A republic of fools
Media Communications Center
April 25, 2007
The ruling eight-party alliance is now confronted with the debacle of not being able to hold the much vaunted Constitutional Assembly (CA) elections on 20 June. PM Girija Prasad Koirala of the Nepali Congress (NC) was quite upbeat about it even a few days back. And the Maoist supreme Pushpa Kamal Dahal had been ranting continuously and threatening dire consequences, if the CA elections were not held on time. Unfortunately for them domestic and international constraints put an end to their wishful thinking, bringing the alliance into full disarray. The Chief Election Commissioner and the UN Special Representative, Ian Martin gave the unkind stabs in the back.
Like a sulky child who has not been able to get what it wanted, Comrade Dahal has now attempted a giant leap forward. He and his democratic revolutionaries are now demanding that the Interim Parliament declare the country a "people's republic". He has said that this is the only way to restore the eight-party unity. This blackmailing of the other government parties reflects very much their democratic pretensions. Once again, where is the people's mandate? Therefore, in spite of a spurious clause in the interim constitution, it is neither within the competence of the parliament to make such an announcement by acclamation, nor should it be. Why the haste at all? It is the people who must decide. If the CA-elections can only be held in autumn, so be it.
The timeline to CA-elections in June was tight from the start, even under the assumption that the caretaker government and the one preceding it would have taken a more cooperative, constructive and result-oriented approach to the preparation of the CA-elections. Unfortunately, as we all know, it got ahead of itself and wasted time to debate on issues that the constituent assembly should have decided on. That the elections must now be delayed is in no small parts due to the Maoists own doing. Having talked like this and acted like that all the time, Dear Leader Prachanda is the last of all people to complain now about the CA-elections having to be delayed.
Be that as it may, the Maoists after concluding their recent central committee meeting, have gone on record that they would agitate in parliament and in the streets for an immediate republican system of government, if their demands were not met forthright. Are we taking this lying down, without any resistance at all? Can the 7+1 alliance decide all and sundry for us? Have the Nepalese really been degraded to mute spectators in this travesty?
The Maoists have conceded that the 7+1 alliance lies in tatters after the CA-elections could not be held on time. Now everything has to be re-negotiated, but the Maoists have ways and means to put intense pressure on their political partners. A two-thirds majority for an immediate republican form of government in the so-called interim parliament is not an impossibility in the present political scenario. But who would become the president and the prime minister, and how would the division of power (read spoils) look like? Actually, the Maoists and the other republicans should now be happy, because now they can abolish the monarchy without going through the rigmarole of the CA.
Unfortunately for the alliance and the Maoists, the United Marxists-Leninists (UML) have unnecessarily complicated matters by introducing the possibility of a referendum on the monarchy/republic before holding CA-elections. The CPN-UML argues that this would give 'legitimacy' to the CA. On the face of it, it is no doubt a democratic exercise. The Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) has supported the UML stance, whereas the NC has been unable to take a decision yet. In fact the government parties have been unable to agree on the essentials of the political road-map after the Election Commission's bombshell. For the time being, let us say that they have agreed to disagree.
It is also clear that the communist parties and the Maoists are now poised to take over political power. They have the necessary majority in the interim parliament, and can also make a show of legality and constitutionality. People in power always find ways to agree. On the other hand the two factions of the nominally democratic NC have manoevred themselves into a cul-de-sac. The head of the foreign department of the CPN-UML, Jhala Nath Khanal has demanded that if the CA-elections are postponed — this is now a foregone conclusion — then the PM should resign. His senior colleague in the cabinet, Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan has gone on record to say that Koirala and his party must shoulder the principal blame for the postponement. In a telling remark, Jan Morcha Nepal MP, Lila Mani Pokherel has dubbed Koirala as "incompetent".
PM's daughter, Sujata Koirala seems to have an inkling as to which way the wind is blowing. She has accused the Maoists for being responsible for the imbroglio over the CA-elections. She accused the Maoist cadres of exacerbating the law and order situation all over the country. Thus, no security could be provided to the voters and the candidates at present. Members of the Young Communist League were walking around armed and intimidating the general public. They were poised to capture the voting booths. Why then does interior minister Sitaula from her own party undertake nothing? In another broadside, Sujata Koirala said that the general-secretary of the UML was in a terrible hurry to become the PM.
As the political equations now strand, the two factions of the NC are at a complete loss as what to undertake next. If Nepal is declared a republic, it is very well possible that G.P. Koirala is kicked upstairs to occupy the seat of a ceremonial presidency. The Maoists will not yet grab complete power — they are patient and can wait until they have infiltrated the state institutions and administration, including the army and police. As a stop-gap measure, they will support M.K. Nepal of the UML as executive PM. Koirala's life-work would then have been completed.
Like a sulky child who has not been able to get what it wanted, Comrade Dahal has now attempted a giant leap forward. He and his democratic revolutionaries are now demanding that the Interim Parliament declare the country a "people's republic". He has said that this is the only way to restore the eight-party unity. This blackmailing of the other government parties reflects very much their democratic pretensions. Once again, where is the people's mandate? Therefore, in spite of a spurious clause in the interim constitution, it is neither within the competence of the parliament to make such an announcement by acclamation, nor should it be. Why the haste at all? It is the people who must decide. If the CA-elections can only be held in autumn, so be it.
The timeline to CA-elections in June was tight from the start, even under the assumption that the caretaker government and the one preceding it would have taken a more cooperative, constructive and result-oriented approach to the preparation of the CA-elections. Unfortunately, as we all know, it got ahead of itself and wasted time to debate on issues that the constituent assembly should have decided on. That the elections must now be delayed is in no small parts due to the Maoists own doing. Having talked like this and acted like that all the time, Dear Leader Prachanda is the last of all people to complain now about the CA-elections having to be delayed.
Be that as it may, the Maoists after concluding their recent central committee meeting, have gone on record that they would agitate in parliament and in the streets for an immediate republican system of government, if their demands were not met forthright. Are we taking this lying down, without any resistance at all? Can the 7+1 alliance decide all and sundry for us? Have the Nepalese really been degraded to mute spectators in this travesty?
The Maoists have conceded that the 7+1 alliance lies in tatters after the CA-elections could not be held on time. Now everything has to be re-negotiated, but the Maoists have ways and means to put intense pressure on their political partners. A two-thirds majority for an immediate republican form of government in the so-called interim parliament is not an impossibility in the present political scenario. But who would become the president and the prime minister, and how would the division of power (read spoils) look like? Actually, the Maoists and the other republicans should now be happy, because now they can abolish the monarchy without going through the rigmarole of the CA.
Unfortunately for the alliance and the Maoists, the United Marxists-Leninists (UML) have unnecessarily complicated matters by introducing the possibility of a referendum on the monarchy/republic before holding CA-elections. The CPN-UML argues that this would give 'legitimacy' to the CA. On the face of it, it is no doubt a democratic exercise. The Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) has supported the UML stance, whereas the NC has been unable to take a decision yet. In fact the government parties have been unable to agree on the essentials of the political road-map after the Election Commission's bombshell. For the time being, let us say that they have agreed to disagree.
It is also clear that the communist parties and the Maoists are now poised to take over political power. They have the necessary majority in the interim parliament, and can also make a show of legality and constitutionality. People in power always find ways to agree. On the other hand the two factions of the nominally democratic NC have manoevred themselves into a cul-de-sac. The head of the foreign department of the CPN-UML, Jhala Nath Khanal has demanded that if the CA-elections are postponed — this is now a foregone conclusion — then the PM should resign. His senior colleague in the cabinet, Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan has gone on record to say that Koirala and his party must shoulder the principal blame for the postponement. In a telling remark, Jan Morcha Nepal MP, Lila Mani Pokherel has dubbed Koirala as "incompetent".
PM's daughter, Sujata Koirala seems to have an inkling as to which way the wind is blowing. She has accused the Maoists for being responsible for the imbroglio over the CA-elections. She accused the Maoist cadres of exacerbating the law and order situation all over the country. Thus, no security could be provided to the voters and the candidates at present. Members of the Young Communist League were walking around armed and intimidating the general public. They were poised to capture the voting booths. Why then does interior minister Sitaula from her own party undertake nothing? In another broadside, Sujata Koirala said that the general-secretary of the UML was in a terrible hurry to become the PM.
As the political equations now strand, the two factions of the NC are at a complete loss as what to undertake next. If Nepal is declared a republic, it is very well possible that G.P. Koirala is kicked upstairs to occupy the seat of a ceremonial presidency. The Maoists will not yet grab complete power — they are patient and can wait until they have infiltrated the state institutions and administration, including the army and police. As a stop-gap measure, they will support M.K. Nepal of the UML as executive PM. Koirala's life-work would then have been completed.
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