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Papers by Karl-Heinz Krämer
... The introduction of fictitious democratic institutions by the Bhutanese King Jigme Dorji Wang... more ... The introduction of fictitious democratic institutions by the Bhutanese King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk must be seen in a similar context. ... The reason is that the social hierarchy of the Hindu state had been fundamental for all kinds of Page 10. ...
Nepal Observer, 2023
Chaos is not entirely new in Nepali politics. This is already ensured by Nepal's so-called top po... more Chaos is not entirely new in Nepali politics. This is already ensured by Nepal's so-called top politicians, who all consider themselves indispensable and understand democracy as little more than their endless power struggles. The constitution and laws do not necessarily have to be adhered to. Voters are only needed once every five years to secure the politicians' and parties' hold on power. If there is a danger that this no longer seems to be working properly, voters are taught how to vote by means of electoral alliances so that the power of the top politicians, who have actually long since failed, is preserved. Electoral alliances As is well known, the then Prime Minister KP Oli could only be stopped by an impeachment by the Supreme Court in July 2021 after several breaches of the constitution and disregard of court orders. A government was then formed under Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba (Nepali Congress, NC) with the participation of five parties. 1 Parts of this article were presented by the author at the annual Nepal Day of the German Nepal Association (DNG) in Cologne on 6 May 2023. This lecture was given in cooperation with Pushpa Raj Joshi, who specifically commented on the effects of the chaos on politics, society and the economy. 1
Nepal Observer, 2023
Since 1990, the Nepali state has committed itself in its constitutions to multiethnicity, multili... more Since 1990, the Nepali state has committed itself in its constitutions to multiethnicity, multilingualism and religious diversity in its society. This reality was reaffirmed in the current constitution of 2015. At the same time, another commitment was added, namely that of ending the existing unequal participation of diverse social groups in the state. In 2006, during Jana Andolan II, this had been one of the most urgent concerns of the people and had subsequently been declared a priority goal by all political parties.
Khabarhub, 2023
Nepal's politicians are bringing the country closer to the abyss, but the judiciary is also eager... more Nepal's politicians are bringing the country closer to the abyss, but the judiciary is also eagerly helping. There is hardly any rule of law left. Everything is ultimately dictated by the lust for power of the ageing and long-since failed so-called top politicians, who continue to consider themselves indispensable despite the devastating verdict of the voters. But even the young, supposedly alternative parties, in which many of the voters expressed their confidence in the recent parliamentary elections, are not really proving to be an alternative, but instead contribute to the maintenance of power of the eternally same top politicians.
Nepal Observer, 2021
Complaints about the lack of morality among Nepali top politicians have been around for a long ti... more Complaints about the lack of morality among Nepali top politicians have been around for a long time, but they have intensified in the late phase of the Oli government. This may be particularly due to Prime Minister KP Oli's behavior, but most other top politicians are not much behind him in this regard. Moral values regulate interpersonal behavior in society and are considered binding. However, there are often differences between an individual's moral values and those of society as a whole. They require interpretation and are influenced by origin, culture, religion and one's own experiences. Since the adoption of the present constitution, Nepal has called itself a liberal secular state. In Articles 3 and 4 of this constitution, Nepal professes a pluralization of ways of life and social relations as well as the values that determine them. Are Nepal's top politicians meeting this requirement or are they still all too attached to political ideas of the past, which were oriented towards Hindu political criteria that ignored aspects of multi-ethnicity, multilingualism, and the diversity of Nepal's religions and cultures?
Die Regierung von Premierminister K. P. Oli ist im vergangenen Jahr mit großen Versprechungen ang... more Die Regierung von Premierminister K. P. Oli ist im vergangenen Jahr mit großen Versprechungen angetreten, Nepal innerhalb von fünf Jahren in einen stabilen Rechtsstaat zu führen. Ein kursorischer Überblick des Autors kommt zum Schluss, dass eineinhalb Jahre später davon kaum etwas zu sehen ist.
Wie in vielen Gegenden der Erde so vollzieht sich auch in Nepal in jüngerer Zeit eine Art ethnisc... more Wie in vielen Gegenden der Erde so vollzieht sich auch in Nepal in jüngerer Zeit eine Art ethnisches Erwachen. Es geht eine Bewegung durch Nepal, die geprägt ist durch ein stetig wachsendes Selbstbewußtsein der diversen ethnischen Gruppen.
Am 12. und 13. Oktober besuchte der chinesische Staatspräsident Xi Jinping Nepal, ein Ereignis, d... more Am 12. und 13. Oktober besuchte der chinesische Staatspräsident Xi Jinping Nepal, ein Ereignis, das in den letzten Jahren wiederholt andiskutiert, aber nie vollzogen wurde. Dies war der erste Besuch eines chinesischen Präsidenten seit jenem von Jiang Zemin im Jahre 1996. Die Ergebnisse des Besuchs schlugen sich in 18 Abkommen und zwei Austauschschreiben nieder.
Als Indien am 31. Oktober 2019 eine neue offizielle politische Karte veröffentlichte, geriet der ... more Als Indien am 31. Oktober 2019 eine neue offizielle politische Karte veröffentlichte, geriet der kleine Landstreifen von Kalapani im Nordwesten Nepals einmal mehr in die Schlagzeilen. Zunächst diskutierten die Tageszeitungen und sozialen Medien intensiv über diesen "territorialen Übergriff" Indiens. Dann nahmen sich auch politische Parteien und die Regierung dieses Vorfalls an.
Ende 2017 sorgte eine diszipliniert durchgezogene Wahlallianz der beiden linken Parteien CPN-UML ... more Ende 2017 sorgte eine diszipliniert durchgezogene Wahlallianz der beiden linken Parteien CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist-Leninist) und CPNMC (Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist Centre) für eine grundlegende Veränderung der politischen Machtverhältnisse. Seit 2002, als der inzwischen abgesetzte König Gyanendra putschte, hatte es keine Partei mehr geschafft, eine absolute Mehrheit zu erringen. Selbst die damalige Mehrheit des NC (Nepali Congress) war aufgrund interner Machtkämpfe eher brüchig gewesen. Im Prinzip begann die Phase instabiler Regierungen bereits im November 1994. Was als klassisches Gerangel zwischen linken Parteien erscheinen mag, blockiert jedoch das Regierungshandeln auf allen Ebenen, das viele lokale Bevölkerungsgruppen so dringend bräuchten.
Das Jahr 2001 wird sicherlich als eines der schwärzesten Jahre in die Annalen der nepalischen Ges... more Das Jahr 2001 wird sicherlich als eines der schwärzesten Jahre in die Annalen der nepalischen Geschichte eingehen. Zehn Jahre nach der Demokratisierung tut sich das Land zunehmend schwerer, die hoch gesteckten Erwartungen zu erfüllen. Das Problem ist dabei weniger die Tatsache, dass die erhoffte Demokratisierung Zeit braucht, sondem eher die Art, wie die verantwortlichen Politiker und Parteien scheinbar zielstrebig jeden positiven Ansatz im Keim ersticken .
After10 years of a bloody Maoist insurgency and a gradual royal putsch, the people's movement... more After10 years of a bloody Maoist insurgency and a gradual royal putsch, the people's movement of April 2006 has laid the foundations for a new political beginning. Nepal's numerous problems must be understood against the background of historical and social developments of the modern state. The multiethnic, multicultural, multireligious and multilingual modern state of Nepal came into existence in the second half of the 18th century when the Shah monarchy of the principality of Gorkha unified numerous small states by military force. The Shah kings organized the new unitary state on the principles of traditional law with all its aspects of a stratified hierarchical social system. A small coterie of male members of so-called higher Hindu castes became dominant in all public spheres while other groups and the women became excluded, a situation that is still prevalent today and that is the reason for growing unrest. Neither the abolition of Rana oligarchy in 1950/1 nor the democr...
Starting with a short introduction into the historical development of political parties in Nepal,... more Starting with a short introduction into the historical development of political parties in Nepal, this presentation concentrates on the events after 1990. Since then, executive and legislative powers have been in the hands of the political parties. Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the two leading parties of the 1990 system, failed to develop the young democracy into an inclusive system. This gave rise to the Maoist insurgency that pretended to fight for the rights of the excluded sections of society. After the intermezzo of a royal putsch, Nepali politics faced a people's movement in 2006 that led to a new beginning with the intention of guaranteeing a durable peace and replacing the constitutional monarchy by a federal republican system. Despite successful elections to a constituent assembly in April 2008 and the abolition of monarchy one month later, the political parties have not been able to reach these two goals, yet. The crisis culminated once again on May 28, 2011, when the t...
Nepal's commitment to democracy is still quite young and the process of finding it is far fro... more Nepal's commitment to democracy is still quite young and the process of finding it is far from complete. The inherited burdens of the state have been a particular problem for decades. In the following, the author sheds light on the deep state structure and thus illuminates some of the current problem constellations. Characteristics of such historical background are about three events in the last 70 years, which have been described as a kind of revolution or at least as popular movements. During the same period, two transitional constitutions and not less than five official constitutions were adopted.
... The introduction of fictitious democratic institutions by the Bhutanese King Jigme Dorji Wang... more ... The introduction of fictitious democratic institutions by the Bhutanese King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk must be seen in a similar context. ... The reason is that the social hierarchy of the Hindu state had been fundamental for all kinds of Page 10. ...
Nepal Observer, 2023
Chaos is not entirely new in Nepali politics. This is already ensured by Nepal's so-called top po... more Chaos is not entirely new in Nepali politics. This is already ensured by Nepal's so-called top politicians, who all consider themselves indispensable and understand democracy as little more than their endless power struggles. The constitution and laws do not necessarily have to be adhered to. Voters are only needed once every five years to secure the politicians' and parties' hold on power. If there is a danger that this no longer seems to be working properly, voters are taught how to vote by means of electoral alliances so that the power of the top politicians, who have actually long since failed, is preserved. Electoral alliances As is well known, the then Prime Minister KP Oli could only be stopped by an impeachment by the Supreme Court in July 2021 after several breaches of the constitution and disregard of court orders. A government was then formed under Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba (Nepali Congress, NC) with the participation of five parties. 1 Parts of this article were presented by the author at the annual Nepal Day of the German Nepal Association (DNG) in Cologne on 6 May 2023. This lecture was given in cooperation with Pushpa Raj Joshi, who specifically commented on the effects of the chaos on politics, society and the economy. 1
Nepal Observer, 2023
Since 1990, the Nepali state has committed itself in its constitutions to multiethnicity, multili... more Since 1990, the Nepali state has committed itself in its constitutions to multiethnicity, multilingualism and religious diversity in its society. This reality was reaffirmed in the current constitution of 2015. At the same time, another commitment was added, namely that of ending the existing unequal participation of diverse social groups in the state. In 2006, during Jana Andolan II, this had been one of the most urgent concerns of the people and had subsequently been declared a priority goal by all political parties.
Khabarhub, 2023
Nepal's politicians are bringing the country closer to the abyss, but the judiciary is also eager... more Nepal's politicians are bringing the country closer to the abyss, but the judiciary is also eagerly helping. There is hardly any rule of law left. Everything is ultimately dictated by the lust for power of the ageing and long-since failed so-called top politicians, who continue to consider themselves indispensable despite the devastating verdict of the voters. But even the young, supposedly alternative parties, in which many of the voters expressed their confidence in the recent parliamentary elections, are not really proving to be an alternative, but instead contribute to the maintenance of power of the eternally same top politicians.
Nepal Observer, 2021
Complaints about the lack of morality among Nepali top politicians have been around for a long ti... more Complaints about the lack of morality among Nepali top politicians have been around for a long time, but they have intensified in the late phase of the Oli government. This may be particularly due to Prime Minister KP Oli's behavior, but most other top politicians are not much behind him in this regard. Moral values regulate interpersonal behavior in society and are considered binding. However, there are often differences between an individual's moral values and those of society as a whole. They require interpretation and are influenced by origin, culture, religion and one's own experiences. Since the adoption of the present constitution, Nepal has called itself a liberal secular state. In Articles 3 and 4 of this constitution, Nepal professes a pluralization of ways of life and social relations as well as the values that determine them. Are Nepal's top politicians meeting this requirement or are they still all too attached to political ideas of the past, which were oriented towards Hindu political criteria that ignored aspects of multi-ethnicity, multilingualism, and the diversity of Nepal's religions and cultures?
Die Regierung von Premierminister K. P. Oli ist im vergangenen Jahr mit großen Versprechungen ang... more Die Regierung von Premierminister K. P. Oli ist im vergangenen Jahr mit großen Versprechungen angetreten, Nepal innerhalb von fünf Jahren in einen stabilen Rechtsstaat zu führen. Ein kursorischer Überblick des Autors kommt zum Schluss, dass eineinhalb Jahre später davon kaum etwas zu sehen ist.
Wie in vielen Gegenden der Erde so vollzieht sich auch in Nepal in jüngerer Zeit eine Art ethnisc... more Wie in vielen Gegenden der Erde so vollzieht sich auch in Nepal in jüngerer Zeit eine Art ethnisches Erwachen. Es geht eine Bewegung durch Nepal, die geprägt ist durch ein stetig wachsendes Selbstbewußtsein der diversen ethnischen Gruppen.
Am 12. und 13. Oktober besuchte der chinesische Staatspräsident Xi Jinping Nepal, ein Ereignis, d... more Am 12. und 13. Oktober besuchte der chinesische Staatspräsident Xi Jinping Nepal, ein Ereignis, das in den letzten Jahren wiederholt andiskutiert, aber nie vollzogen wurde. Dies war der erste Besuch eines chinesischen Präsidenten seit jenem von Jiang Zemin im Jahre 1996. Die Ergebnisse des Besuchs schlugen sich in 18 Abkommen und zwei Austauschschreiben nieder.
Als Indien am 31. Oktober 2019 eine neue offizielle politische Karte veröffentlichte, geriet der ... more Als Indien am 31. Oktober 2019 eine neue offizielle politische Karte veröffentlichte, geriet der kleine Landstreifen von Kalapani im Nordwesten Nepals einmal mehr in die Schlagzeilen. Zunächst diskutierten die Tageszeitungen und sozialen Medien intensiv über diesen "territorialen Übergriff" Indiens. Dann nahmen sich auch politische Parteien und die Regierung dieses Vorfalls an.
Ende 2017 sorgte eine diszipliniert durchgezogene Wahlallianz der beiden linken Parteien CPN-UML ... more Ende 2017 sorgte eine diszipliniert durchgezogene Wahlallianz der beiden linken Parteien CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist-Leninist) und CPNMC (Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist Centre) für eine grundlegende Veränderung der politischen Machtverhältnisse. Seit 2002, als der inzwischen abgesetzte König Gyanendra putschte, hatte es keine Partei mehr geschafft, eine absolute Mehrheit zu erringen. Selbst die damalige Mehrheit des NC (Nepali Congress) war aufgrund interner Machtkämpfe eher brüchig gewesen. Im Prinzip begann die Phase instabiler Regierungen bereits im November 1994. Was als klassisches Gerangel zwischen linken Parteien erscheinen mag, blockiert jedoch das Regierungshandeln auf allen Ebenen, das viele lokale Bevölkerungsgruppen so dringend bräuchten.
Das Jahr 2001 wird sicherlich als eines der schwärzesten Jahre in die Annalen der nepalischen Ges... more Das Jahr 2001 wird sicherlich als eines der schwärzesten Jahre in die Annalen der nepalischen Geschichte eingehen. Zehn Jahre nach der Demokratisierung tut sich das Land zunehmend schwerer, die hoch gesteckten Erwartungen zu erfüllen. Das Problem ist dabei weniger die Tatsache, dass die erhoffte Demokratisierung Zeit braucht, sondem eher die Art, wie die verantwortlichen Politiker und Parteien scheinbar zielstrebig jeden positiven Ansatz im Keim ersticken .
After10 years of a bloody Maoist insurgency and a gradual royal putsch, the people's movement... more After10 years of a bloody Maoist insurgency and a gradual royal putsch, the people's movement of April 2006 has laid the foundations for a new political beginning. Nepal's numerous problems must be understood against the background of historical and social developments of the modern state. The multiethnic, multicultural, multireligious and multilingual modern state of Nepal came into existence in the second half of the 18th century when the Shah monarchy of the principality of Gorkha unified numerous small states by military force. The Shah kings organized the new unitary state on the principles of traditional law with all its aspects of a stratified hierarchical social system. A small coterie of male members of so-called higher Hindu castes became dominant in all public spheres while other groups and the women became excluded, a situation that is still prevalent today and that is the reason for growing unrest. Neither the abolition of Rana oligarchy in 1950/1 nor the democr...
Starting with a short introduction into the historical development of political parties in Nepal,... more Starting with a short introduction into the historical development of political parties in Nepal, this presentation concentrates on the events after 1990. Since then, executive and legislative powers have been in the hands of the political parties. Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the two leading parties of the 1990 system, failed to develop the young democracy into an inclusive system. This gave rise to the Maoist insurgency that pretended to fight for the rights of the excluded sections of society. After the intermezzo of a royal putsch, Nepali politics faced a people's movement in 2006 that led to a new beginning with the intention of guaranteeing a durable peace and replacing the constitutional monarchy by a federal republican system. Despite successful elections to a constituent assembly in April 2008 and the abolition of monarchy one month later, the political parties have not been able to reach these two goals, yet. The crisis culminated once again on May 28, 2011, when the t...
Nepal's commitment to democracy is still quite young and the process of finding it is far fro... more Nepal's commitment to democracy is still quite young and the process of finding it is far from complete. The inherited burdens of the state have been a particular problem for decades. In the following, the author sheds light on the deep state structure and thus illuminates some of the current problem constellations. Characteristics of such historical background are about three events in the last 70 years, which have been described as a kind of revolution or at least as popular movements. During the same period, two transitional constitutions and not less than five official constitutions were adopted.