Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Stays On-Part XXI

Siddhi B Ranjitkar

Head of State President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav held a lunch-cum-meeting of top leaders of all the 27 political parties represented at the dissolved Constituent Assembly for the first time in an effort to bring them together to a political consensus at the earliest to break the current political deadlock but the meeting came to nothing, as the ruling coalition and the opposition coalition did not back track from their previous stand: the ruling coalition for a package deal to resolve all the contested issues whereas the opposition coalition for the office of prime minister before talking about anything. The political situation remained deadlock while the political leaders continued to harp on about the ways and means of resolving the contentious issues particularly of the crafting of a new constitution.

Top leaders of 27 political parties including Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda, President of NC Sushil Koirala, Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal and senior Madhesi leaders attended the lunch-cum-meeting convened at the official residence-cum-office of the Head of State President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav on Sunday, August 5, 2012. They talked before lunch and after lunch for six hours without any results means the meeting did not change the current political stalemate. The Head of State had called all the top leaders to his residence-cum-office hoping to build a political consensus among them to end the ongoing political stalemate but apparently it proved even to the Head of State elusive.

The Head of State wanted them to talk about the ongoing peace process, constitution drafting and formation of a national government, and then build a consensus on the contested issues, and put the country back on the track of political stability. However, the leaders of the opposition coalition particularly the leaders of NC and CPN-UML urged the Head of State on initiating to form a consensus government dissolving the current government following the five-point deal the ruling coalition and the opposition coalition reached. Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai had already made it clear that the five-point deal was irreverent. So, he was not quitting the office following the five-point deal.

Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai had made it clear to the opposition coalition that the five-point deal reached between the ruling coalition of the UCPN-Maoist and UDMF and the opposition coalition of the NC and CPN-UML had been irrelevant after the dissolution of the CA; so, a new deal was required to resolve all the national issues; and he would quit the office only after they reached such a deal. The deal signed in May 2012 had it that Dr. Bhattarai would step down after all the political parties reached a consensus on the contested issues of a new constitution and then a national unity government headed by the NC would be formed before the promulgation of a new constitution. However, the political leaders failed to build a consensus on the issues concerning a new constitution and let the CA dissolved. Therefore, Dr. Bhattarai had refused to quit the office until fresh elections to a new CA were held but the opposition wanted him to go out of the office, as if it was the only way to break the current political deadlock, according to nepalnews.com.

Speaking at the function to mark the 18th International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples in Kathmandu on August 9, 2012, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai said he would step down immediately, as he had no intention to remain in power if a constitution with federalism were ensured through the Constituent Assembly in the spirit of the historic people's movement, the Madhes movement and the aspirations of the indigenous people; the prime minister further said that however, the national agenda of the progressive state restructuring for ensuring the rights of the oppressed class, caste, region, gender and communities had been overshadowed by the political leaders running after the change in government, writes ‘The Himalayan Times’ quoting RSS: state-news agency.

The opposition coalition of the NC and CPN-UML had been pushing the Head of State President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav very hard to fire the coalition government of the UCPN-Maoist and UDMF since the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly (CA) on May 27, 2012 but the Head of State had been persistently resisting the pressure of the opposition coalition to fire the prime minister violating the Interim Constitution of Nepal of 2007. The Head of State did not want to step out of the constitutional boundary, and cause a political controversy. As the first elected Head of State President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav wanted to play a historical role in institutionalizing the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal aspired by the Nepalese people, according to the Nepalese media.

The opposition coalition could not force the prime minister to quit the office, as the opposition leaders had neither the majority in the CA-cum-parliament even when it was not dissolved nor the Interim Constitution of Nepal of 2007 had made any provision for constitutionally removing the prime minister out of the office in the current political situation. The Head of State had already made them clear that he was not going to breach the constitution as he did once writing a letter directly to the Chief of Army Staff under the pressure of the opposition in the past provoking strong media reactions and from the political circles even putting his office at risk. Obviously, this time, the Head of State did not want to repeat the mistake working under the pressure of the opposition coalition. However, the opposition coalition had not lost the hope of forcing the Head of State to fire the prime minister. So, the opposition coalition continued pushing the Head of State to fire the prime minister, as the opposition leaders wanted nothing but the chair of prime minister disregarding the resolution of the contested issues of crafting a new constitution and completing the peace process.

The ruling coalition of the UCPN-Maoist and UDMF had been inviting the opposition coalition leaders to settle the whole issues of the crafting of a new constitution, completing the peace process and then forming a new unity government. However, the opposition leaders did not want to talk to anybody until they would get the chair of the prime minister.

On August 6, 2012, speaking at the event held by the Association of pro-Maoist Revolutionary Journalists in Butwal, Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said that the NC and the CPN-UML have been standing in the way to building a political consensus, as they refused to talk to the coalition government of the UCPN-Maoist and UDMF. The prime minister further said that he would quit the office immediately after the all-party consensus was built, according to nepalnews.com. Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai also said that Head of State President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav as the custodian of the constitution would not make any unconstitutional move, according to the news posted on online newspaper website kathmandumetro.com.

The main thing that held the opposition leaders to disregard the completion of crafting a new constitution and completing the peace process was the federalism and identity-based provinces demanded by the ethnic people. These guys did not have even a little bit of common sense that they would not be able to hold on more than one hundred ethnic groups together if they did not agree on federalism and provinces named after the large or prominent ethnic groups in the 21st century. They had been dreaming to do what Prithvi Narayan Shad did 250 years ago to subjugate all the ethnic people by force. He could do so at that time, as the ethnic groups were scattered and weak. So, Prithvi Narayan Shah even with a little bit of military power could force the ethnic people to bow down before him. Now, most of the ethnic groups had already learned that their poverty and sufferings were due to the 240-year long despotic Shah rule in Nepal, as the Shah rule had nursed only the ruling class comprising mainly the Bahun, Chettri and Nevahs, keeping the majority of the ethnic people under subjugation and in the perpetual poverty.

So, the bottom line was federalism and federal provinces for keeping Nepal in one piece and for avoiding a protracted conflict ultimately leading to destruction and disintegration whether the unprincipled leaders of the opposition coalition would like it or not. The opposition leaders needed to act accordingly whether they wanted to face the grim future of Nepal disregarding the federalism and federal provinces or prosperous and bright future of all Nepalis accepting the federalism and federal provinces. The ethnic people were not ready to live in the perpetual poverty, as their forefathers and mothers did in the past. They would not leave anybody in peace without having autonomous provinces for them to run the administration for deciding their destiny. They did not want anybody to decide for them. Nobody would be able to subjugate them anymore.

Ethnic-origin leaders of NC and CPN-UML had been putting the pressure on the non-ethnic and even some ethnic leaders to accept federalism and identity-based federal provinces. So, occasionally, President of NC Sushil Koirala made the public statement that his party was not against federalism. However, they were against federalism otherwise they would have accepted the package deal proposed by the ruling coalition of the UCPN-Maoist and UDMF on resolving the contested issues of a new constitution and peace process and finally forming a new unity government. CPN-UML leaders also said that they were for federalism. But their actions had been totally against the federalism and ethnic-based federal provinces. So, they had taken actions against the ethnic-origin leaders that had been talking about federalism and identity-based federal provinces. For example, the CPN-UML relieved Prithvi Subba Gurung and other senior ethnic-origin leaders off responsibilities they held in the party as a punishment for them for criticizing the party leadership for its stand against identity-based federalism.

Ethnic-origin leaders such as Prakash Man Singh and Bimalendra Nidhi of NC, and Krishna Gopal Shrestha of CPN-UML did not identify with the ethnic groups they belong too but they did with the ruling class. Prakash Man Singh and Krishna Gopal Shrestha belonged to the Nevah group whereas Bimalendra Nidhi to the Madheshi group by birth but all these guys had been quietly supporting the opponents of federalism and federal provinces in their respective party.

Prakash Man Singh was a Nevah but he must have identified his ancestors that had served as ‘Kaji’ (means minister in the present-day language) during the Rana regime even though he was the son of a legendary heroic fighter that had earned the people’s title of the ‘Father of Democracy’: Ganesh Man Singh that had spent his whole life fighting against the despotic Rana rule for democracy. However, Prakash Man Singh could not be even a democratic-minded hero by fighting for federalism and federal provinces thus betraying his father’s contribution to fight for the people’s cause.

Bimalendra Nidhi also had almost the similar background as of Prakash Man Singh but in a smaller scale. Bimalendra Nidhi was the son of Mahendra Narayan Nidhi also a great fighter against the despotic Rana regime. Mahendra Narayan Nidhi was a landlord and held a large landholding. So, junior Nidhi did not identify with the common Madheshi folks, and did not fight for the cause of federalism and federal provinces while majority of the Madheshi people fought for federalism and federal provinces to get relief from the subjugation of the central rulers.

Some ethnic-origin leaders of NC and CPN-UML were for setting up a party but unfortunately it sounded an ethnic party. They should set up a party that was for federalism and identity-based federal provinces for making Nepal as a whole a prosperous nation at the same time for preserving the identity of Nepal opening the party to all Nepalis. Otherwise the ethnic party would polarize Nepalis into different ethnic groups when we needed to put all ethnic people together, and all Nepalis live in harmony.

Speaking at a mass rally held by the National Indigenous Nationalities Women's Forum on Wednesday, August 8, 2012, former minister and leader of CPN-UML Prithvi Subba Gurung said that the indigenous people had no alternative to set up their own party as major political parties such as NC and CPN-UML disregarded the issues concerning the indigenous nationalities; therefore, there was pressing need for a separate party of the indigenous nationalities to ensure their rights. (Nepalnews.com and thehimalayantimes.com)

Speaking at a meeting held in Dhankuta on August 7, 2012, General Secretary of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities Angkaji Sherpa threatened to launch an armed struggle if their grievances were not addressed in the new constitution. “First we will launch peaceful agitations, if the government fails to guarantee our rights in the new statute, we will opt for an armed struggle by summoning all our former British Gurkha and Indian Army brothers,” said NEFIN General Secretary. He blamed the three major political parties for dissolving the Constituent Assembly and also held Chairman of the CA accountable for inaction. Accusing the UCPN-Maoist of abetting the NC and CPN-UML in their conspiracy against federalism, Sherpa said that senior Janajati (indigenous) leaders were preparing to either abandon their old party or form a new socialist party on the day of the upcoming Indigenous and Janajati Day (August 9). ( Source: The Himalayan Times)

Janajati (indigenous) activists proposed a new political party called "Social Democratic Pluri-National Party" co-coinciding with the International Indigenous Day on Thursday, August 9, 2012. They unveiled the name and the manifesto of the proposed party headed by Chaitanya Subba: a sociology professor and Janajati activist at a press conference held in Kathmandu. Former President of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) Pasang Sherpa, and scholars such as Krishna Bhattachan and Mahendra Lawati are the members of the proposed party. However, NEFIN President Raj Kumar Lekhi, and General Secretary Pasang Sherpa did not show up. Similarly, none of the Janajati leaders of political parties showed up at the announcement ceremony. The Janajati leaders of the CPN-UML as well as NEFIN activists apparently divided on whether to form a separate political party or not. (Source: nepalnews.com)

A newly self-promoted Chairman of CPN-Maoist, Mohan Vaidhya Kiran after fighting a war for the ethnic cause for ten years and advocating for federalism and ethnic-based federal states for six years suddenly woke up that federalism would break up the country into pieces, and he was not for such a federalism after coming back from the China visit in July 2012. Speaking to the reporters in Kathmandu upon return from China completing his 10-day visit on July 26, 2012, Chairman of CPN-UML Vaidhya said, “I met with the high ranking government officials and the top leaders of the Communist Party of China and during the meeting they expressed concern over the party split and advised us not to go for federalism as it would push the country into disintegration.” (Source: ‘THT ONLINE’)

Most probably this guy called Mohan Vaidhya Kiran did not understand the federalism until he went to China to study something about the politics. Obviously, the immature and politically shortsighted Chinese political leaders had tutored Mohan Vaidhya Kiran in such a way during the ten-day visit to China that Vaidhya made a U-turn concerning his position on federalism and federal provinces. The Chinese had been very concerned about the inevitable disintegration of some of their republics that Mao Zedong had forcibly united with the Mainland China. Tibet had been the burning issue of the possible breakaway from the Mainland China. As Mohan Vaidhya Kiran, the Chinese leaders did not know that going against federalism would mean the catastrophe, as the ethnic people would rise against anybody that prohibited them to decide their own destiny. Chinese leaders would not be able to save Tibet from going away from the Mainland China forever by force. If Chinese leaders were matured enough to rule Tibet they would have followed the Dalai Lama’s doctrine of autonomous Tibet. Obviously, Chinese leaders as Mohan Vaidhya Kiran were politically immature and shortsighted concerning the federalism and federal states.

Mohan Vaidhya Kiran had betrayed himself and came out as the strong opponent of the federalism after taking lessons from his Chinese political gurus. He would either need to quit the newly taken office of Chairman of CPN-Maoist or face the wrath of the ethnic-origin leaders of his party such as Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ and Dev Prasad Gurung. The so-called leader such as Mr. Vaidhya would not be able to keep the highly ambitious ethnic-origin leaders together under his leadership. ‘Badal’ and Gurung had left the mother party UCPN-Maoist in the hope of going along the fast track to the promotion to the position of the Chairman of the party. Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ once had projected himself as an alternative to Chairman Prachanda and made himself the potential candidate for the top elected office of prime minister in the past. Mr. Vaidhya would not be able to lead the CPN-Maoist for long if he continued to be the opponent of federalism and federal provinces.

Mr. Vaidhya declaring himself the Chairman of the new breakaway CPN-Maoist party went to see the Head of State President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and informed the Head of State that he was the leader of the party he claimed to be a third force after the first force of the coalition of UCPN-Maoist and UDMF, and the second force of the coalition of NC and CPN-UML. Then, Mr. Vaidhya paid a courtesy visit to President of NC Sushil Koirala and told him that he was ready to join the coalition of the NC and CPN-UML to topple the current government led by his former colleague Dr. Baburam Bhattarai. However, Mr. Vaidhya could not win the confidence of NC President Koirala. Later on, one of his lieutenants: CP Gajurel said publicly that the CPN-Maoist was not joining the coalition of the NC and CPN-UML but would independently fight against the current government. Thus, we needed to wait and see how the CPN-Maoist under the leadership of Mr. Vaidhya would fare and how Vaidhya himself would keep his top office of his party whether his party would really be a third force or disappeared soon.

The most unfortunate thing had been that Mr. Vaidhya being against the foreign interferences in the Nepalese affairs did not realize that taking up the lesson of federalism from his Chinese gurus was a foreign interference in the Nepalese politics. Obviously, Mr. Vaidhya had no idea what was a foreign interference. He could take orders from his Chinese political gurus but others should not even talk to any foreign leaders.

Chinese leaders had lost the goodwill of the Nepalese people due to the undiplomatic gesture of Mohan Vaidhya Kiran exposing the Chinese leaders’ stand against federalism in Nepal, as they believed that it would break up Nepal into several pieces. Nepalis had been thinking how to express their annoyance at the Chinese leaders. They had been thinking to hold a protest rally at the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu. The Chinese leaders probably unintentionally irritated Nepalis tutoring Mr. Vaidhya on federalism, as federalism was the recipe for breaking up Nepal into pieces when they had been courting the Nepalese government and the people for their support for subduing the voices of Tibetan exiles in Kathmandu. Nepalis in general would vehemently oppose the Chinese interferences in the Nepalese affairs.

On Friday, August 3, 2012, speaking to the reporters at his Baluwatar official residence, Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai had spoken extensively about "foreign intervention", indirectly admitting that intervention in the country's internal affairs was growing of late. "You already know about regional and international dynamics. It is not easy to get things done the way one would like," Dr. Bhattarai said. He also revealed Yaswant Sinha: a leader of India's main opposition party called Bharatiya Janata Party was in Kathmandu last week at the invitation of President Ram Baran Yadav and expressed dissatisfaction over the undermining of diplomatic protocol by Shital Niwas. "To invite a foreign delegate in that manner is uncalled for," he said (1). Concerning the revelation by Indian professor S D Muni in his newly published book of the Maoist leadership writing a letter during the insurgency promising not to work against Indian interests in Nepal, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai admitted writing a letter through Muni to the then Indian government's security advisor Brajesh Mishra. "We wrote letters to United Nations and the governments of different countries including the neighbors to clarify our position. The letter to the Indian prime minister was the similar one," he said, "The letters to the UN, China and India was later published in our mouthpiece: ‘The Worker’." (Source: nepalnews.com)

At a talk program held by the Inter-Party Women's Alliance in Lalitpur on Tuesday, August 7, 2012, leaders of different political parties reiterated the need for a political consensus to break the current political deadlock and navigate the country through the political transition. Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda said if the parties were ready to settle contentious issues of the constitution writing, the NC could lead the next government. "NC-led government would be accepted once the parties agree to forward the constitution writing following the five-point agreement," he said, adding that even the leaders of civil society could lead the government if it was formed as an election government. At the same event, President of NC Sushil Koirala said that a national consensus government was a must to clear off the current political gridlock, and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai should pave the way for this by tendering his resignation at the earliest. He also warned of the country turning into Afghanistan if we were to continue to become lackadaisical toward successfully navigating the current political transition. Similarly, Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal said if we were to fail to settle the current political crisis the country could not make any headway in making the country prosperous. He claimed that only a consensus government could resolve the convoluted politics. Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya Kiran said that a roundtable conference could serve as the best option to resolve every problem of the Nepalis by delivering them the constitution as per their aspirations. General Secretary of CPN-ML CP Mainali said that serious discussion was essential among the political parties to resolve the current political imbroglio. Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Pashupati Shumser Rana said that only a consensus government could draft a new constitution. Therefore, discussion should be concentrated first on the formation of a national consensus government, he added. (Source: The Himalayan Times/RSS of August 7, 2012)

Speaking at a news conference in Biratnagar on August 8, 2012, Minister for Information and Communications Raj Kishor Yadav said that a new constitution could not be drafted in time due to the greed of political parties for state power, and urged the political parties to rise above the partisan interests and work for the interests of the nation, and he also stressed the need for breaking the current political deadlock and institutionalizing democracy by building a 'meaningful' consensus among the political parties in the country. (Source: ’The Himalayan Times)

Speaking to reporters at his Maharajgunj residence Monday, August 6, 2012, President of NC Sushil Koirala said that his party could agree on reinstatement of the dissolved CA once NC was let to form a consensus government despite the district presidents of the NC at the recent national gathering advised him not to reinstate the CA, but his party was ready to go for any option including the reinstatement of the CA provided his party would get to lead an unity government. “The political deadlock is not going to end unless there is a NC-led government," he said, adding that Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s resignation was a prerequisite for creating an atmosphere for consensus; the NC would apply all the methods to unseat Bhattarai including a request to the President [to oust him], negotiations as well as street protests. (nepalnews.com)

Normal life in three districts of Kathmandu Valley had been severely affected by the vehicular shutdown enforced by Youth Association Nepal (YAN) affiliated to the CPN-UML since Sunday, August 5, 2012. YAN had been enforcing the shutdown of the vehicular traffic from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM in the Kathmandu Valley since Sunday demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai at the earliest to pave the way for forming a new national consensus government. Shutdown of vehicular traffic had forced the daily commuters to stay home, and forced to shut down the schools, colleges and educational institutions running morning classes in the Valley. YAN cadres had vandalized seven vehicles at different places in Kathmandu. YAN announced the shutdown of the vehicular traffic as the part of its nationwide protest program to topple the current government, and said that it would carry on the ongoing protests until Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai stepped down. (Source: nepalnews.com)

The Election Commission had already announced that it could not hold the election to a new CA on November 22, 2012, as the amendment to some provisions made in the Constitution concerning the election had not been done. The government had not been able to do so because the opposition coalition leaders were not cooperating on this matter, too. In fact, they had been telling the people that the declaration of the election to a new CA was unconstitutional clearly indicating they were immature naïve politicians that had been interested only in taking power and then stealing the national wealth for their own purposes.

On August 10, 2012, talking to the reporters at his office in Kathmandu, Vice President Paramananda Jha said that the reinstatement of the dissolved CA might be the best option to break current political deadlock; so, he suggested the political parties to revive the CA and let it endorse the amendment to the Interim Constitution for paving the way to hold the election to a new CA. The Vice-president also said that only the political parties could resolve the current political crisis even though the President was also making efforts on finding a possible outlet; the political leaders should not drag the Head of State into controversy by inciting him to step in the current political situation of the country. (Source: nepalnews.com)

We needed to take pride in our Head of State that had committed to uphold the rule of law rather than following the pressure of the unscrupulous and immoral leaders of the opposition coalition of NC and CPN-UML. If the opposition leaders had committed to follow the rule of law, they would have prepared for the elections to a new CA rather than pushing the Head of State to violate the constitution for firing the prime minister. They also had been unleashing the gang of criminals to shut down the regular traffic to build up a pressure on the prime minister to quit the office causing tremendous sufferings to the people. Some people had spontaneously started off fighting against such gang of criminals that had been going around and ordering them to shut down the traffic and damaging vehicles on the way. Any vehicle defying their orders had been the target of destruction by such criminal gangs.

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(1) Senior Indian leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of India and former finance minister of India Yaswant Sinha arrived in Kathmandu on Monday, July 30, 2012. Immediately after arrival, Sinha headed for Lord Pashupatinath at Gaushala. Lord Pashupatinath is Lord Shiva is one of the attractions for Hindus across the world. Later on, Sinha went to see the prime minister. He showed his concern over the dissolution of the CA without promulgating a new constitution at the meeting with the prime minister at Baluwatar, and Sinha also inquired about the efforts made by the political parties to break the current political deadlock in the country, writes nepalnews.com

Sinha, a three-time former minister came here as a “personal guest” of Head of State President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and met him over dinner this evening, July 30, 2012 said Rajendra Dahal: the President’s Press Adviser. “Bilateral issues and family matters figured in the meeting,” added Dahal. Second-tiered NC leaders such as Pradeep Giri, Shashanka Koirala and Sujata Koirala were present at the dinner according to ‘HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE’.

Briefly talking to THT, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad said the former foreign minister arrived here to visit Pashupatinath, as many Indian leaders do come. “It’s purely a religious visit as many Indian leaders come here in the month of Shrawan to visit Pashupati,” Prasad said, implying that the visit had no political meaning.

Sinha: a local of Patna, Bihar, Indian state bordering with Nepal, was a finance minister under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar in the early 1990s and again from March 1998 to July 2002 under Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He served as External Affairs Minister from July 2002 to May 2004 in the Vajpayee’s Cabinet. He quit the office of Vice Chairman of BJP in 2009, writes ‘The Himalayan Times.’

On Monday, July 30, 2012, Yaswant Sinha said to be on a personal visit had already met with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda and NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, and he met with President of NC Sushil Koirala on Tuesday, August 1, 2012, and discussed current political issues of the country. In the meeting held at the Koirala’s residence in Maharajgunj this morning, Sinha inquired Koirala about the initiation of the NC to end current political impasse of the country, writes nepalnews.com.

August 10, 2012