6 months on

We arrived in Nepal 6 months ago yesterday. This should mean that I write a piece reflecting on our experiences and impressions so far. However my brain's not really in the right mode for this so it will have to wait until I'm feeling creative or to avoid waiting that long maybe I can persuade Sheila to write it.

 

It was deja vu all over again this morning when we got a phone call from a VSO staffer warning us to take care if we went out and to stay close to home. There were demonstrations yesterday and more planned today against fuel price rises announced on Friday. A bit more boisterous than the UK fuel price protests; we get tyres burnt in the streets and government vehicles trashed. These will be the many of the same demonstrators who were on the streets 4 months ago and for whom the fuel price is an excuse to vent their frustration at the slow pace of progress towards the democracy they fought for. A classic example being the drafting of an Interim Constitution which was meant to have started in June and be finished 15 days later - a totally unrealistic timetable which 2 months later sounds as if it is still more than 15 days from being achieved. The anger at the fuel price rise should remind the politicians of Bill Clinton's election mantra, "It's the economy - stupid" and it reminded me of a newspaper cartoon a week or so ago, a small fish called "Democracy" about to be gobbled up by a bigger one called "Peace Process" which in turn is being chased by an even bigger one called "Economy".

 

I must finish as I've been writing this as an excuse for not starting the thrilling task of checking a draft VSO "Partners Manual" and I can't put it off any longer.

 

Cheers

Roshan