Nepal´s Post-Maoist Falters´ Power Politics
Prakash Bom
June 14, 2009
If the status quo Nepali politicians and their counsels could have been realistic with their cognitive and optimistic bias towards Democracy they would have second thought for not to adore a ceremonial president with the executive power of supreme commander of Nepal Army. Instead such a constitutional provision should have been rested on people´s elected Parliament – Constituent Assembly without which consent no executive body of the government can make decision upon emergency or constitutional and political crises.
Unless elected representatives of the Parliament take full responsibility of their rights with the proceedings of 21st century´s Parliamentary democratic practice the nation cannot move further to the aspiration of people under the autocratic leadership of a few influential party leaders such as GP Kaoirala, MK Nepal, PK Dahal, and others. Nation has had long suffered with such leaders´ self-serving illusory superiority that has often demoralizes the fairness of their own party seniority in the politics.
For example, Nepali Congress president GP Koirala assigning his own daughter Sujata to lead the party in UML led coalition government demonstrates his legacy of authoritarian politics within his own party establishment. The question before the people is that whether such a political legacy can transform the nation with a democratic society that can deliver justice, peace and prosperity to the people of Nepal.
The failure of Maoist as a major political party in the Parliament to lead the coalition government has put Nepal unnecessarily in the hand of India to be rescued. Nepal at this transition period neither can live with India "as it is" nor can transform beyond. Nepal has basically lost its political independence with the current political crises to the benefit of India of which India is about to take in all areas the unnecessary advantage of the situation.
The alleged boarder encroachment in Dang district is one of the evidence that has concerned people, which UML led government´s foreign minister Sujata Koirala outright denies the occurrence. However, a team of legislature of Parliament for International Relations and Human Rights Committee has found the physical evidence of boarder encroachment in the district. Politically, it is clear that NC-UML leaderships have myopically let India decide the providence of Nepali politics.
It is clear that the nation that can not lead its own political future by establishing its own political independence through national consensus is devoid of its honest leadership. Of course, the mutual relationship with India is indispensable in every area but not at the expense of Nepali-nationhood and sovereignty of people.
Historically, Nepal has lost in every field – socio-political, economical, and cultural in a mutual relationship with India since British Empire to the Independent India, not because of India but because of the failure of Nepali leadership due to the self-serving culture of politics. Basically, Nepali leadership (from the monarchy to the republic) has always been the burden of Nepali-nationhood with the lack of vision and dedication to establish democratic society that can deliver justice and prosperity. That is why Nepal has become one of the poorest nations of the world with the culture of impunity.
At this point, the pride of Nepali people no matter how falsified suffers with the domination of Indian-nationhood. Practically, Nepali people cannot live with or without India. The only thing that Nepali people need from India is the political independence but not the interference at every internal crisis. However, it is not the India which can give political independence to Nepal but Nepal´s political leadership that can lead Nepal independently.
For the alliance of political party leaderships to lead Nepal politically independent of India they must think to practice Parliamentary democratic system different from political tradition of India. This means executive body of the government must seek consent of the people´s elected Parliament on executive order, on political crises, and on emergency. No executive decree can be lawful without the consent votes of the Parliament.
As a result, the ceremonial president must be completely isolated from legislative and executive proceedings of Parliament and Government. It is the vote of the Parliament that makes piece of legislature law, but not the ritualistic signature of the ceremonial president.
For instance, the current tradition of Prime Minister reporting on ceremonial president has to forsaken. The Prime Minister must report to the Parliament. For example, Canadian and Australian Prime Ministers do not report to the Queen Elizabeth II as the ceremonial head of the state of Canada and Australia. But they report to the Parliament.
In order to have different Parliamentary democratic system from India Nepal must directly elect its Prime Minister to run a stable government for the term of the Prime Minister by forming a majority or coalition based government. This is what will necessitate a directly elected Prime Minister to seek national consensus.
This means no Prime Minister is replaced every six month with the coalition parties, which bargain like BK Gachchedar of MJF faction with the threat to UML-led government of MK Nepal. Also, it will not allow an unexpected individual to become a Prime Minister nor it will allow autocratic leader like GP Koirala to divert politics for making his daughter foreign minister of UML-led government demoralizing other NC seniority in leadership.
It will also avoid the chance to divide the political party like MJF by manipulate self-serving political leaders like Gachchedar deliberately eliminating the role of president of MJF. Basically, UML-led government under the dictatorship of NC president GP Koirala has played a dirty politics in order to form a full cabinet.
If the Prime Minister is popularly elected then an executive order within the coalition government such as in Maoist-led and UML-led government regarding the case of army chief Katawal can hardly be a political crisis for discharging him earlier for retirement. UML-led government´s burden is now to win the support of Maoist and one of the way to secure Maoist support is to discharge army chief Katawal.
It is observed that UML-led government under the dictatorship of NC president GP Koirala is extremely fragile like the mosaic of ceramic in the air unless it secures Maoist support to hold it tight. Nonetheless, if Nepal is about to establish Parliamentary democratic system it must directly elect Prime Minister in order to avoid interferences of an autocratic leader like GP Koirala and India to control the executive body of the government. If the presidential democratic system is purposed then it will be a completely new meal for entire Nepal to digest. But lets see how capable are the political leadership of Nepal for not to letting them to be the slave of New Delhi and the legacy of GP Koirala´s party politics.
Unless elected representatives of the Parliament take full responsibility of their rights with the proceedings of 21st century´s Parliamentary democratic practice the nation cannot move further to the aspiration of people under the autocratic leadership of a few influential party leaders such as GP Kaoirala, MK Nepal, PK Dahal, and others. Nation has had long suffered with such leaders´ self-serving illusory superiority that has often demoralizes the fairness of their own party seniority in the politics.
For example, Nepali Congress president GP Koirala assigning his own daughter Sujata to lead the party in UML led coalition government demonstrates his legacy of authoritarian politics within his own party establishment. The question before the people is that whether such a political legacy can transform the nation with a democratic society that can deliver justice, peace and prosperity to the people of Nepal.
The failure of Maoist as a major political party in the Parliament to lead the coalition government has put Nepal unnecessarily in the hand of India to be rescued. Nepal at this transition period neither can live with India "as it is" nor can transform beyond. Nepal has basically lost its political independence with the current political crises to the benefit of India of which India is about to take in all areas the unnecessary advantage of the situation.
The alleged boarder encroachment in Dang district is one of the evidence that has concerned people, which UML led government´s foreign minister Sujata Koirala outright denies the occurrence. However, a team of legislature of Parliament for International Relations and Human Rights Committee has found the physical evidence of boarder encroachment in the district. Politically, it is clear that NC-UML leaderships have myopically let India decide the providence of Nepali politics.
It is clear that the nation that can not lead its own political future by establishing its own political independence through national consensus is devoid of its honest leadership. Of course, the mutual relationship with India is indispensable in every area but not at the expense of Nepali-nationhood and sovereignty of people.
Historically, Nepal has lost in every field – socio-political, economical, and cultural in a mutual relationship with India since British Empire to the Independent India, not because of India but because of the failure of Nepali leadership due to the self-serving culture of politics. Basically, Nepali leadership (from the monarchy to the republic) has always been the burden of Nepali-nationhood with the lack of vision and dedication to establish democratic society that can deliver justice and prosperity. That is why Nepal has become one of the poorest nations of the world with the culture of impunity.
At this point, the pride of Nepali people no matter how falsified suffers with the domination of Indian-nationhood. Practically, Nepali people cannot live with or without India. The only thing that Nepali people need from India is the political independence but not the interference at every internal crisis. However, it is not the India which can give political independence to Nepal but Nepal´s political leadership that can lead Nepal independently.
For the alliance of political party leaderships to lead Nepal politically independent of India they must think to practice Parliamentary democratic system different from political tradition of India. This means executive body of the government must seek consent of the people´s elected Parliament on executive order, on political crises, and on emergency. No executive decree can be lawful without the consent votes of the Parliament.
As a result, the ceremonial president must be completely isolated from legislative and executive proceedings of Parliament and Government. It is the vote of the Parliament that makes piece of legislature law, but not the ritualistic signature of the ceremonial president.
For instance, the current tradition of Prime Minister reporting on ceremonial president has to forsaken. The Prime Minister must report to the Parliament. For example, Canadian and Australian Prime Ministers do not report to the Queen Elizabeth II as the ceremonial head of the state of Canada and Australia. But they report to the Parliament.
In order to have different Parliamentary democratic system from India Nepal must directly elect its Prime Minister to run a stable government for the term of the Prime Minister by forming a majority or coalition based government. This is what will necessitate a directly elected Prime Minister to seek national consensus.
This means no Prime Minister is replaced every six month with the coalition parties, which bargain like BK Gachchedar of MJF faction with the threat to UML-led government of MK Nepal. Also, it will not allow an unexpected individual to become a Prime Minister nor it will allow autocratic leader like GP Koirala to divert politics for making his daughter foreign minister of UML-led government demoralizing other NC seniority in leadership.
It will also avoid the chance to divide the political party like MJF by manipulate self-serving political leaders like Gachchedar deliberately eliminating the role of president of MJF. Basically, UML-led government under the dictatorship of NC president GP Koirala has played a dirty politics in order to form a full cabinet.
If the Prime Minister is popularly elected then an executive order within the coalition government such as in Maoist-led and UML-led government regarding the case of army chief Katawal can hardly be a political crisis for discharging him earlier for retirement. UML-led government´s burden is now to win the support of Maoist and one of the way to secure Maoist support is to discharge army chief Katawal.
It is observed that UML-led government under the dictatorship of NC president GP Koirala is extremely fragile like the mosaic of ceramic in the air unless it secures Maoist support to hold it tight. Nonetheless, if Nepal is about to establish Parliamentary democratic system it must directly elect Prime Minister in order to avoid interferences of an autocratic leader like GP Koirala and India to control the executive body of the government. If the presidential democratic system is purposed then it will be a completely new meal for entire Nepal to digest. But lets see how capable are the political leadership of Nepal for not to letting them to be the slave of New Delhi and the legacy of GP Koirala´s party politics.
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