US, UK, Australia, India congratulate Nepalis on CA Poll

The US, UK, India have all expressed deep satisfaction and congratulated the Nepali people on successfully participating in the April 10 democratically held CA Poll, whose results show Nepal´s Maoists widening their lead both in direct and proportional vote counting. Nepal´s Maoists have already scored a century hit which some of their leaders have also jokingly referred to as a fair score return for their first one day cricket test match.

According to close Baluwatar sources, yesterday, Ambassador of the United States, to Nepal Nancy J. Powell met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala for about thirty minutes and heartily congratulated him and the Nepali people for successfully conducting the Constituent Assembly election, besides engaging common discussion on the constitution making process. This is interpreted as a strong commitment from the American side to help the Nepali people in the days ahead, since the US Embassy a few days back had already issued one of the first congratulatory notes to the Nepal Government, on successfully holding the CA Poll. British Ambassador to Nepal, Dr. Andrew Hall also called on the Prime Minister Koirala assuring him of continued British assistance to Nepal, according to Aditya Baral, Senior Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister. It is learnt that the British envoy also delivered a message from the UK´s Minister for International Development Shahid Malik to PM Koirala congratulating the latter for successfully conducting the CA Poll.

The U.S Embassy in Nepal has issued a fresh press statement which reads, "The United States has congratulated the people of Nepal on the historic Constituent Assembly election. Although there was considerable violence and intimidation during the pre-election period, and some instances of voting irregularities on election day, Nepali voters were able to cast their ballots peacefully in most districts…Over the next days and weeks, as complete results of these polls become known, the United States urges patience and nonviolent observance of the democratic process…We look forward to the formation of an assembly that reflects the will of the Nepali people, ready to begin the important work of framing a constitution that addresses their needs."

The Australian government has also welcomed the CA Poll results. According to an Australian Embassy press statement, "These were the first elections held in Nepal since 1999, and mark a milestone in Nepal's peace process after a long period of internal conflict. Early reports from international observer groups, including our own observer team led by Mr. Mark Butler MP, indicate that the elections took place in a peaceful manner….The success of these Constituent Assembly elections will provide a solid base for drafting a new constitution and will help to provide political direction to Nepal and an improved atmosphere for economic development."

India has also welcomed the Maoists win as a positive democratic step forward. According to India´s Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the CA Poll results bode well for Nepal´s democratic future. Mukherjee´s remarks made at a function in Kolkata are the first from the Indian Government although India´s Foreign Ministry has already released a statement of congratulations a few days back. Mukherjee also congratulated Nepal´s Maoists for the successful participation in the democratic election stating, "It will now be easier for India to work with the democratically elected government of Nepal."

It is learnt from Nepal´s Election Commission that the Maoists are winning with wide margins in the proportional counting as well, which has already started in several locations. These results are available on the EC website.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Army, which had displayed high morale courage, discipline and security coordination during the CA Poll period, guarding locations of national significance, airports, communication towers and other historical sites, has again expressed its full commitment to work under the direction of an elected democratic government. The Nepal Army´s senior officer representative to the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC) Shiva Pradhan had expressed this feeling during a related committee meeting. In the past, the Nepal Army has kept itself strictly apolitical and in recent days it was believed to be in a high state of alert to thwart any efforts to disrupt the polling. Pradhan is known to have also expressed NA´s full support to the peace process which he felt has been re-strengthened with the democratic CA Poll.

An active Politburo member of the Communist Party of India Sitaram Yechury, has also spoken on behalf of India´s leftist forces, "The CA polls were conducted successfully and the Maoists are now gearing up to enter the mainstream politics in a responsible manner….Indian communists have an opportunity to learn from Nepal's CPN-Maoist. He felt Nepal would now proceed on a democratic path with no political encumbrances and all Nepali would be able to garner their collective strength for the country´s economic progress, for which India stands committed. Both Yechury and Maoist leader Bhattarai were active in leftist student politics in earlier days.

Prachanda on behalf of CPN-M has already assured Nepal´s two closest neighbors, India and China, Nepal´s closest and traditional friends in the international community that all international commitments will be respected, diplomatic relations enhanced, democracy safeguarded and new avenues opened for the speedy economic development of Nepal. Prachanda´s low key and cautious comments came in the wake of an unexpected and overwhelming lead by his part over the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML in Nepal´s first democratic poll organized after 1999.

Upendra Yadav, the Chairperson of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, now the largest Terai party, has demanded the immediate selection of a Prime Minister and new cabinet. The Maoists number two leader Baburam Bhattarai had earlier indicated that Maoists will soon be forming a government to include other parties who had participated in the elections. However, it is not certain whether this cabinet will include anyone from the NC and UML since the latter had denied them important cabinet berths under the Koirala government. The NC´s principled stand in the cause of Nepali democracy has, however, has been strongly lauded by Bhattarai, despite its poor electoral show. The only Koirala family member who got elected was Dr. Shashank Koirala who is married to a Thai doctor, and is considered non-political in his activities being a committed social worker and full time medical professional. His elder brother Prakash Koirala has already served as a cabinet minister earlier. This time, it is rumored, Shashank might be picked as a Minister of Health.

It is now widely rumored in Kathmandu´s leftist, NC and top media circles that the Koirala government might announce its resignation anytime soon. It is learnt the cabinet ministers and other members have been summoned back to the capital. Meanwhile, the so-called Seven Party Alliance has mysteriously fizzled out with their former leaders no where to be seen, most of them defeated by the voters. It is only UML that has announced its principled stand to bow out of the Koirala government considering this to be the next best democratic alternative instead of quitting openly. The NC-UML leadership has never gone on well internally in the past two years, where UML had made three serious efforts of quitting government since Madhav Kumar Nepal, former UML head, had made his intention clear that he wanted to be PM in the interim period.

Whoever is appointed as Chairman, Prime Minister of Head of the next Council of Ministers, some of the CPN-M´s immediate challenges in leading the Nepal Government are: curbing the rising inflation, ensuring adequate supplies of consumer goods and commodities, narrowing down the budget deficit, sustaining the current tourism market expansion, developing a qualitative manpower base both for national growth and foreign labor placement, revamping the educational system which is considered outdated based on young Nepali minds feedback who crave for a more globalized education, encouraging genuine foreign investors, ensuring smooth bureaucratic functioning, and encouraging Nepali professionals to work fearlessly and honestly to safeguard Nepali people´s national interests. As Babu Ram Bhattarai has stated in some of his media writings in the past, it is difficult to change things in a day or a month, but if there is an effort to realize Nepali national strength, there is nothing stopping Nepalis from making their country rich and prosperous in the days to come; however, there must be democratic and all inclusive decision making in everything, whether it be a family or a nation, where the interests of the weakest must be protected by the strongest. Hopefully, Nepal is headed in the right direct this time around with such positive thinking in the New Nepali leadership structure.