediately.
The state of emergency gives powers to security forces to arrest and detain suspects for long periods without judicial supervision. It also allows the deployment of soldiers to maintain law and order in addition to police.
The spokesperson claimed the president used his executive powers to invoke emergency regulations to ensure the maintenance of essential services and public order.
Rajapaksa had declared an earlier state of emergency on 1st April, a day after thousands of protesters attempted to storm his private home in the capital. That emergency lapsed on 14 April.
Protests have escalated since then. The new emergency declaration came as thousands of demonstrators remained outside Rajapaksa’s seafront office, where they have been protesting since 9th April. Smaller groups tried to storm homes of other key government politicians.
The 85,000-strong police force had stepped up security for all ruling party legislators. But they were stretched to the limit and had asked the military to reinforce them.
There has already been one dead and several wounded as police shot demonstrators. Sri Lankans have been pushed to the brink by the multiple crises and desperately bemoan: ‘We’re finished’.
The Rajapaksa family has the island state in a stranglehold and is still unwilling to relinquish power, which has gone to their heads and has become their life-blood.
They treated the country as their own family fiefdom – just like the Ranas of Nepal – and this was too incongruous in the 21st century after the highly-educated and vibrant people had long shaken off the shackles of colonialism. This was just too much for a serendipitous people!
In this deadly tug-of-war between the people and the Rajapaksas, there is no end in sight, nor a knight in shining armour around the corner.
Nationalists Win in North Ireland
In Northern Ireland’s Assembly elections, the nationalist Sinn Fein became the biggest party for the first time. This historic election marks a significant shift in the region’s balance of power and sends a strong message to Boris Johnson’s Conservative government in London (Bloomberg, May 8).
The nationalist party – whose ultimate goal is to unite Northern Ireland with the neighbouring Republic of Ireland to the south of the same island – won the largest number of seats and will nominate its leader Michelle O’Neill as the region’s First Minister [equivalent to chief minister] 45, said on Saturday. “It’s a defining moment for politics and for people. Today ushers in a new era.”
It’s the very first time that the nationalist party has topped the vote since the power-sharing government was established following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended decades of sectarian between unionists [Protestants] and nationalists [Roman Catholics].
While the prospect of reuniting the island for the first time since 1921 remains a distant dream, the election shows that the parties backing a unionist future with Britain are now in retreat.
“Northern Ireland was founded as a Unionist state, with an inbuilt Unionist majority, said Brian Hanley, assistant professor of history at Trinity College, Dublin. “The election of not just a nationalist as first minister, but a republican from a tradition which rejects the partition of Ireland entirely, is seismic.”
Rise of Irish Unity
Irish unity got a boost from Brexit and demographic change.
Sinn Fein won 27 seats, overtaking the formerly dominant pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which secured 25, according to the BBC.
The former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) won 29 percent of first choice votes, while the DUP drew 21 percent in the election held on May 5.
Putin’s Ukraine War & Its Ramifications
Russia’s May 9 Celebrations
Russian President Vladimir Putin said ironically Russian forces in Ukraine were fighting for the future of their motherland, in his annual address marking victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Despite rumours he would make a major announcement, his speech stuck largely to defending Russia’s invasion (BBC, May 9).
Putin did not as many analysts and Western officials expected, use his Victory Day speech in Moscow’s Red Square:
- To declare a full mobilization or “war” against Ukraine. He stuck with the phrase he’s been using since February 24 to describe Russia’s invasion – a “special military operation”.
- He did not allude to any nuclear-related threats.
- There was no declaration of victory.
What was then the Soviet Union lost 27 million lives during WW II [in Russia: The Great Patriotic War], with Ukraine accounting for 8 million of them.
In a separate message marking 9 May, President Zelensky said the Nazis had been expelled in 1945 and Ukraine would not allow anyone to “annex this victory”. Very soon, he tellingly said, Ukraine would have two victory days to celebrate.
Other Developments
Ukraine President Zelenskiy said diplomatic efforts were underway to save the remaining fighters holed up inside the Azovstal steelworks in the port city of Mariupol, as more civilians were evacuated from the bombed out plant (Reuters, May 7).
Battlefield
- Russian forces continued their ground assault on the Azovstal steel plant with air support.
- Russia continued its push in the east of the country. Its defence ministry said it had destroyed an ammunition depot in Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region and shot down two Ukrainian warplanes.
- Ukrainian forces made some advances near Kharkiv and Kherson, inflicting heavy losses, while also suffering losses of their own.
Human Impact
- Fifty civilians including children were evacuated by bus from the Azovstal steel complex. More are set to leave on Saturday.
- Amnesty International said there was compelling evidence that Russian troops had committed war crimes during their failed onslaught on Kyiv in February and March.
- Russia’s invasion has devastated hundreds of hospitals and other medical institutions.
Diplomacy
- Putin sent a ‘doomsday’ warning to the West when he led celebrations on Monday marking the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany [in World War II], brandishing Russia’s vast firepower while its forces fight on in Ukraine.
- S. President Joe Biden signed a US Dollar $ 150 million package of security assistance to Ukraine, providing additional artillery munitions, radars and other equipment.
- G 7 leaders held a video conference on Sunday with Zelenskiy in a show of unity the day before Russia marked its Victory Day function.
- The European Commission has proposed changes to its planned embargo on Russian oil to give Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic more time to prepare for the shift in their energy supplies.
No Sign of Victory for Putin
Putin had little to show in Ukraine before the Victory Day Parade.
Various Russian officials have publicly admitted that the war was not going as well as the Kremlin had hoped it would. The country’s military has been beset with low troop morale along with suffering many casualties and strategic setbacks (Newsweek, May 6).
Russians Sabotaging Own Tanks!
The war in Ukraine is unfolding in ways Putin may not have anticipated – not only with the growing resistance of the Ukrainian people but now also with reports that his troops are sabotaging their own equipment – even shooting down one of their own aircraft.
Jeremy Fleming, who heads Britain’s intelligence, cyber, and security agency said: “It’s clear he misjudged the resistance of the Ukrainian people. He underestimated the strength of the coalition his actions would galvanize. He underplayed the economic consequences of the sanctions regime. He overestimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory” (Newsweek).
Alleged Sabotage Operations Across Russian Territory
Recently, numerous strategic facilities on Russian territory have mysteriously caught fire. The reason of the fires in most cases were not officially confirmed, though many of them are suspected to be sabotage operations. The frequency and variety speak against pure coincidence.
At the same time, Siberia is currently experiencing massive seasonal wildfires on an enormous scale. The fires continue to burn as there is no one to put them out, because the military unit responsible for extinguishing fires in the region is currently fighting in Ukraine.
Putin is beset with a host of problems, both domestic and international. As the saying goes, for Putin, it never rains, but it pours!
Enormous Financial/Economic Costs of the War
As Putin continues his aggression in Ukraine, the heavy toll taken by Russia’s economy is not only current, but could be felt for years to come. What has he done to Mother Russia?!
Russia’s invasion is now in its third month and sustaining the military offensive requires approximately US Dollar $ 900 million a day! (Newsweek).
Several factors play into that heavy price. That includes paying the soldiers [and mercenaries] who are fighting in Ukraine; providing them with munitions and rockets; and the cost to repair lost or damaged military equipment. Russia must also pay for the thousands of critical weapons and cruise missiles that have been fired during the war, which run about US Dollar $ 1.5 million apiece.
The economic sanctions imposed on the country as a result of Putin’s invasion has had devastating impacts, likely to be felt by Russian citizens for decades to come.
Russia’s failures come at a great cost to Russia both financially and in terms of loss of life. It is estimated that losses from the war has cost Russia about US Dollar $ 7 billion.
Ukraine’s Loss
Ukraine also faces a heavy economic impact due to the war. Zelensky said it will require hundreds of billions of dollars in order to repair the damage done to the country’s economy and infrastructure.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week, this already amounted to US Dollar $ 600 billion.
Russian Diplomat Publicly Denounces Ukraine War
Andrey Yakovlev, the Consul General of Russia in Edinburgh, Scotland, publicly condemned the war in Ukraine in a rare post on social media last week Friday as the Russian invasion of the Eastern European country drags on.
The Russian diplomat posted the condemnation in Russian language on the verified Instagram account of the consulate general in Edinburgh:
“I, the Consul General of Russia in Edinburgh, Yakovlev A. And I categorically condemn the behavior of the military special operation of the Russian Armed Forces against the sovereign, independent state of Ukraine. I fully support any assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces from EU countries,” the translated post read (Newsweek).
Such upright and courageous behavior by a Russian diplomat [ who will definitely be subjected to harsh reprisals ] must be applauded. If only there would be more of his ilk!
Russian Public Opinion Turns Against Putin
Meanwhile, the number of Russian people against the invasion of Ukraine has increased. Online polls conducted by the supporters of opposition politician Alexei Navalny showed the changing stance of Russians.
The polls which were conducted between February 25 and March 3, found that 29 percent of 700 respondents said on February 25 [the day after the start of hostilities] that Russia was the aggressor when they were asked how they would access the role of Russia in Ukraine.
However, by March 3, this number increased to 53 percent, while only 28 percent of respondents saw Russia as a “liberator”.
Post-War Ukraine: Russia Must Finance the Reconstruction
Putin started an unnecessary war and he or his successor(s) must pay for reconstruction.
Ukrainians will face the extremely difficult challenge of rebuilding their shattered country. With every day that the war drags on, death and destruction continues unabated, and the eventual price tag for rebuilding the country grows astronomically.
All Russians in positions of power and influence must come to the realization that they will have to foot the bill!
Western countries hold hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian assets including over US Dollar $ 350 billion of frozen reserves from Russia’s Central Bank. These reserves could serve as the basis of the reconstruction of post-war Ukraine.
The Russian state must be penalized, but in this case there is definitely no collective guilt for the Russian people. Their path ahead is for them to decide. Western interference cannot be tolerated. Russian oil and gas will surely flow in full capacity again, and part of the revenue must be syphoned off at source for Ukraine.
The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com
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