Click here to return to IRED.com
Navigation Tabs


Mortgage Lenders Tools for Agents Consumer Services Ratings and Icons Descriptions USA Realty Directory International Realty Directory Add or Enhance a Link in the IRED Directories Advertising on IRED Information about IRED Site Map

Archived Articles

Simeon Mitropolitski

Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.

He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.

In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.

Global Real Estate Project
News Index

Directories
  Int'l Realty
  US Realty


4 January 2008

Nepal: Back to a civil conflict?

© 2008, IRED.Com, Inc., Simeon Mitropolitski

Some weeks ago the parliament of Nepal voted for a constitution amendment making the country a federal republic pending the endorsement by the Constituent Assembly; the latter must be elected by mid-April 2008. In the meantime, the parliament passed a law for nationalization of the property of the royal family. The nationalized property will be put into a special trust; the profits of its management will go for different social programs in the healthcare and the education. Pending the election of the Constituent Assembly, the Maoists, the strongest among the opposition forces, demand for the King Gyanendra to vacate his palace immediately or face a deportation from the country. Other political forces, from both the opposition and the government, refuse to endorse this move. Nepal, a poor and backward country in the Himalayan Mountains, faces another national crisis.

Nepal faces problems that aren't uncommon to many Third World countries. A traditional society with very high economic disparities between the upper and lower classes, with still widespread illiteracy, and economic structure in the agriculture that favors only few, Nepal has done very little since the end of the British presence in order to overcome its economic backwardness. On the contrary, the regional rivalry between India and China after the World War II has contributed to 'freezing' of country's social, political and economic relations. The regime has been supported by India; the main organized military opposition groups for decades have found support in China. Not surprisingly, the recent 'détente' between New Delhi and Beijing has also contributed to some sort of political opening in Nepal. The social peace, however, is far from assured. The country can still turn back to the road of the civil war.

At least three short to midterm scenarios are possible for Nepal. First, the least possible, is that the ruling elite unites around what remains from the royal family, ready to defend its privileges. The civil conflict starts again, but the two powerful neighbors India and China push back the warring parties on the table of political negotiations; second, by far the worst scenario, much more probable, is that the country sinks into political chaos, and the most organized faction, the Maoists, take power, creating situation similar to that in countries like Cambodia of the late 1970s; third, the best scenario, although less certain with each day passing, is to have all major political forces forging a viable coalition for social and economic progress, including the former Maoists and monarchists.

Nepal country profile:
  • Area: 147,100 sq km.
  • Land use (arable land): 16%.
  • Population: 28.9 million (2007 est.).
  • Population growth rate: 2.13% (2007 est.).
  • Life expectancy at birth: 60.5 years.
  • Total fertility rate: 4.01 children born/woman (2007 est.).
  • Literacy: 48.6%.
  • GDP per capita: purchasing power parity $1,500 (2006 est.).
  • Internet users: 250,000 (2006);
(Source: CIA - World Factbook 2007, Reuters)

--------------------

See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Nepal.

Was this article helpful?    


See also:


| IRED Home | Search IRED |


© 1995-2008 IRED.Com, Inc
All Rights Reserved