Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Stays On-Part 39

(International Community Concerns With Political Gridlock In Nepal)
Siddhi B Ranjitkar

The international community has been concerned with the protracted political gridlock in Nepal but our politicians seemed to be not so concerned with it, as they refused to build a consensus on all political matters, and then jointly go to the polls for electing a new CA. The opposition coalition of the NC and the CPN-UML did not want to clear off the legal hurdles to the elections to a new CA but wanted to take the office of prime minister for putting the current ruling coalition in the opposition and at the mercy of the NC rulers. Some ethnic groups might form their ethnic states and recruit soldiers and police if the opposition coalition were to not institutionalize the federalism and federal states. Certainly, the NC and the CPN-UML leaders believed that the president would takeover at one point in time, and destroy the federalism and federal states but such an event would be disastrous to not only to the common folks but also to the president and the leaders that have pushed the president to commit such a crime.

The worst performances of the NC rulers have shown by the three NC leaders that had been in the various offices of the NC government in the past and currently serving the jail term for corruption. Nepalis did not want to see the corrupt administration of the NC, and institutionalization of the corruption but want the fast economic prosperity denied by the previous tyrannical Shah-Rana rulers during the 240 years. Nepalis want to control their own destiny, would never accept again others controlling their destiny and making decisions for them.

The UN General Secretary has urged the Nepalese politicians to break the protracted political deadlock enforcing the Comprehensive Peace Agreements the government had reached with the Maoists in 2006, to institutionalize the achievements of the past several years to meet the aspirations of the Nepalese people, and to create an environment conducive to holding elections to a new CA. The government of Nepal and the then Maoists had reached the CPA, and ended the 10-year conflict in Nepal, and committed to institutionalize the achievements made by the people’s movement.

Similarly, the US, UK, EU and other European countries also have had urged the Nepalese politicians to reach a deal as soon as possible to break the current political deadlock. Breaking the political deadlock means agreeing on holding elections to a new CA. They have been providing the government of Nepal with the fund for completing the peace process and for holding elections, and institutionalizing the gains made in the people’s movements of various times.

Leaders of neighboring countries such as India, and China have been concerned with the political instability in Nepal. The Indian opposition leaders had even gone on stating that the Indian government should act immediately to sort out the political problems in Nepal. Similarly, the Chinese leaders also have expressed their concern about the political gridlock in Nepal.

According to the media reports, the ruling coalition partners have been flexible about resolving the political problems through every means possible but the opposition coalition of the NC and the CPN-UML has charged the prime minister with being an obstacle to settling the political issue not quitting the office. The ruling coalition has agreed on making the President of NC Sushil Koirala the next prime minister of Nepal but only after removing the legal hurdles to holding the elections to a new CA, filling up the vacant positions of Chief Election Commissioner, and of some other commissioners, and the vacant positions at the law courts including the Supreme Court of Nepal so that the NC-led consensus government would have no problems of holding the elections. The ruling coalition wanted to make sure all these things such as the president issuing the decrees on all these matters, and then appointing Koirala to the office of prime minister, and settling the issues of allocation of ministerial portfolios to different political parties happened before turning over the power to the NC leader. However, the opposition coalition insisted on first, the prime minister turned over the office to Sushil Koirala, and then Koirala would do everything to hold elections and so on.

We have to be concerned with is that the ruling coalition has even set aside the federalism and federal states to make a deal with the opposition coalition, as the opposition coalition of the NC and the CPN-UML did not want to talk about the federalism and federal states. They have agreed on the newly elected CA would take up the federalism and federal states thus leaving the federalism and federal states in uncertainty. Thus, the coalition of the UCPN-Maoist and the UDMF had gone so far to reach a deal with the opposition coalition of the NC and the CPN-UML to break the current political deadlock and take the nation to the elections to a new CA for resolving the political issue democratically. However, the opposition coalition did not sign off the agreement and let the deadline set by the president for forming a consensus government goes astray on December 17, 2012. The president has extended the deadline for five more days for the fourth time on December 18, 2012

The Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) has already braced up for launching street protests against the agreement reached among the four major political forces to build a national unity government and hold fresh elections to a new CA setting aside the federalism and federal states. In a statement released on Sunday, December 16, 2012, Chairman of NEFIN Raj Kumar Lekhi said that the three political parties such as UCPN-Maoist, NC and CPN-UML, and the Madheshi front: UDMF were about to reach a deal that would ignore the state-restructuring (federal states) with multi-ethnic identity, reduce the proportional representation in the state agencies, and nullify all the works done by the dissolved CA, according to the Nepalese media reports. So, the NEFIN would launch street protests against such a deal that went against the federalism and federal states. However, the political parties failed in reaching such a deal; so, the NEFIN did not have to launch street protests at least for some time.

Senior NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba told his colleague and rival Sushil Koirala to take the latest offer of the ruling coalition announcing the election date, and making an amendment to the constitution for clearing off the legal hurdles to hold elections before turning over the office of the prime minister to the NC leader Sushil Koirala. Senior leader Deuba told his colleagues not to doubt the sincerity of the Maoists, and the words of the Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda that had said a consensus government would be formed before the deadline would end on Monday, December 17, 2012, and simply take the offer and lead a new government, take the country to the polls for electing a new CA, but Sushil Koirala refused to do so. Mr. Koirala had been so close to take the office of prime minister but he did not take it, as he distrusted the ruling government turning over the power to him.

Clearly, President of NC Sushil Koirala missed out the office of prime minister rather than holding elections to a new CA, as holding elections means turning over the power to the federalists that would institutionalize the federalism and ethnic federal states. Mr. Koirala has simply proved the suspicion of the ruling coalition that the opposition coalition of the NC and the CPN-UML was not for holding the elections to a new CA. Unfortunately, the leaders of the NC and the CPN-UML could foresee that they would lose the elections but they could not foresee the consequences of not holding the elections.

Consequences of not holding the elections to a new CA would be not institutionalizing the federalism and the federal states. Ethnic and Madheshi people strongly believe that this is exactly what the NC and the CPN-UML leader want. Thus, NC leader Koirala has simply confirmed the fear of the ethnic and Madheshi people that the NC-led government would not hold the elections to a new CA but would continue the administration if the NC were to get the power. However, the ethnic and Madheshi people are not for backing away from institutionalizing the federalism and federal states. Some of the ethnic people particularly the Limbus of the eastern Nepal have been determined to set up the Limbuwan state. They have made the flag of the Limbuwan state. Probably, they are in the process of building the Limbuwan police and the army. If the NC and the CPN-UML leaders were to refuse the Limbus their own state they might declare the Limbuwan state. Other ethnic and Madheshis might simply follow the suit. Is this what the NC and CPN-UML leaders want refusing to build a consensus on holding the elections to a new CA, and then institutionalizing the federalism and federal states?

Ethnic and Madheshi people in particular and the common Nepalis in general had submitted the dynastic rulers for 240 years, then parliamentary leaders for more than 20 years. These despotic rulers did everything possible to deny the Nepalese people their rights to prosperity and fundamental human rights. Now, they are not willing to give in to the repression of any despotic rulers whether they are NC or CPN-UML leaders or any other kinds of leaders or of the rulers in Kathmandu. Ethnic leaders en masse have quit the NC and the CPN-UML because these two political parties have been dragging on the issues of federalism and federal states. The ethnic leaders have formed an ethnic party. They have been determined to institutionalize the federalism and the federal states. In view of concentrating the power in their hands, the NC and CPN-UML leaders have been fighting the not-winnable battle of not institutionalizing the federalism and federal states.

I found out most of the logically thinking intellectuals wanted Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai to stay on in power for some time to come. They wanted him to complete some of the development works such as expanding the roads he had started off. Nobody had dared to do so in the past. Expanding roads has been started off on other towns, too. The logical-thinking intellectuals strongly believed that if the current prime minister were to go and somebody of the NC were to take over the power, this ongoing work on expanding the roads would surely suspended and would never start again. The current government has been demolishing the illegally built walls, huts and even houses on the land planned for the roads. Despite the opposition by the local people and some of the NC parliamentarians in the past, the government has continued to expand the roads. The management of the Everest Hotel at New Baneswor managed to stop the government tearing down its illegally built compound walls twice in the past. This time, the government sent the bulldozer and other equipment on Saturday and demolished the illegally built compound walls before the management of the Hotel Everest had a chance to go to a court and get a stay order as did in the past. So, the current government had been demolishing the illegally built walls, sheds and even houses on the road on Saturdays. NC lawmaker Narahari Acharya went to oppose the demolition of the house of his relatives and supporters at the Kamal Pokhari but he could not do anything except for staying in the police custody for a day. The negative thing the current government had done was withdrawing the murder cases against some of the Maoist leaders, and not bringing the perpetrators of human rights to justice.

Recently, while in the visit to his home district in far western Nepal, the so-called leader of CPN-UML Bhim Rawal told the reporters that the president should discharge the current prime minister and dissolve the Maoist-Madheshi coalition government for forming a national consensus government as reported by the Nepalese media. Mr. Rawal was a home minister in the notorious government headed by Madhav Nepal popularly known for his defeat in two constituencies in the elections to a CA held in 2008. Mr. Rawal as a home minister recruited 16,000 new police popularly and logically suspected for making money rather than improving the security in the country.

We could guess how the political leaders with this kind of the mindset of discharging the prime minister not thinking about the constitution and the rule of law but simply of grabbing the power from the ruling coalition could make a serious deal for breaking the current political deadlock. These guys have been mad about grabbing the power but the president has not cooperated with them in this matter, yet. However, these mindless opposition leaders have continued to build up pressure on the president to remove the current democratically elected government and then turn over the power to them.

In these political circumstances, if Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda were to agree with these politicians on forming a unity government without the consent of the UDMF and the prime minister, it would simply be disastrous to none but Prachanda himself. His political status would drop to the level of the status of other political leaders with the corrupt mindset. The FDRA continues to support the government of Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, and is supporting to transform the Bhattarai government into a national unity government. So, a conscious government is not possible without the support of the UDMF. Leaders of the UDMF said that the opposition coalition should follow the five-point deal that stated the NC would led the government after promulgating a new constitution but the opposition coalition forgetting all about it was simply interested in grabbing the power at any cost.



UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep concerns over the protracted political deadlock in Nepal and urged the parties to work for building an environment conducive to hold fresh elections. In a statement issued in New York on Friday, December 14, 2012, the UN Secretary-General Ban’s spokesperson said that the UN Secretary General urged the Nepalese political parties to set aside differences in the interest of the nation and form a broad-based government without further delay. “The Secretary-General urges all actors in Nepal to reaffirm their commitment to the Comprehensive Peace Agreements and to safeguard the achievements of the past several years in line with the aspirations of the Nepali people,” the statement read. (Source: THT ONLINE, Nepalnews.com, December 15, 2012)

On Friday, December 14, 2012, speaking at a seminar held by the Nepal-Bharat Sahayog Manch on ‘Nepal-Bharat Relations: Consolidation and Exploration of Prospects for Extended Cooperation’ in New Delhi, India, former president of India’s principal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party Rajnath Singh said, “The protracted crisis in Nepal has worried us as much as its citizens. The political crisis in Nepal is deepening as the Constituent Assembly has failed to make a new constitution. In the light of given situation, New Delhi has to confess the fact that the Indian government failed to act on time.” Singh said he along with other opposition leaders had asked Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh several times to take an effective diplomatic initiation to help Nepal to resolve its impasse. (Source: thehimalayantimes.com, December 14, 2012)

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said that the party leading a new government should not hold the portfolios of home, defense, finance and information and communication ministries to ensure free and fair elections. The Prime Minister sought the guarantee of institutionalization of the achievements made by the Constituent Assembly dissolved on May 27, 2012. The prime minister also wanted to remove legal and constitutional hurdles to holding fresh elections before quitting the office. The prime minister also said that he would quit the office only his party wanted him to do so. He said that he took the office to achieve concrete achievements. Chairman UCPN-Maoist Prachanda quit the office in 2009, his party objected to it; the party had then concluded that it was historical blunder for Prachanda to quit the government over the Rookmangud Katwal case, the prime minister said. (Source: HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE, December 15, 2012)

Opening the first assembly of the CPN-Maoist Tamuwan State Committee on Sunday, December 16, 2012, Chairman of the CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya said that an armed protest was the last resort if parties were not to break the political deadlock at the earliest and promulgate the much-hyped pro-people constitution. Such a constitution would not be unacceptable to his party if it were not made for the welfare of the people. (Source: THT ONLINE, December 16, 2012)

Speaking to the reporters at his party headquarters in Kathmandu on Sunday, December 16, 2012, spokesman for the UCPN-Maoist Agni Sapkota stated that the parties would reach a consensus on a new government at the earliest as the UCPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai had exhibited utmost flexibility for the formation of a consensus government. Spokesman Sapkota said that the country was in a transitional period, and if the parties were to fail in forging an agreement on the formation of a national unity government during this period, then it would be declared that the major political parties including UCPN-Maoist failed in their job. Spokesman Sapkota further said that if the parities forged an agreement in a package deal then his party would have no objection to President of NC Sushil Koirala becoming the Prime Minister of a national unity government. (Source: THT ONLINE, December 16, 2012)

In a press statement released on Sunday, December 16, 2012, Chairman of Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) Raj Kumar Lekhi said that the NEFIN would hold a rally at Shanti Batika in Ratna Park in Kathmandu on Monday morning, December 17, 2012, the consensus agreement the four political parties such as UCPN-Maoist, NC and CPN-UML, and UDMF were set to reach a deal ignoring the demands of the NEFIN. Chairman Lekhi said that the four major political forces were to ignore the state restructuring with multi-ethnic identity, to reduce the proportional representation, reduce the number of Constituent Assembly seats, promulgate a new constitution through the Legislature-Parliament and nullify the reports prepared by the dissolved Constituent Assembly. (Source: THT ONLINE, December 16, 2012)

Speaking to the reporters in Biratnagar on December 16, 2012, central member of NC Sujata Koirala said that Prime Minister Baburam Bh-attarai should quit the office first to pave the way for the NC to form a new government. “There will be the consensus soon among all after the PM resigns,” she said. She made it clear that her party made the name of Sushil Koirala for the new prime minister public, as other parties have also shown interest in the government led by NC. “There is no option for the PM as the party had already made the name public,” she said. Sujata urged the UCPN-Maoist to set aside all its obstinacies and come to the national consensus to give a way out to the nation. (Source: HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE, December 16, 2012)

At the time of opening the first conference of CPN-Maoist Tamuwan State in Pokhara on December 16, 2012, Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya accused the UCPN-Maoist of shedding the agenda of federalism for the sake of power. He said, “Since Prachanda and his party is opportunist and reformist, the party has quit the agenda of federalism in the name of reaching an agreement with the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.” Vaidhya accused Prachanda of running after the CPN-UML and NC on the temptation of becoming Prime Minister and President. “CPN-Maoist will continue fighting for the people’s rights,” Vaidhya said. Vaidhya also accused the three major political forces of being power-centric. “These parties hardly discuss anything on new Nepal. Their only focus is on grabbing the power,” he said. (Source: HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE, December 16, 2012)

Talking to the office bearers of the Reporters Club gone to submit a memorandum to him on Sunday, December 16, 2012, Former prime minister and senior leader of NC Sher Bahadur Deuba said there was no reason to always doubt the UCPN-Maoist’s intention. “UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) has said consensus would be forged within the extended deadline. We should not always doubt Dahal (Prachanda) if we have to forge consensus,” he added. In response to a question, the NC leader said it would be difficult for the party to agree on the contents of a new constitution, but if there were an agreement for the same, then reinstatement of the CA would be the best alternative. “I do not think agreement on the contents of the constitution is possible now. Therefore, there is hardly any alternative to fresh election,” he added. (Source: HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE, December 16, 2012)

At the informal meeting held at the NC President Sushil Koirala's residence in Maharajgunj on Monday, December 17, 2012, the NC leaders concluded that the scope for an environment to build a consensus has been deteriorated as the Prime Minister had refused to step down; the UCPN-Maoist intended to extend its stay in the government in one way or another. The leaders, however, agreed that the negotiations should be continued to forge an agreement among the parties. (Source: THT ONLINE, December 17, 2012)

Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has set conditions to make way for a new government. The conditions are announcement of election date and participation of opposition parties in a national unity government under him at least for some time before the handover of the government leadership to the NC. Prime Minister Bhattarai's aide Bishwodeep Pandey said that along with the announcement of date for the Constituent Assembly polls in Baisakh (April-May), there should be an agreement to turn the current government into a national unity government, amend the election-related constitutional provisions and conclude the peace process. "The NC will be given the government's leadership after that," he told Nepalnews.com, claiming that this is also the position of the UCPN-Maoist. If the parties were to fail in reaching such an agreement, they should pick someone from the UDMF or from a fringe party to head the new government, he said. (Source: nepalnews.com, December 17, 2012)

Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has said that the date for holding the elections to the CA should be set prior to a consensus on prime ministerial candidate. All parties should focus on holding fresh elections by mid-May, 2013 giving up any prejudice, the Prime Minister said while addressing an event held in Kathmandu to mark the centenary of Dilliraman Regmi on December 18, 2012. Prime Minister Bhattarai said, "Let's begin talks on holding fair, impartial and independent CA elections as early as possible. But, an irrelevant discussion is continuing on the next prime minister prior to the elections. This has pushed the country toward a critical situation." The Prime Minister also said that consensus and CA elections were not possible as the parties were holding talks with a focus on partisan interest despite talking much on consensus rhetoric. He urged the leaders to maintain a republic, federalism, secularism and writing a democratic constitution with spirit of inclusiveness. (Source: RSS/thehimalayantimes.com, December 18, 2012)

Speaking to the reporters at the Pokhara Airport on Tuesday, December 18, 2012, Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya said that the name of the prime ministerial candidate chosen by the big three parties such as UCPN-Maoist NC, and CPN-UML would not be acceptable to his party. If all the parties are not included in the meeting and decisions are taken without the approval of all the parties then it would amount to a dictatorial act, he said. “Four-year term spent in discussions and meetings but no way out to bail the country from the existing political and constitutional hurdles”, he said, “The country does not have any expectation from the failed political leaders.” (Source: THT ONLINE, December 18, 2012)

On Tuesday, December 18, 2012, President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav granted five more days to the political parties to forge a political consensus on forming a national unity government. The Office of the President said in a statement that the President extended the time to form a new government building a political consensus as the political parties requested him to do so. This is the fourth extension. The head of the state had called the parties to form the consensus government on November 23 for the first time following the Article 38(1) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal of 2007. (Source: THT ONLINE, December 18, 2012)

Talking to the reporters at Dhangadhi, Far Western Nepal on Tuesday morning, December 18, 2012, CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal said that the President should form a national unity government, terminating the incumbent government with the caretaker status. Leader Rawal accused Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai of working unilaterally and intending to take the country toward confrontations. “The President should constitute a national unity government, taking other parties into confidence to avert possible confrontations and complex situation in the country,” said Rawal. (Source: RSS/thehimalayantimes.com, December 18, 2012).

At the meeting with the President at the presidential residence, Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday, December 19, 2012, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has made it clear to President Dr Ram Baran Yadav that he was not an obstacle to a consensus. Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai shared that he was of the view that a people's constitution should be drafted from the constituent assembly even during the ‘people's war’ and that he always fought for a constitution including republic and federalism. Apprising the President of the efforts and discussions held so far with political parties for a consensus and the latest developments to this end, the Prime Minister made it clear that there was no truth in the ongoing publicity that he was standing as an obstacle to a consensus. "The ongoing publicity describing the Prime Minister as an obstacle to a consensus is not true, I am a person who advocated for a people's constitution from the constituent assembly even during the people's war time and who fought for a constitution along with republic and federalism", Dr Bhattarai told reporters following the meeting. Stating that his biggest desire as the Prime Minister was to hold elections on time and to draft the constitution from the constituent assembly, Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai said, “The statement that I am an obstacle does not hold truth in any way.” (Source: RSS/thehimalayantimes.com, December 19, 2012)

Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda along with Amik Sherchan held a meeting with CPN-UML leaders at a house in Bijuli Bazaar on the Wednesday morning, December 19, 2012, as the part of an attempt to cut a deal on formation of a unity government. Chairman Prachanda had forwarded an eight-point proposal to the CPN-UML that included announcement of the date for elections in Baisakh (April-May), constitutional amendments necessary to hold the elections, appointment of office-bearers in the constitutional bodies, owning up of the issues finalized by the dissolved Constituent Assembly and participation of the opposition parties in the Bhattarai-led government for a brief period before handover of the government leadership to the NC among others. "The UML accepted all the points except for one about turning Bhattarai into a consensus government before leadership handover," a UML source said, "UML and NC are not ready to join the Bhattarai government even for a day." Prime Minister Bhattarai on Monday made it clear that he would not step down unless there is a package deal on all the issues. The NC and the CPN-UML have described Bhattarai's stance as a ploy to thwart the elections in April/May and prolong his stay in power. (Source: nepalnews.com, December 19, 2012)

The central committee members of the ruling UCPN-Maoist at meeting held on December 19, 2012 reiterated their commitment to form a national consensus government to hold the fresh Constituent Assembly election by mid-May, but Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Top Bahadur Rayamajhi skipped the meeting. Today’s meeting has, according to party leaders, put Bhattarai under tremendous pressure to give up his stand on the opposition should join his Cabinet for some time until the amendment to the Interim Constitution and confirmation of the election date are done. On Monday, December 17, 2012, Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai put a rider to the deal that he would not quit the office unless the NC and the CPN-UML joined his Cabinet at least for two weeks before the government leadership was turned over to NC President Sushil Koirala. (Source: HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE, December 19, 2012)

On December 19, 2012, stating it would not accept the NC’s leadership unless the NC was ready to own up the settled issues in the dissolved CA, UDMF: a key ally of the Bhattarai’s coalition government dashed the hopes of NC President Sushil Koirala becoming a new prime minister at least under current circumstances. UDMF leader Jitendra Narayan Dev said if the NC or any opposition party wanted to lead the election government, it should agree to accept the ownership of the agreed agendas. He said that the UDMF was of the view that the 14-, 10- and six-pradesh models proposed in the dissolved CA should be presented in the new CA as disputed agendas. He urged other stakeholders to make a commitment to present the agreed agendas of the dissolved CA in the first meeting of the new CA. “If the opposition parties do not take ownership of the settled issues, then we cannot accept their leadership,” he said. “In that case, the incumbent government should be allowed to hold fresh election or a new prime minister should be appointed from within the ruling coalition.” He said that the UDMF would not accept leadership of the opposition parties just to hold the election. “If NC is a responsible party, it should stick to the spirit of the five-point deal that the parties had signed a few days before the term of the CA expired,” Dev added. The five-point deal called for handing over the government leadership to the NC to hold the election once the new constitution was promulgated. Dev said all issues should be addressed in a package and legal, constitutional and political complexities regarding the new election should be removed. “We are of the view that all issues should be resolved in next three days when the deadline for the formation of a consensus government expires,” Dev said. Vice-chairman of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Brikhesh Chandra Lal said that the UDMF: the fourth political force felt the three parties were bypassing the Madhesis in ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving the deadlock. “Madhesis and indigenous nationalities are major stakeholders. Any deal sans these stakeholders’ consent cannot be called national consensus,” said Lal. The UDMF, he added, felt that the parties were sidelining federalism, the prime concern of Madhesi parties. Asked if there were any differences within the UDMF about the current political issues, Lal said UDMF was united on issues of its concerns. All chairpersons of the five Madhesi parties that are the constituents of UDMF spoke in today’s meeting, which was also attended by UDMF’s second-generation leaders. (Source: HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE, December 19, 2012)

Speaking to the reporters at the press conference held at his Baluwatar official residence, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai said that his UCPN-Maoist party would not make an immature decision on forcing him to quit the office. “I do not see any probability that the party will make an immature decision to make me quit from the government”, he said at the press conference held in Baluwatar on December 20, 2012. Prime Minister Bhattarai said that his success or failure is synonymous with the success of holding the Constituent Assembly elections; he was determined to hold fresh elections in April/May completing all the processes within January. “I was about to give resignation on November 22 but the ruling coalition UCPN-Maoist and UDMF stopped me”, he said. (Source: THT ONLINE, December 20, 2012)

“My ultimate goal is to hold fresh CA election in mid-May. Media reports doing the rounds that I am an obstructionist are totally baseless,” Prime Minister Bhattarai told a group of reporters at his official residence in Baluwatar on December 20, 2012. “I have not put forth any new preconditions, as rumored, to form a national consensus government,” said the prime minister, “I had proposed converting my government into a consensus one in the first phase to amend the Interim Constitution to remove the constitutional difficulties, to make appointments to the constitutional bodies and to form various commissions, including the Truth and Reconciliation and Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances.” After completing the groundwork for the election, in the second phase the Congress or any other party could lead the government to hold the polls, said the prime minister. “It was my original proposal which was endorsed by party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) and leaders of other parties had said it was worth considering,” he added. He had also proposed owning up the agreements made by the dissolved CA. “If this proposal was unacceptable to all, we had also concluded that the government leadership could be given either to one of the leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front or to one of the fringe parties,” he said. The prime minister also revealed the fact that he was in a mood to step down on November 22, the day when CA election was declared by his government but failed to hold the same. “But my party and even the Federal Democratic Republican Alliance stopped me from stepping down, stating that doing so will create more complications unless the parties reach any deal in a package on all political and constitutional issues,” he said. “It was rumored that the parties had struck a deal on all issues, including on formation of a consensus government on December 16 when I was in Mugu to inaugurate construction of a road,” he said, “When I returned, I came to know that nothing had been agreed upon. What I still believe is that there must be a package deal on all issues acceptable to all.” He also said there was no ‘written understanding’ about the formation of a unity government between the ruling and opposition parties. He said they were still trying to reach a consensus on a package. On skipping yesterday’s party meeting, he said he was busy and that it was an informal meeting. “You don’t have to be present in all informal meetings,” he said, adding that he would attend tomorrow’s meeting. He claimed that there were not many differences between him and Prachanda over issues of consensus government. “But I and Dahal (Prchanda) have dialectical relations. We are into debates on some issues but we are one on most of the cases,” he said. (Source: thehimalayantimes.com, December 20, 2012)

At the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Baluwatar official residence on December 20, 2012, the FDRA repeated its commitment to transform the Bhattarai government into a national unity government; if they have to select an optional candidate for a national unity government they would do so within the alliance. “We are firm on our earlier decisions on morphing the incumbent government into national unity government, and seeking alternative within the coalition if failed to do”, said Prem Bahadur Singh: spokesperson for the FRDA after the meeting. He further said that any other government would not be legitimate following the interim constitution. (Source: THT ONLINE, December 20, 2012)


At the meeting held at the president’s office on Thursday evening, December 20, 2012, Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda, UCPN-Maoist leader Amik Sherchan, NC President Sushil Koirala, NC General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal and Bijaya Kumar Gacchedar and Mahantha Thakur of UDMF said that they would reach a deal on a national government before the president leaves Nepal for the weeklong-India visit on December 24, 2012. The deadline extended by the President for parties to form a national unity government is ending on Saturday, December 22, 2012. (Source: THT ONLINE, December 21, 2012)

Speaking to cadres at the NC Kanchanpur office on December 21, 2012, central committee member of NC Bimalendra Nidhi said that his party would not join the current government, as it would not break the political deadlock as long as the current government remained in power. Constituent Assembly elections were possible only under a NC-led government, he said, as the current government has already failed in holding the self-announced elections. (Source: RSS/thehimalayantimes.com, December 21, 2012)

Speaking at a press conference held to inform about the gathering of the presidents of the NC regional committees on Friday, December 21, 2012, Vice-president of NC Ram Chandra Poudel said that his party would launch a protest movement if the parties were to fail in arriving at an understanding on choosing a consensus Prime Minister by Saturday: the last day of the fifth deadline the President had given them. Vice-chairman Poudel said that the NC and the opposition parties have no choice other than to take to the streets. The NC leader also claimed that the UCPN-Maoist had no internal dispute but the Maoists had deliberately spread such rumors to fool the opposition parties. (Source: nepalnews.com, December 21, 2012)

December 22, 2012