CJ-led Government-21

Siddhi B Ranjitkar

Finally, leaders of the four-party political mechanism have started off a dialogue with the election-opposing groups. The 33-party front led by the CPN-Maoist has put forward an 18-point concept, the front led by Madheshi People’s Rights Forum-Nepal has put forward a six-point concept, and the Federal Social Party put forward a five-point concept at the meetings held on different days and time. Some leaders of the four-party political mechanism have said that they are ready to do everything if the opposition parties are to participate in the elections to a new Constituent Assembly (CA) whereas some other leaders of the mechanism have been for holding elections to a new CA at any cost otherwise the country will be in a political crisis. Chairman of

CPN-Maoist and his colleagues have been saying that the four-party political mechanism has been doing everything going against the constitution for forcibly holding elections but Chairman of CPN-Maoist and his colleagues have failed in taking the issue to the Supreme Court of Nepal and proving it unconstitutional but they have been engaging in the unconstitutional means to foil the elections.

On August 6, 2013, leaders of the four-party political mechanism was supposed to hold a joint meeting with the Federal Democratic Front led by the Madheshi People’s Rights Forum-Nepal of Upendra Yadav and the Federal Social Party of Ashok Rai. However, Ashok Rai could not participate in the meeting due to the technical reasons. At the same venue later on, leaders of the four-party political mechanism held a meeting with the 33-party front led by the CPN-Maoist.

The Federal Democratic Front tabled a six-point concept at the meeting with the leaders of the four-party mechanism. Their demands are the Chairman of the Interim Election Council of Ministers needs to quit the position of the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, the ratio of the proportional representation to the representation by the direction election should be 58 to 48, the Election Commission should extend the voters’ registration time and include the missed eligible voters on the voters’ list, and the eligible voters should be registered based on other documents other than the citizenship certificates. Later on, leader of Federal Democratic Front Upendra Yadav complained about the leaders of the four-party political mechanism not being serious, and being silent on the demands put forward by his front at the meeting.

The 33-party front put forward an 18-point concept at the meeting with leaders of the four-party political mechanism. Leaders of the 33-party front demanded to suspend all the election-related activities including the Commission on Delineation of Constituencies. They also demanded to stop the registration of voters based on documents other than the citizenship certificates.

The Federal Democratic Front wants to register voters based on documents other than the citizenship certificates whereas the 33-party front wants to scrap the list of voters that have been registered based on other documents. These two fronts are going a head-on collision concerning the registration of voters.

The four-party political mechanism held a meeting with the Federal Social Party on August 7, 2013. Leaders of the Federal Social Party tabled a five-point concept. The five-point concept has the demand for dissolving the four-party political mechanism, holding a round table conference of all political parties represented in the dissolved CA, annulling election-related laws, scrapping 11-point agreement, and the 25-point ordinance, and finally suspending the elections to be held on November 19, 2013.

The Election Commission has hinted at the possibility of extending the time for registering the voters missed in registration. The Supreme Court of Nepal has opened the door to register the voters based on other documents other than the citizenship certificates. All the Madheshi political parties have been for registering voters based on other documents rather than only on the citizenship certificates.

Recently, leader of Terai-Madhesh Democratic Party Hridayesh Tripathi has revealed that the CPN-Maoist has been opposing the elections to a CA to justify its split away from the UCPN-Maoist, and to demonstrate his party a political force. Hridayesh Tripathi’s statement might have some truth, as the demands of the CPN-Maoist for scraping all the elections-related activities, and for starting everything from the scratch are impossible to meet when the preparations for holding elections have reached almost a final stage.

Senior leader of NC Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that his party and he are ready to amend everything to meet the demands of the CPN-Maoist provided the CPN-Maoist commits to participate in the elections. Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya accompanied by General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal and Secretary Dev Gurung went to meet with senior leader Deuba at the latter’s Buddhanilkantha residence. One leader of NC at the meeting has even said to Ram Bahadur Thapa, “How could you break the model ballot box by a sledgehammer? You are the candidate of your party for a future prime minister.”

Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya went to see Senior Leader of CPN-UML Madhav Nepal at the latter’s residence, and complained about the coordinator of the four-party political mechanism Prachanda saying he was not for compromising the election date and other issue the 33-party front had raised at the meeting between the 33-party front and the four-party political mechanism. After the meeting with the 33-party front on August 6, 2013, Chairman of UCPN-Maoist also the current coordinator of the four-party political mechanism flew to Pokhara, and at the interaction with the leaders of the civil society and intellectuals, Chairman Prachanda said that no amendments to the 11-point agreement, and the 25-point ordinance would be made, and the election date would not be suspended. Senior leader of CPN-UML Madhav Nepal assured Chairman of CPN-Maoist Vaidhya of meeting some rational demands of the 33-party front.

Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya has been saying that Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda has been against his party participating in the elections; the CPN-UML has been against the Federal Social Party of Ashok Rai participating in the elections; Chairman of Madheshi People’s Rights Forum-Democratic Bijaya Gacchedar has been against the Federal Democratic Front participating in the elections.

Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya must have the conception that if his party is to participate in the elections his party will be mainly competing with the UCPN-Maoist; the Federal Social Party of Ashok Rai will be competing with the CPN-UML; and the Federal Democratic Front will be competing with the Madheshi parties; so those three mother parties such as UCPN-Maoist, CPN-UML, and Madheshi People’s Rights Forum-Democratic want to keep the breakaway opposition parties out of the elections, according to the thinking of Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya.

CPN-UML has recently said that it will be flexible to meet the demands of the opposition parties if they are to participate in the elections. However, the CPN-UML standing committee has decided to stick to the November 19, 2013 for holding the elections to a new CA. Other political parties such as UCPN-Maoist, NC, and UDMF are ready to accommodate the opposition parties if they are to participate in the elections. However, the four-party political mechanism is not ready to start off everything from a scratch as demanded by the CPN-Maoist. They believe that preparations for the elections have reached almost the last stage and the elections should be held as scheduled.

Speaking to the anchor of the ‘antar-sambad’ of the Radio Nepal morning program on August 7, 2013, spokeswoman for CPN-Maoist Pampha Bhusal has said that the four-part political mechanism has been the puppet of the foreign power; she wants a round table conference without the interference of the foreign power. However, she has not named any foreign power that has been interfering in the political business of Nepal. She also has said that the sovereignty is at the risk. How the sovereignty has been at the risk she has not said. Concerning the collaboration with the former king, she has said that the republic has been the reality; so, her party is ready to collaborate with anybody for institutionalizing the people’s achievement made in the people’s movement and the people’s war. She has vehemently opposed the Radio Nepal using the word ‘dissidents’ for the oppositions. She has said that her party and other political parties opposing the elections to a new CA are not dissidents; they are opposition parties.

President of NC Sushil Koirala and his two general secretaries Prakash Man Singh, and Krishna Prasad Sitaula have been in India since Sunday, August 4, 2013 for a six-day visit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh. President Koirala has met with Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh and President of Congress-I Sonia Gandhi in turn. In both the meetings, President Koirala has said that his party and he are for holding elections scheduled for November 19, 2013 at any cost. President Koirala also has said that the four-party political mechanism has been making every possible effort on making the opposition parties participate in the elections.

Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh has firmly supported President Koirala for his determination to hold elections as scheduled. Only the elections to a new CA could bring political stability and institutionalize democracy in Nepal, Prime Minister Singh has said.

President of Congress-I Sonia Gandhi has said that she has been disappointed by Nepal not being able to craft a new constitution even after almost six years of declaration of republic. Only the elections could strengthen democracy; so, Nepal needs to hold elections as scheduled, President Sonia Gandhi has said according to Prakash Man Singh that has been present at the meeting.

Why Nepalese leaders have been visiting India one by one. Some Nepalese media have been reporting that the Nepalese leaders have been visiting India to please Indian leaders. However, the truth has been just the opposite. Indian leaders want to keep the potential Nepalese prime ministers happy with them. The Indian leaders also want to know what really Nepalese leaders want from India. For Indian leaders, Nepal has been a strategic country when the Chinese leaders have been trying to influence the Nepalese leaders heavily.

Take the example of Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya that had went to China on the eve of the visit of the Indian foreign minister to Nepal. Mr. Vaidhya sees the influence of Indian leaders on Nepal but he refuse to see the Chinese leaders interfering in the Nepalese business. The Chinese leaders have been forcing the Nepalese government to clamp down on the Tibetan exiles in Nepal when the Tibetans attempt to have a peaceful protest against the Chinese administration in Tibet denying the fundamental human rights to the Tibetans in their own country.

Chairman Mohan Vaidhya has repeatedly hinted at the possibility of Sikkimizing Nepal means merging Nepal with India. However, he never has said the possibility of Tibetizing Nepal. Both the Sikkimizing and Tibetizing are the mental disorder of any person that believes in it.

Some leaders even go to the extent of saying that the existence of Nepal is at risk. Is it possible that Nepal becomes part of China or India? Any rational person says, “No.” Then, why the political leaders say that the sovereignty of Nepalis is at risk or the existence of Nepalis is at risk. It is only the political tricks, Nepalese leaders play when they need to divert the attention of their cadres and even the people from their misdeeds.

If you ask President of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Kamal, “Who can save the country?” He will certainly say, “Only the king can save the nation.” The king has not been able to save his own crown how could he can save the nation, Mr. Thapa does not know. Wherever former King Gyanendra visits, he finds some people shouting at him, “Come forward, and save the nation.” Then, Gyanendra ask them, “Why don’t you come forward and act rather than simply shouting?”

If you ask Vice-chairman of UCPN-Maoist Dr Baburam Bhattarai what the former king has been doing. He will say, “Gyanendra has been going to the foreign power begging for his reinstatement.” Dr Bhattarai also will say that some people have been trying to reinstate the fired Gyanendra.

Dr Shasank Koirala: leader of NC also the son of founder member of NC BP Koirala has been around and saying, “People will reinstate Gyanendra.” How he came to such a conclusion he does not say. He is no doubt the son of a man called BP Koirala that had said that the then king Mahendra and he were conjoined at the neck. Mahendra never responded to this statement. Mahendra became an absolute ruler. BP Koirala became a prisoner for being the first elected prime minister.

The absolute monarchy and the multi-party democratic system cannot go together. So, Nepalis had to tolerate the 30-year no-party system called Panchayat introduced by absolute King Mahendra. The Panchayat rule suppressed the basic human rights of Nepalis. Then came Gyanendra claiming that the State was the property won by his ancestors. Gyanendra briefly introduced his absolute rule just to lose everything. Thus, the monarchy has gone from Nepal forever. Now, the monarchy can never come back, as the monarchy and democracy cannot go together.

Political leaders and people dreaming to restore the monarchy in Nepal should understand that Nepalis had suffered enough from the dynastic rule. One king after another had prevented Nepalis from their personal development, and from developing the society as a whole, too. If a king found someone had achieved doing something that man or woman became the target to hit. Thus, the dynastic rulers had kept Nepalis in poverty for two and a half centuries depriving them of any opportunity of better earning and living. Will Nepalis restore such a monarchy? Certainly, Nepalis will not restore such a monarchy.

The 33-party front led by Mohan Vaidhya putting forward the 18-point concept that cannot be realized has clearly shown that the front is for disrupting the elections to a new CA. Leaders of CPN-Maoist have been directly and indirectly saying that the idea of making the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, a chairman of Interim Election Council of Ministers, and then of holding elections to a new CA is foreign, and the foreign power has imposed it on the four-party political mechanism.

Mohan Vaidhya and his colleagues see everything happening in Nepal as the foreign intervention. They don’t want to recognize the political reality that has led to make the chief justice a chairman of the Interim Election Council of Ministers. Chairman Vaidhya did not want to understand that the NC and the CPN-UML did not want the government headed by the UCPN-Maoist and UDMF holding elections to a new CA. Similarly, the UCPN-Maoist and the UDMF did not want the government of NC and the CPN-UML holding the elections to a new CA. The only alternative the four parties agreed on was to form a neutral government for holding the elections to a new CA. This is what Chairman Vaidhya and his colleagues see as the foreign intervention in the Nepalese politics. Surely, we cannot believe it as a foreign imposed neutral government for holding the elections to a new CA.

Chairman Vaidhya, his deputies, and other colleagues have never been tired of saying they are not against the elections but they are only against the elections to be held through the unconstitutional means. However, Chairman Vaidhya and his colleagues never have thought of taking this issue to the Supreme Court of Nepal, and prove it unconstitutional. They don’t want to use the constitutional means to prove what they think is unconstitutional but they are for proving that their party is a political force to be recognized through intimidating the four-party political force.  They want to demonstrate that their cadres are capable of doing anything to achieve their goal through a force. They have started off collecting donations coercively going against the law and the constitution. Probably, Chairman Vaidhya thinks that collecting donations by force is not going against the law, and is constitutional. We can come to the conclusion that if the 33-party front is to disrupt the elections to a new CA means they are not for institutionalizing democracy in Nepal.

August 9, 2013