Democratic transparency lacking in Nepal Government formation
Surya B. Prasai
May 21, 2008
While tourists are flocking into Kathmandu in droves this Spring season, Nepalīs friends in the international community are worried about the lack of democratic transparency which is affecting the formation of a national unity government. Nepalīs Constitutional Assembly elections were held on April 10, endorsed by the international community, in which the Maoists won by a simple majority while bigger Nepali parties such as the Nepali Congress, Nepal Communist Party UML were relegated to a distant second and third position followed by the Terai parties which emerged fourth. Despite the CA Poll victory, Nepalīs Maoists, did not win enough seats to form a two thirds majority government, which is required by existing constitutional provision.
Recently, the NC and UMLīs committed republican forces met jointly under the auspices of Peace Minister Ram Chandra Poudyal and UML General Secretary Amrit Kumar Bohra, but despite their broad statement to declare the country into a republic through the first sitting of parliament, it was taken more as UML and NCīs disenchanted politicians attempting a veiled threat in unseating PM Girija Prasad Koirala first. So far none of the Nepali parties have been able to move forward on a government of consensus nor discuss an alternate presidential system, which would mean retailoring the entire legislative and judicial system. Poudyal's disenchantment is obvious since on several earlier occasions had claimed the number two spot of the Nepali Congress, which Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala handed to his subordinate, ex- PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is now considered his true successor. Neither close Koirala advisers nor the Maoists top leaders were present during that meeting.
Thus, given the existing political mistrust between Nepali political parties, the constitutional hitch appears daunting according to Kathmandu based foreign diplomats and Nepali scholars. In the past two years, Nepal had the worldīs longest functioning interim government and parliament, in which period Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala headed a seven party coalition structure. Koirala is now in his mid eighties but still agile and in command. He runs the Nepal Government from his bed chamber in Baluwatar, the official residence, with a handful of trusted advisers. The grand old man in Nepali politics remains undaunted and unchallenged in his decision making so far. Koirala is widely acknowledged as a clever defender of Nepali democracy and is well known globally, though some of his recent actions and friendships have been questioned openly by opposing NC members. Now, Koirala is known to be embarking on a new nationally inclusive democratic participation theory, in which he has proposed continuation of his leadership among the 25 parties now in the CA, but also acknowledging the Maoist win in formulating the new constitution which could take between two to three years.
Koirala recently stated he would not step down until the Maoists fulfilled his partyīs seven point demands. Among them, one is the unconditional dismantling of the Young Communist League which the CPN-Maoists claim is a national youth mobilization program. To support Koiralaīs views, Nepalīs Minister of Finance, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, recently asserted in Kathmandu that the NC is not planning to make a political bee dive to start a new counter democratic revolution as alleged by the Maoists, and neither is it after power grabs. There are also political demands that the ex-Maoist militia and the Nepal Army be integrated into a single entity before the democratic transition can take place. This is considered an additional major sensitive area which will have to await the next governmentīs decision and will require serious consultation from all sides, including those countries that have provided elite training to the Nepali Army and other disciplined forces.
Those opposed to the ruling Seven Party Alliance led by Koirala state it is high time NC step down and the Maoists be given the leadership mantle through the coming CA Meet. NC is inherently opposed to this. Acting president Sushil Koirala stated last week that past experiences with the Maoists do not give NC much confidence in their words or actions, to which the Maoists number two, Dr. Babu. Ram Bhattarai has responded by stating that it is NC that is breaching the peopleīs mandate since the PM refuses to resign ignoring global democratic practice.
Indiaīs Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh speaking from Bagdogra Airport in Indiaīs West Bengal state last week hoped Nepalīs democratic experiment would move forward constructively since all the political parties had an obligation to make it a success. Nepal shares an open border with India, from where it imports most of its food stuff and fuel. Similarly, British envoy to Nepal, Dr Andrew Hall, stated earlier this week in Dolkha, that since the Maoists were legitimate winners of the recent CA Poll, they deserved to lead the new government. However, Hall too pitched a clever media cliff hanger adding that the British Government had no objection and was ready to work with any party that could lead the future Nepal Government. The UK happens to be one of Nepalīs oldest friends and the fearsome Gurkhas serve as a regular part of the British Army. The UK has also been stepping up its aid volume to Nepal in the past half decade focusing on rural poverty and health.
Despite not being able to garner the required coalition support, Nepalīs Maoists still clamor if they get their way in the next two years, they will establish a Federal Democratic Republic system in Nepal, which appears a bit contradictory to their current existence, since their ultra left ideology is viewed with quiet disdain by influential Western and Asian powers, including some leaders within SAARC. The building argument goes,according to various South Asian commentators, certainly no one would hedge their bets on an extreme communist state between India and China, two of the worldīs largest and fastest rising global liberal economies. The Maoists recently proposed they would adopt a liberal economic view but it has failed to generate much interest in the Nepali business and industrial community. The biggest danger is to other Nepali political parties, if the Maoists succeed. SPA democratic party leaders fear, if the Maoists form a government, it could sweep the moderate left, center and center right parties off the political stage, including Nepali Congress and the Nepal Communist Party (UML), which maintain close ties with their Indian affiliates. Thus, Prime Minister Koirala is well aware that he has to oversee these variant and difficult political choices having to view both sides of the coin before endorsing a republican call.
To top it all off, Nepalīs media houses have started pitching sardonic comments recently on their politicians whims, including the Maoists. They describe them as a dreamy bunch, charging up the wrong hill like Don Quixote, and speaking only from their individual vantage points and not thinking seriously about the Nepali nation as a whole. In fact some suggest that with the current trend of no-speak amongst some of Nepalīs senior politicians, particularly after the CA Poll result, it could only prolong the Koirala governmentīs tenure in Kathmandu
Recently, the NC and UMLīs committed republican forces met jointly under the auspices of Peace Minister Ram Chandra Poudyal and UML General Secretary Amrit Kumar Bohra, but despite their broad statement to declare the country into a republic through the first sitting of parliament, it was taken more as UML and NCīs disenchanted politicians attempting a veiled threat in unseating PM Girija Prasad Koirala first. So far none of the Nepali parties have been able to move forward on a government of consensus nor discuss an alternate presidential system, which would mean retailoring the entire legislative and judicial system. Poudyal's disenchantment is obvious since on several earlier occasions had claimed the number two spot of the Nepali Congress, which Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala handed to his subordinate, ex- PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is now considered his true successor. Neither close Koirala advisers nor the Maoists top leaders were present during that meeting.
Thus, given the existing political mistrust between Nepali political parties, the constitutional hitch appears daunting according to Kathmandu based foreign diplomats and Nepali scholars. In the past two years, Nepal had the worldīs longest functioning interim government and parliament, in which period Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala headed a seven party coalition structure. Koirala is now in his mid eighties but still agile and in command. He runs the Nepal Government from his bed chamber in Baluwatar, the official residence, with a handful of trusted advisers. The grand old man in Nepali politics remains undaunted and unchallenged in his decision making so far. Koirala is widely acknowledged as a clever defender of Nepali democracy and is well known globally, though some of his recent actions and friendships have been questioned openly by opposing NC members. Now, Koirala is known to be embarking on a new nationally inclusive democratic participation theory, in which he has proposed continuation of his leadership among the 25 parties now in the CA, but also acknowledging the Maoist win in formulating the new constitution which could take between two to three years.
Koirala recently stated he would not step down until the Maoists fulfilled his partyīs seven point demands. Among them, one is the unconditional dismantling of the Young Communist League which the CPN-Maoists claim is a national youth mobilization program. To support Koiralaīs views, Nepalīs Minister of Finance, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, recently asserted in Kathmandu that the NC is not planning to make a political bee dive to start a new counter democratic revolution as alleged by the Maoists, and neither is it after power grabs. There are also political demands that the ex-Maoist militia and the Nepal Army be integrated into a single entity before the democratic transition can take place. This is considered an additional major sensitive area which will have to await the next governmentīs decision and will require serious consultation from all sides, including those countries that have provided elite training to the Nepali Army and other disciplined forces.
Those opposed to the ruling Seven Party Alliance led by Koirala state it is high time NC step down and the Maoists be given the leadership mantle through the coming CA Meet. NC is inherently opposed to this. Acting president Sushil Koirala stated last week that past experiences with the Maoists do not give NC much confidence in their words or actions, to which the Maoists number two, Dr. Babu. Ram Bhattarai has responded by stating that it is NC that is breaching the peopleīs mandate since the PM refuses to resign ignoring global democratic practice.
Indiaīs Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh speaking from Bagdogra Airport in Indiaīs West Bengal state last week hoped Nepalīs democratic experiment would move forward constructively since all the political parties had an obligation to make it a success. Nepal shares an open border with India, from where it imports most of its food stuff and fuel. Similarly, British envoy to Nepal, Dr Andrew Hall, stated earlier this week in Dolkha, that since the Maoists were legitimate winners of the recent CA Poll, they deserved to lead the new government. However, Hall too pitched a clever media cliff hanger adding that the British Government had no objection and was ready to work with any party that could lead the future Nepal Government. The UK happens to be one of Nepalīs oldest friends and the fearsome Gurkhas serve as a regular part of the British Army. The UK has also been stepping up its aid volume to Nepal in the past half decade focusing on rural poverty and health.
Despite not being able to garner the required coalition support, Nepalīs Maoists still clamor if they get their way in the next two years, they will establish a Federal Democratic Republic system in Nepal, which appears a bit contradictory to their current existence, since their ultra left ideology is viewed with quiet disdain by influential Western and Asian powers, including some leaders within SAARC. The building argument goes,according to various South Asian commentators, certainly no one would hedge their bets on an extreme communist state between India and China, two of the worldīs largest and fastest rising global liberal economies. The Maoists recently proposed they would adopt a liberal economic view but it has failed to generate much interest in the Nepali business and industrial community. The biggest danger is to other Nepali political parties, if the Maoists succeed. SPA democratic party leaders fear, if the Maoists form a government, it could sweep the moderate left, center and center right parties off the political stage, including Nepali Congress and the Nepal Communist Party (UML), which maintain close ties with their Indian affiliates. Thus, Prime Minister Koirala is well aware that he has to oversee these variant and difficult political choices having to view both sides of the coin before endorsing a republican call.
To top it all off, Nepalīs media houses have started pitching sardonic comments recently on their politicians whims, including the Maoists. They describe them as a dreamy bunch, charging up the wrong hill like Don Quixote, and speaking only from their individual vantage points and not thinking seriously about the Nepali nation as a whole. In fact some suggest that with the current trend of no-speak amongst some of Nepalīs senior politicians, particularly after the CA Poll result, it could only prolong the Koirala governmentīs tenure in Kathmandu