Can Maoists Lead the Country?

By Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

The disruption of the Constitution Assembly session on June 26, 2008 was the clear indication of the failure of the three major political parties such as Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist and Leninist (CPN-UML) in general and of the CPN-Maoist in particular to take all political parties together for building a new Nepal. The CPN-Maoist was more responsible than other two parties, as Nepalis made it a largest party in the Constituent Assembly giving the mandate to lead other political parties for building a new Nepal. However, the CPN-Maoist had disastrously failed in leading other political parties even after two and a half months of the election for the Constituent Assembly held on April 10, 2008.

The disruption of the Constitution Assembly session has shattered the belief of those three major political parties in the possibility of doing anything if they come to a consensus disregarding other minor political parties. We civil society advocates have been telling the leaders of these parties the need for taking all parties together for building a new Nepal; however, they ignored this truth. So, this event was the first challenge to those leaders believing in the majority rule disregarding any voice of those left out of the majority group.

It was shame on the leaders of the CPN-Maoist, as they could not get into power even after two and a half months of the mandate given by the Nepalis to lead all political parties and run the country. It was because of their arrogant thinking of they could do everything without the support of other major two parties such as NC and CPN-UML not to mention other minor parties. However, when they realized that it was not so, it had almost passed a month or so. Then, they spent their precious one and a half months negotiating with these two major parties ignoring the minor parties even the fourth largest party such as Madheshi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF).

Then, the three major political parties disregarding the four minor parties in the seven-party alliance (SPA) and other 22 parties represented in the Constituent Assembly agreed to present the proposal for amending the Interim Constitution for making provision for electing President, Vice-president and Prime Minister by a simple majority. They did not bother to listen to the concern of the ethnic groups and Madheshi parties for including the provision for federalization and autonomy to various autonomous provinces to be formed after crafting a new constitution in the proposal for amending the Interim Constitution.

In fact, the coalition government of the SPA had signed an Eight-Point Agreement with the United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF) on February 28, 2008 agreeing on the Article second of the agreement as follow: “Nepal shall be the federal democratic republican State accepting the people’s aspiration for the federal republican structure, and meeting the aspirations of the Madheshi people for the autonomous Madhesh province, and the people of other regions for their autonomous provinces. The federal structure shall be based on the clear delineation of power between the center and the provinces. Provinces shall be fully autonomous and with power. Keeping intact the sovereignty, unity and integrity of Nepal, the Constituent Assembly shall allocate the power, and set the structure of provinces, and keep the record of the center and the provinces.”

Despite the agreement in question, the leaders of those three major political parties were reluctant to include the provision made in this agreement in the proposal for amending the Interim Constitution. In this case, none could anticipate any other result than the blocking of the Constituent Assembly session. The proposal for amending the Interim Constitution went against the will of minority Nepalese people whereas the mandate of Nepalis was to have consensus of all parties on all the matters concerning the nation building. Certainly, attempting to impose their ideas on the minority people, the leaders of those three major parties had gone against the mandate of people.

Another article of the agreement in question was as follow: “The government shall inevitably ensure proportional representation of Madheshis, indigenous people, ethnic people, women, dalits, people of the backward communities and minority in appointment, promotion and nomination of staffs to all agencies of the State including the security agency.” This article not only needed to be included in the proposal for amending the Interim Constitution but also needed to be included in the future constitution to be crafted without any change.

It was a grave mistake of the three political parties such as CPN-Maoist, NC and CPN-UML in general and CPN-Maoist in particular to ignore the reasonable concerns of the minorities and historically disadvantaged groups. They wanted nothing more than control over their own destiny without the external interference. They had suffered enough during the 240 years of the Shah dynastic rule from discrimination and domination. They did not want domination of any majority rule again; they wanted judicious treatment of all Nepalis.

Leaders of these three major parties needed to learn that they could not do anything without taking the concerns of the ethnic groups and disadvantaged groups into consideration. So, it would be better for them and for all Nepalis if they listened to all Nepalis for building a new Nepal based on equal treatment of all Nepalis. It was clear that those so-called three major parties alone could not do it any more.

Probably, some leaders still believed in the disintegration of the country if they agreed to afford any autonomy to the provinces to-be-formed following a new constitution. It was a wrong notion. Giving autonomy to the newly emerged provinces would not certainly break up Nepal into small pieces, as all Nepalis wanted a single Nepal united of all ethnic groups and disadvantaged people. Nepal would certainly break up into pieces if some leaders attempted to force all ethnic groups to come under their authority.

We have seen how all Nepalis came together on the occasion of the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected members of the Constituent Assembly. Rational Nepalis were proud of seeing so many people of different culture and religions wearing their traditional dresses come together to build a new Nepal. This was a unity in diversity. However, some so-called leaders did not want to realize this truth and attempt to put the country into a reverse gear to take it to regression again. All rational Nepalis would not let it happen and would fight for unity of all Nepalis.

Leaders of the major political parties in general and the Maoists in particular needed to accept the idea of federalization with autonomy to the provinces and the central government having full control over army for defending the international border. The disruption of the Constituent Assembly on June 26, 2008 was clear message of Nepalis wanted federalization and autonomy and the warning to the Maoists that they would not be able to move an inch ahead in getting power without accepting this reality. Their arrogant notion of they could do everything without the support of other groups was nothing more than an obstacle to the peaceful settlement of the political deadlock. If they would not listen to other groups they would not be able to form a government and they would lose another chance of getting power peacefully.