Nepal´s leftists push for a new democratic coalition
Surya B. Prasai
June 20, 2008
In an unexpected turn of political events, Nepal´s leftists comprising the CPN-UML and CPN-Maoists have met at the famous Hotel Vaishali in Thamel to sort out their political differences whereby it proposed UML for the President and the Maoists to head the government. Though it is reported within the Naya Bazaar and Balkhu circles that it is time for a Janjatiya to be made president(the name proposed is Subash Nembwang´s, speaker of the Interim Parliament), there is also certain discussion going among Nepali rights activists and women´s leadership circles at various five star coffee shop venues that Sahana Pradhan must be put forward as the ideal choice given her higher sacrifices for UML, where her husband was a founding member of the party. However according to trusted UML old hand, former Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikary, it is likely his party will propose Nembwang as the Presidential nominee. That leaves the Prime Minister´s position to be filled in by Prachanda.
All these last minute and secretive leftist maneuvers at Vaishali have left Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and the entire NC leadership miffed and sullen. Koirala had mentioned a few days ago that he would not be begging for the President´s post but expected the Maoists to at least propose his name, which they did not. It is quite likely that NC will now head the opposition in the Constituent Assembly, while Upendra Yadav, the charismatic and moderate leader of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum will be the Constituent Assembly Chairman. The ´historic´ meeting at Vaishali with its usual bountiful Indian and continental food spread was attended by UML leaders Jhala Nath Khanal, Madhav Nepal, Bhim Rawal and Bharat Mohan Adhikary and Maoist leaders Prachanda, Babruram Bhattarai, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Mohan Baidya and KB Mahara. It is still likely the new leftist merger proposed is going to be hotly debated by the 25 parties in the coming week, since NC immediately sent out its big wigs in different directions out of Baluwatar canvassing a counter Left move. NC insiders contend, it is unlikely that all the decisions of the Maoists and UML will be endorsed by all the political parties in the coming week, which however, gives Prachanda ample time to go for a wider selection of cabinet names.
Earlier during the week, the big three parties, namely -- CPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (UML) -- had managed to reach consensus on army integration and constitutional amendment, whereby they decided to amend the interim constitution to allow a simple majority government to be formed. The most contentious issue, that of the Nepal Army-Maoist integration is likely to be solved with an ad hoc committee to be formed to look into integration of those qualified Maoists cadres who wish to join Nepal Army based on the latter´s routine selection criteria, which must also meet certain education, weight, height and other NA selection formula. Last week an ex-army General and Nepali military scholar with considerable international career exposure, C.B. Gurung, appealed to all sides, including the political parties, to think cautiously and carefully on the army integration issue so as to mete out a peaceful and permanent resolution. Similarly, Inderjit Rai, a well known Nepali civil-military relations expert and popular in the media circuit, had suggested to the future Nepal Government to seek international donor support to accommodate the new recruits, as and when this process happens. Thus, Nepali politics continues to be dominated by the major issues of integrating the two armies and arms with homework being pursued seriously by all sides.
Also this week, the Nepali media was agog seeing a portly ex-Fijian army strong man landing up in their midst at the Nepal Reporters Club. The ex-Fijian Prime Minister and Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, talked at length on why an army should not be involved in politics, though he admitted his mistake in conducting two major ´coups´ in Fiji before landing up as its Prime Minister. Rabuka felt Nepali people were relatively more honest and peaceful in ushering in their people´s democratic mandate compared to the more tumultuous events that took place in Fiji.
For this week, the last word out of Baluwatar is that Koirala, who brought the Maoists into the political mainstream, is still considering an active role in the constitution making process, and might even meet the ex-king to shape a new liberal democratic alliance with ex-royalists, while Koteshwor sources close to Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal admit that M.K. Nepal is equally gross that his name was not proposed as the first Presidential choice, given his equally long standing sacrifice to UML´s cause. UML´s new General Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal, an arch contender of M.K. Nepal´s , has not made any comments on this issue yet.
All these last minute and secretive leftist maneuvers at Vaishali have left Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and the entire NC leadership miffed and sullen. Koirala had mentioned a few days ago that he would not be begging for the President´s post but expected the Maoists to at least propose his name, which they did not. It is quite likely that NC will now head the opposition in the Constituent Assembly, while Upendra Yadav, the charismatic and moderate leader of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum will be the Constituent Assembly Chairman. The ´historic´ meeting at Vaishali with its usual bountiful Indian and continental food spread was attended by UML leaders Jhala Nath Khanal, Madhav Nepal, Bhim Rawal and Bharat Mohan Adhikary and Maoist leaders Prachanda, Babruram Bhattarai, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Mohan Baidya and KB Mahara. It is still likely the new leftist merger proposed is going to be hotly debated by the 25 parties in the coming week, since NC immediately sent out its big wigs in different directions out of Baluwatar canvassing a counter Left move. NC insiders contend, it is unlikely that all the decisions of the Maoists and UML will be endorsed by all the political parties in the coming week, which however, gives Prachanda ample time to go for a wider selection of cabinet names.
Earlier during the week, the big three parties, namely -- CPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (UML) -- had managed to reach consensus on army integration and constitutional amendment, whereby they decided to amend the interim constitution to allow a simple majority government to be formed. The most contentious issue, that of the Nepal Army-Maoist integration is likely to be solved with an ad hoc committee to be formed to look into integration of those qualified Maoists cadres who wish to join Nepal Army based on the latter´s routine selection criteria, which must also meet certain education, weight, height and other NA selection formula. Last week an ex-army General and Nepali military scholar with considerable international career exposure, C.B. Gurung, appealed to all sides, including the political parties, to think cautiously and carefully on the army integration issue so as to mete out a peaceful and permanent resolution. Similarly, Inderjit Rai, a well known Nepali civil-military relations expert and popular in the media circuit, had suggested to the future Nepal Government to seek international donor support to accommodate the new recruits, as and when this process happens. Thus, Nepali politics continues to be dominated by the major issues of integrating the two armies and arms with homework being pursued seriously by all sides.
Also this week, the Nepali media was agog seeing a portly ex-Fijian army strong man landing up in their midst at the Nepal Reporters Club. The ex-Fijian Prime Minister and Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, talked at length on why an army should not be involved in politics, though he admitted his mistake in conducting two major ´coups´ in Fiji before landing up as its Prime Minister. Rabuka felt Nepali people were relatively more honest and peaceful in ushering in their people´s democratic mandate compared to the more tumultuous events that took place in Fiji.
For this week, the last word out of Baluwatar is that Koirala, who brought the Maoists into the political mainstream, is still considering an active role in the constitution making process, and might even meet the ex-king to shape a new liberal democratic alliance with ex-royalists, while Koteshwor sources close to Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal admit that M.K. Nepal is equally gross that his name was not proposed as the first Presidential choice, given his equally long standing sacrifice to UML´s cause. UML´s new General Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal, an arch contender of M.K. Nepal´s , has not made any comments on this issue yet.
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