Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Stays On-Part 45

(Stop Protests, Work for Elections)
Siddhi B Ranjitkar

The current so-called protests launched by the NC and CPN-UML and other minor political parties such as Rastriya Janamorcha and others would not make any dent in the republican setup the brave Nepalis had already established. The opposition political parties should know that they are going against the democratic norms and values by launching street protests that stop the entire traffic on the roads, and violate the rights of common folks to move without hindrance. If they were for democracy as they claimed to be they needed to go to the polls and get the mandate from the people to take over the power. These political power junkies should know that the current government has the people’s mandate. They could not remove it by the street protest hurricanes or tsunami whatever they called it. They could remove this government only through the elections. The current opposition protest has strengthened the government rather than weakening it.

The current street protests launched by the opposition political parties are against federalism, as the NC and CPN-UML work against federalism but do say they are for federalism but Chairman of Rastriya Janamorcha Chitra Bahadur KC openly say that his party is against federalism. The exclusive central authority regime had ruined Nepalis for more than two and a half centuries. Martyr Durgananda Jha and subsequent martyrs that had fought for republic and federalism during the decade long conflict, and then the Madheshi movement would not forgive anybody that goes against the federalism and federal states. Nepalis have seen that the blood spill by the brave Nepalis has not gone to astray, as every people’s movement has taken the country forward not backward. So, no matter what the anti-federalists try they would not succeed in not institutionalizing federalism and federal states.

Leaders of the NC and CPN-UML say that they have followed two approaches such as launching street protests, and putting pressure on the head of state to discharge the current government. Blocking the entire traffic on the roads in the name of protest has violated the rights of common folks to move without hindrance; thus, the opposition political parties have been going against the democratic norms and values. Putting pressure on the president to discharge the elected government is another gross violation of the democratic norms and values. They should know that only elections could remove the elected government. Unfortunately, the opposition leaders have been putting pressure on the president to act unconstitutionally for discharging the democratically elected government and turn over the power to them. Thus, both the approaches of the opposition leaders have been undemocratic.

Leaders of the opposition alliance proudly say that they have launched the protests to remove the current government but they don’t have any valid reasons for doing so except for grabbing power. Some leaders said that they launched the protest for saving democracy. They cannot save democracy doing undemocratic things such as street protests, and asking the president to remove the democratically elected government. Street protests would bring political chaos. Presidential interference in the state affairs would bring political disaster. So, the only way to settle the political disputes is to go to the polls and ask the sovereign people for fresh mandate.

One thing the opposition leaders keeping busy with the street protests for whatever reasons should understand that they are not going to get the power from the current ruling parties easily. The ruling parties have been so powerful that the opposition parties could not force them out of office by the street protests and by any other means except for elections. The current government is not the despotic and tyrannical that the people in general have been disgusted with. So, the protests would simply trouble the people.

Even the elections would not bring the current opposition parties to power. If the current ruling coalition remains intact for the elections and after the elections, too, such a coalition would have the majority to run the administration. So, the opposition parties could forget about getting the power for another ten years the chairman of the UCPN-Maoist has said. That might be the reasons for the opposition parties are engaging in undemocratic activities to grab the power.

Not cooperating with the government on holding the elections, the opposition parties have been lengthening the life of the current government. Constitutionally, the current government would remain in power until the next elections are held, as it has the people’s mandate. The oppositions have no means to remove it constitutionally. The international community is also for holding elections rather than forcing out the constitutionally current government. So, the opposition has no alternative but to cooperate with the government on holding elections.

Some other leaders said that they launched the street protests to put pressure on the government to hold elections at the same time they have been saying that the president should not act on the recommendations of the current government for passing the bills on the elections, and consequently the president has put on hold the elections related bills. If they were sincere then they would cooperate with the government to hold elections; they would not put pressure on the president to hold the bills.

Some leaders have been telling each other to go to jungle and launch an armed revolution. These are childish talks. To say, “leave us the state power and you go to jungle to fight against us” is certainly a joke. No serious person would say so because everybody knows that nobody would quit the power and then go to jungle and only to fight to get it back. These are very light entertaining talks the leaders have been engaged in leaving behind the most important things such as holding elections and then completing a new constitution and institutionalizing the federal democratic republic of Nepal.

NC leader-cum-former Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala has rightly said that the street protests could not topple the current government as it was against the 12-point deal reached between the then seven political parties and the CPN-Maoist in New Delhi, India. NC leader Koirala also said that the current protests would invite confrontation among the parties when the need is for the politics of consensus and collaboration. If other opposition leaders have wisdom as much NC leader Sujata Koirala has, Nepalis would not need to face the traffic shutdown and business closed because of the opposition parties launching street protests to grab power.

Then, the opposition leaders said that only the government led by the NC could hold elections impartially. Concerning the only NC-led government could hold free and fair elections, nobody would believe it, and it is nothing but a simple joke, too. The opposition leaders should understand that the government is not holding elections but the Election Commission. The job of the government is to provide the Election Commission with the required manpower for holding elections, and to maintain law and order, and security. So, for the information of the NC leader that has said that the only NC-led government could hold free and fair elections, the government has nothing to do with the impartiality of the elections, as the Election Commission is responsible for such things.

Nepalis of today are not ready to be submissive again so we find Nepalis have often confronted with the police and even with the army when the police or the army try do something wrong. For example, as recently as January 29, 2013, the locals have fought against the army men of the Singha Nath Battalion of the Nepal Army over a dispute. The locals, the police and the army officers have held a meeting to resolve the dispute, according to the RSS news. Nepalis had lived under tyranny for more than 240 years. The government had seized their properties for constructing factories, hydropower plants, roads and office buildings almost without paying compensation during the Panchayat period from 1960 to 1990. Currently, Nepalis have been so strong that no force would make them submissive. However, the opposition leaders have been dreaming of the past good old days of the rulers that had repressed Nepalis.

After completing his trip to the hilly districts in Dhangadhi on Monday, January 28, 2013, Former Prime Minister-cum-senior leader of NC Sher Bahadur Deuba blamed Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai for driving the country into confrontation. Deuba urged the Prime Minister to quit the office to break the ongoing stalemate, and he claimed that only then a consensus government could be formed to hold the elections, according to the THT ONLINE of January 28, 2013.

Speaking to the reporters in Parasi on Monday, January 28, 2013, Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda said that the NC and the CPN-UML should forget about the power for a decade, and suggested them to give up their hope for a government until then. “You cannot get the power shouting in the streets, as the Maoists will rule the country for the coming ten years”, said Chairman Prachanda, the opposition parties should work for elections in order to get the state power instead of unleashing cadres to hurl stones at the vehicles of Maoist leaders, according to the news posted on thehimalayantimes.com on January 28, 2013.

Speaking in Nawalparasi on January 28, 2013, Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda said that parties like the NC and CPN-UML are not fit to run the government at least for the next 10 years. Chairman Prachanda said, “State power is not something that comes so easily by hooting in the streets. So the opposition parties better not dream of getting to the helm of the government at least for 10 more years.” He was in Nawalparasi to open the district convention of his party, according to the news posted on the HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE on January 28, 2013.

Nine opposition political parties including the NC, CPN-UML on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 held a joint protest rally at the Martyrs' Gate, Sundhara, demanding the formation of a national unity government. They first laid the wreaths at the gate as the tributes to the four martyrs there. Speaking at the rally, leaders claimed that the current government lost the legitimacy to rule after the dissolution of the CA; so, they urged the government to vacate the office immediately. The opposition leaders also accused the UCPN-Maoist-led coalition government of being totalitarian and warned of launching a decisive protest rally at the Tundikhel on February 9 against the government. "The protest is not meant for getting into power, but for ensuring free and fair CA election with the formation of a national consensus government to draft the new constitution", leaders said, according to the RSS news posted on thehimalayantimes.com.

Speaking at a press conference held by the Myagdi chapter of Nepal Press Union in Myagdi on January 29, 2013, Vice-president of NC Ram Chandra Poudel said that the CA election could be ensured only under the NC-led government. Vice-president Poudel claimed that the election held under the NC leadership in the past have been fair, so, the next CA election also should be held under the NC leadership, according to the RSS news posted on thehimalayantimes.com.

Vice-president Poudel has either forgotten or ignored that NC and CPN-UML leaders have claimed that the then CPN-Maoist has won so many seats in the CA due to the rigging of the elections in 2008. At that time, President of NC Girija Prasad Koirala was the prime minister. How could Vice-president Poudel claim that only the NC-led government could hold free and fair elections?

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Professor Priyankar Upadhyaya said governance in South Asia has become a playground for political parties. “While parties fiercely compete for the politics of bandh, it never dawns on them how it impacts the poor and needy at the end of the day,” said Upadhyaya referring to the culture of strikes in Nepal on January 29, 2013. Upadhyaya was a keynote speaker at an international seminar on peace held by Lalitpur Midtown club, a member of Rotary International’s district 3292, according to the news posted on the HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE on January 29, 2013.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the second district convention of his party in Banepa of Kavrepalanchowk on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda said, "If you have courage, Sushil ji you could go to the jungle and launch a revolt." "Democracy that the Congress and UML have been advocating for was just a fascist agenda", Chairman Prachanda said, according to the RSS news posted on thehimalayantimes.com of January 29, 2013

Australian Ambassador to Nepal Susan Grace said the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly without being able to adopt a new constitution for the country was a blow to Nepal’s transition to peace and democracy. “The demise of the most inclusive elected body in Nepal’s history last May without completing its important work of drafting a new constitution is a blow to Nepal’s transition to peace and democracy,” the envoy said inaugurating a training and resource centre at the headquarters of the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) in Kathmandu on January 30, 2013. “It is crucial that fresh elections are held as soon as possible,” she added, according to the news posted on the HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE on January 30, 2013.

Speaking at a press conference held by the Press Union Dang chapter in Ghorahi on January 30, 2013, President of NC Sushil Koirala said that the Maoists might well take up arms and go to jungle, but his party would go back to the people to seek their support if need be. President of NC Koirala said, “If they (Maoists) want to return to the jungle, so be it, but the NC has never chosen and won’t choose that path even in the future. We will instead go back to the people as they are the supreme power of any democratic country,” according to the HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE of January 30, 2013.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting held at Shital Niwas, Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal informed that the President said the street protests would not lead to a solution and that the parties need to continue talks for consensus. However, the opposition leaders said that they were going to intensify the street movement, as the ruling coalition was not willing to find a solution, Khanal said, according to the nepalnews.com of January 30, 2013.

Talking to reporters at Biratnagar Airport on January 31, 2013, NC leader Sujata Koirala urged the NC leaders and other political parties to settle the current constitutional and political crisis in a peaceful way, as the current government would not be toppled through the street protest, and it was against the 12-point deal reached between the then seven political parties and the CPN-Maoist in New Delhi, India. Also, she was for following the national reconciliation policy propounded by NC leader BP Koirala to settle the current political crisis, according to the RSS news posted on thehimalayantimes.com of January 31, 2013.

Speaking at a press meet held in Ilam on January 31, 2013, Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal warned of toppling the UCPN-Maoist-led government through the street protest. "The street protest is a must," said Khanal. "The great achievements of the democratic system were received through the street protests in the past and it is possible today as well," according to the RSS news posted on thehimalayantimes.com of January 31, 2013.

Addressing an anti-government protest rally held by the opposition parties in Dailekh on February 1, 2013, President of NC Sushil Koirala said the days of UCPN-Maoist were numbered as it was playing with democracy. President Koirala said, “The UCPN-Maoist was hell-bent on demolishing the pillars of democracy and freedom as it was doing its best to give immunity to the Maoist cadres involved in the murder of journalist Dekendra Thapa during the Maoist insurgency.” He went on to say that Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda’s threat to tear off the Comprehensive Peace Accord was hilarious. “I do not know who the Maoists are threatening. We as the pro-democracy party out rightly rebuff such a threat,” he said, according to HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE of February 1, 2013.

Addressing the same anti-government protest rally held by the opposition parties in Dailekh on February 1, 2013, Chairman of Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal Chitra Bahadur KC in his turn said that though the country had witnessed significant changes in the lives of people but in Dailekh the lives had not changed. He went on to say that the opposition parties’ protest was not aimed at gaining the power but for the protection of democracy and freedom. Lauding President Dr Ram Baran Yadav’s role, he said as the Head of the State he has taken a right step by blocking the ordinances submitted by the government, according to HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE of February 1, 2013.

No matter how the opposition leaders tried to cover up their intention of grabbing the power, their intention was clear. However, their approach to grab power has been blessing in disguise to the ruling coalition, as the street protests and rallies of the opposition parties have further strengthened the power grab of the ruling coalition. If the opposition political leaders have adopted the constitutional means to tear down the current government the government would have weakened but the political power junkies could not think of the correct democratic path to power but adopted the same old means of power grabbing that would not been applicable in the 21st century Nepal.

February 2, 2013