Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Stays On-Part XXVIII

Siddhi B Ranjitkar

Joining the opposition coalition of NC and CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist and MPRF-Nepal have boosted the morale of the regressive force hidden in the hearts of the NC and CPN-UML. The opposition coalition leaders now have said that they are going to launch street protests to take over the power from the ruling coalition of the UCPN-Maoist and UDMF. However, it remains to be seen what exactly the CPN-Maoist and MPRF-Nepal leaders are after, as General Secretary of CPN-Maoist has said that he is not for the NC leading a new government. What the ethic-origin leaders of CPN-Maoist were going to do their party joining in the activities of the coalition of NC and CPN-UML that had been deadly against the federalism and ethnic names of federal states.

After announcing all-four major political parties such as UCPN-Maoist, NC, CPN-UML and UDMF agreed on going to polls for electing a new CA, as they could not agree on the contentious issues concerning a new constitution, and did not want to revive the dissolved CA, the opposition coalition of NC and CPN-UML had been forming an alliance of the political parties including CPN-Maoist and MPRF-Nepal that had been shouting slogans against the government of the coalition of UCPN-Maoist and UDMF to remove the government by street protests because the government was not for quitting the office without building a consensus on all contentious issues. It was a quite normal practice of political parties to topple a government and grab the power but they needed to follow the rule of law and the constitution to do so. One of the means of taking power was going to the people and asking for their mandate in other words going to polls and wining the elections but the opposition coalition instead of going to polls they wanted to remove the government by street protests. They needed to understand that another coalition would do the same thing. Then, the country would plunge into a vicious circle of political chaos. Did the opposition coalition understand it?

However, the opposition coalition including MPRF-Nepal and the newly formed CPN-Maoist was for taking over the power by the street protests. Obviously they did not care of whether the people would support them or not. If the opposition guys were to believe that the people would support them, who were those people that would support them. The coalition government of the UCPN-Maoist and the UDMF has been doing comparatively well for the people and for the country. The current government has integrated the Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army. It had been a part of the peace process the then government of Nepal had agreed with the then CPN-Maoist in 2006. The people had not forgotten what Madhav Nepal as a prime minister did during his about two-and-a-half-year term of office. Then, Jhalanath Khanal became the prime minister for six months but practically did nothing during his term of office. Both of them were the leaders of CPN-UML. People also had not forgotten what the NC leaders had done during their terms of office in the past. Commission on Investigation into Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had implicated at least four NC leaders in corruption, as they stole the money from the state treasury. Two of the corrupted NC leaders had been serving the jail term while one had completed and another was in the process of going to jail. The question was whether the people would support the parties of such corrupt leaders to remove the current government. The answer was clear certainly not.

What the CPN-Maoist leaders wanted to achieve joining the opposition coalition and toppling the current government was hard to understand. CPN-Maoist leaders had broken away from the mother party called UCPN-Maoist stating the UCPN-Maoist leaders diverged from its basic ideology and followed the path of the CPN-UML to join the NC. The irony was that the CPN-Maoist leaders were joining in the political game of the NC and CPN-UML in toppling the current government. They were for toppling the current government but not for a NC government if we were to believe in what General Secretary of CPN-Maoist CP Gajurel said at the Reporters Club in Kathmandu on September 25, 2012. Gajurel said that the opposition coalition would bring down the current government by the street protests but he was not for setting up a NC government. Was it possible that the CPN-Maoist would keep the power after toppling the current government by the joint protests of the opposition coalition of NC, CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist, and MPRF-Nepal? The answer was certainly not. Then, what the CPN-Maoist leaders had on their mind when stating they were not for a NC government when the coalition of NC and CPN-UML was going to fight for forming a NC-led government.

Were the hot-blooded-militant leaders of the CPN-Maoist resorting to trickery? Did they believe in that they could grab the power once they overthrew the current government by the joint street protests? If yes, they were having illusion about getting the power at the cost of the NC and the CPN-UML. The reality was the NC and CPN-UML leaders were for using the hot-blooded militants of CPN-UML to depose the current government. As such, the militant CPN-Maoist leaders were joining the corrupt status quo leaders of the NC and CPN-UML for taking the country back to political uncertainty. This might be the trick the CPN-Maoist leaders were playing on the NC and CPN-UML.

What was the interest of the CPN-Maoist joining the coalition of the NC and CPN-UML to topple the government when they knew that the coalition of NC and CPN-UML was regressive and was against the federalism, and how the ethnic-origin leaders of the CPN-Maoist were willing to go along with it? Certainly, the interest of the CPN-Maoist leaders was to grab the power but they were not going to get it if they were going along with the regressive force and trying to get it through the street forces. They would not be able to use the regressive force to topple the government and then grab the power. What the ethnic-origin leaders such as Ram Bahadur Thapa and Dev Gurung of the CPN-Maoist were doing if they were for making Nepal a federal state and having the federal provinces in the ethnic names with the power to self-determination joining the coalition of NC and CPN-UML that had been anti-federalism and federal states with ethnic names. They were certainly betraying the ethnic people. However, these ethnic guys of the CPN-Maoist had just set aside the federalism and federal states in the hope of grabbing the power.

The CPN-Maoist leaders started off doing the most irrational things such as banning the Indian-owned vehicles running, and showing Indian movies in Nepal and airing Indian songs on Nepalese FM radios. First of all who gave them the rights to do such irrational things? They needed to know that stopping businesses of other people meant violating the rights of other people. Perpetrators of violence of other people’s rights were criminals. Secondly, sending back the Indian-owned vehicles might not affect the business of Nepalis very much but stopping the display of Indian movies in Nepalese theaters and stopping the airing of Indian songs on Nepalese FM radio stations would surely means the thousands of movie theater owners and tens of FM radio owners going bankrupt. That was what they meant promoting business in Nepal and crating jobs. They should know shutting down hundreds if not thousands of movie theaters meant laying thousands of workers off. The CPN-Maoist guys also needed to know that the Nepalese movie theaters would go immediately out of business if they were not showing Indian movies.

What the MPRF-Nepal was achieving by joining the corrupt status quo coalition of NC, CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist was hard to understand. Chairman of MPRF-Nepal Upendra Yadav was the former Maoist and had not shed off the militancy even though his former colleagues in the UCPN-Maoist had already done so. Upendra Yadav had been one of the most successful leaders immediately after the People’s Movement in 2006. He had shone pretty well when he led the UDMF to successfully elect the candidate of his choice to the office of Vice-president but thereafter he slipped from the power and then he became only the Chairman of small MPRF-Nepal. What he could contribute to toppling the current government might be very nominal but he was joining the opposition just to satisfy him with honor of being a partner of the opposition coalition of NC and CPN-UML that did not want to play the game by rules. He had power to strongly criticize other leaders but he had lost the power to stay on at the top of the major party. He had even left the UDMF. So, he was no more than a small guy in the Nepalese politics.

Most of the Nepalese political leaders have no dignity of what they speak in public. For example, up until Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal had gone to India, his party and he had vehemently supported the NC for leading a new consensus government but upon arrival at the Kathmandu International airport on September 26, 2012 from the India visit, Chairman Khanal said that any party could lead a new consensus government. Similarly, upon return from China a few months ago, Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya said that his Chinese mentors had told him not to go for federalism in Nepal, as it would lead the country to disintegration. Immediately after the declaration of elections to a new CA in the last week of May 2012, President of NC Sushil Koirala had told his cadres to prepare for the elections but he changed his mind and then said that the elections to a new CA were unconstitutional; then, the same Koirala had agreed on going to polls to a new CA for electing a new CA on condition his party would lead a new consensus government. The ruling coalition of UCPN-Maoist and UDMF was not quitting the office; so, Mr. Koirala was taking the issue to the streets not considering the results of such actions.

Why Nepalese leaders change their mind when they comeback from the foreign trips or meeting with foreign leaders was a good question. Nepalese leaders needed a lot of money for keeping their cadres loyal to them otherwise they would not be able to keep their status of leaders. Most probably, they get some money from the foreign leaders as a token assistance to keep the leaders at the top of their parties. So, they needed to abide by the advices given by the foreign leaders. That was why Nepal had leaders entirely supporting China and playing against India or vice versa. For example, the CPN-Maoist had been stopping Indian-owned vehicles running, and showing Indian movies in Nepal, and stopping Nepalese FM radios from airing Indian songs. So, it was not surprising that Chairman of CPN-UML after the India visit indirectly supported the current coalition government of UCPN-Maoist and UDMF

The opposition coalition of NC and CPN-UML had been doing everything possible to snatch the power from the ruling coalition of UCPN-Maoist and UDMF. They could not get the power even after agreeing on going to the polls to elect a new CA even though they had labeled the election as unconstitutional in the past. Then, they thought that they would be able to oust the current government through the street protests in cooperation with the militant party such as the CPN-Maoist. However, it was quite unlikely that they would be able to do so, if they could then it was the most undemocratic means of taking the power for the so-called Democratic Party such as NC. If we were to believe in what Chairman of CPN-UML Khanal had said upon return from India then his party would not strongly go for the street protests to topple the government. NC leaders might believe in what Vice-chairman of CPN-Maoist CP Gajurel had said that his party would overthrow the current government just in a month but Vice-chairman Gajurel was not in a mood to present the power to the NC on a platter, as he had said that he would not accept the NC leading a new government. NC leaders might think that they had built an alliance of opposition political parties including CPN-Maoist, MPRF-Nepal and so on, but the prospect of taking power was not so rosy.

Why the NC leaders wanted to remove the current government by street protests even though the approach was undemocratic because they had exhausted other means to grab the power. They believed that the street protests would force the current government to quit office even though it might be only the wishful thinking. If the current government were to come to an end as wished by the NC leaders, the executive power would be transferred from the prime minister to the Head of State. Then, the NC leaders had the upper hands on grabbing the power, as the Head of State President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav was the second-generation leader of the NC before he got elected to the office of the Head of State. These NC guys hoped that once the power was with the President then he would transfer it to whomever they wanted. This was the main goal of the NC for launching the so-called decisive street protests to remove the current government from the office.

If the NC leaders were to succeed in toppling the current government then all the revolutionary blood spilled in various people’s movements in the past to bring the country to the current status of Federal Democratic Republic would go in vain. So, all the opposition leaders in general and NC leaders in particular needed to listen to the people’s aspirations for Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal and for a lasting peace. Therefore, the opposition alliance needed to go to polls for electing a new CA if they were for institutionalizing the political achievements made by the people in the various political movements. In addition, the opposition needed to realize that the current government would not fall, as they would like to anticipate it to do so.

The UCPN-Maoist had been emboldened by the US Government removing it from the list of the terrorists, and it had established a good rapport with the Indian government, too. As long as, the UCPN-Maoist followed the democratic norms and values, and certainly the rule of law they would have the support of the democratic countries such as India, and US. Therefore, the Head of State would unlikely to be involved in the undemocratic actions of firing the current government no matter what the NC and its alliance would do on the streets. The UCPN-Maoist and UDMF in coalition would remain strong, and the alliance of UCPN-Maoist and UDMF would be able to meet the undemocratic challenges of the opposition alliance.

The NC leaders would have a formidable task to remove the current government by the street protests. Nepalese people had been disheartened by the leaders engaged in the power struggle rather than institutionalizing the federalism and federal states. So, Nepalis were not in a mood to support any party for street protests that also were not for the cause of the people in general but for the NC taking power. The CPN-Maoist might have some reasons for supporting the street protests but not the people in general. As a mater of fact, the Vaidhya Maoists have already started off doing that stopping the people from showing the Indian movies and airing Indian songs on the Nepalese FM radios. These militant guys would be able to create a takeover situation.

If the opposition coalition were to bring down the current government and were to transfer the executive power to the head of State, then the country would plunge into the political chaos; then nobody would be able say who would take over the power, as the current ruling coalition of the UCPN-Maoist and UDMF would not remain silent.  They also would take to the streets and would not only overthrow the government but even sack the Head of State. Then, the current opposition coalition would need to take the issue to the streets. So, it looked like a vicious circle of political uncertainty in Nepal. So, the Head of State was at the most critical position; he should be careful to take any actions, as he was going to do so if we were to believe in the recent public statement of Vice-president Permananda Jha.

A day after it announced nationwide ban on running Indian-owned vehicles, showing Indian movies, and airing Indian songs on Nepalese FM radios, the Mohan Vaidhya-led CPN-Maoist held a joint interaction with representatives of most of the foreign diplomatic missions in Nepal including India on Thursday, September 27, 2012. Answering the queries of the foreign diplomats, Vice-chairman of CPN-Maoist holding the portfolio of the in-charge of the party's international department C.P Gajurel said that his party didn't have any plan to launch violent movement at the moment and that the current government's ouster was its immediate priority. "No political breakthrough is possible unless the current government is removed," said he adding that his party was firm in its belief that the solution to the present crisis should be found through a roundtable conference. In response to the query of the "armed revolt" plan of the party, Gajurel said that whether his party would ultimately take up arms or not would depend on the political situation of the specific time. (Source: nepalnews.com)

Talking to the reporters in Nawalparasi on Thursday, September 27, 2012, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said that he would not quit the office until political parties strike a deal in a package, as his quitting office would not help to break the current political deadlock until political parties settle their differences in a package, and he accused the opposition parties of creating obstacles to building a consensus by demanding his resignation instead of taking initiative to iron out their differences. (Source: nepalnews.com)

Speaking at an interaction event held in Tulsipur of Dang on Thursday, September 27, 2012, Vice-president Permananda Jha said that President Ram Baran Yadav might be compelled to take ‘appropriate steps’ to safeguard the interest of the people and the nation if the political parties were to fail giving the country a way out of the prevailing crisis. Although he didn’t say what he meant by his remark, VP Jha only said that the President was ‘closely watching’ the current political situation of the country. (Source: nepalnews.com)

On Wednesday, September 26, 2012, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai said that turning over the power to the NC would be 'suicidal' in the current circumstances. He said that if both the President (President Ram Baran Yadav was a former Congress leader who won the presidential race on the Congress ticket) and the Prime Minister were from the NC then they would postpone the elections to a new CA until the environment became conducive to win the elections. He said, "In that scenario, the Constituent Assembly election will not take place until the situation is conducive enough for Congress to win the election. Knowing this, it would only be suicidal to hand over the government leadership to Nepali Congress." (Source: nepalnews.com)

All PLA cantonments, where the former Maoist fighters were housed for over five years, have now become a history, as all of them were declared closed with the completion of the final round of the selection process. Screening of fighters wishing to join the Nepal Army (NA) began on September 6; and 1,463 of them 1,388 for recruit level and 75 for officer cadet level were found eligible for joining the NA. “We have sent all others who were found unfit for their integration back home,” said SC Secretariat member Gopal Singh Bohara. “They have been given lump sum retirement package and allowances till September 28.” The former fighters eligible for joining the army have been sent on the 53-day leave. Their formal training will begin on November 21. All teams deployed from the Secretariat under the Special Committee (on supervision, integration and rehabilitation of Maoist fighters) and from the Selection Board returned from cantonment sites on September 27, 2012 after handing over security responsibilities of land, weapons and physical infrastructure of the remaining seven main and eight satellite camps to the NA and the Armed Police Force. Out of 28 camps stretched across the country, 13 were shut down in March, following two rounds of regrouping of the combatants. “Now the integration chapter of the peace process has been virtually completed,” said Secretariat Coordinator Balananda Sharma. These cantonments were set up in early 2007, following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the then ruling Seven Party Alliance government and the then CPN-Maoist in November 2006. Initially, a total of 32,250 ex-fighters were registered as former PLAs, but later in May 2007, the number came down to 19,602 after the United Nations carried out the verification. The UN Mission in Nepal had declared 4,008 fighters ineligible, labeling them either as late recruits or as minors, who were discharged in early 2010. (Source: thehimalayantimes.com)

The meeting of the 13 opposition parties including NC, CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist held at the Balkhu headquarters of the CPN-UML on September 27, 2012, failed to come up with a concrete work plan on a form of protests against the incumbent government as planned earlier. However, the parties have agreed to launch a joint agitation to topple the Bhattarai-led government, concluding that it is the only way to relieve the country from the present crisis. "The party needs some time for discussions as to the formation of the task force but we have full support for the agitation," CPN-Maoist leader Dev Gurung said after the meeting. Likewise, NC Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel said that the opposition parties were in unison in one-point agenda to topple the government. (Source: thehimalayantimes.com)

Issuing a press statement on Wednesday, September 26, 2012, spokesperson for CPN-Maoist Pampha Bhusal said that the decision to ban running the vehicles with Indian number plate, showing Indian movies in Nepalese theaters, and airing the Indian songs on Nepalese FM radios was taken with an aim to promote economic development, local employment opportunities, and Nepalese investment and in retaliation to the obstruction of Nepalese transportation means in India. However, the vehicles will be allowed to return India, according to the statement. "Our party has also decided a ban on Indian films that defame and disrespect Nepal and Nepalis, promote obscenity and spread cultural pollution," the statement said. Local CPN-Maoist leaders reached the cinema halls and FM stations to enforce the ban in various districts under Tamsaling including Chitwan, Makwanpur, Dhading, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk and Kavre. (Source: Nepalnews.com)

Speaking to the reporters in Biratnagar on Wednesday, September 26, 2012, Minister for Health Rajendra Mahato said that if the President were to involve in changing the current government, he would put his position at risk; his party would take the issue to the street. Minister Mahato also said that the opposition would not be able to oust the government from the streets; so, they were merely wasting their time; the current government would not step down until and unless the opposition could build a consensus. (Source: thehimalayantimes.com)

Speaking to the party cadres at the meeting held at the NC headquarters in the Sunsari district in Dharan on Wednesday, September 26, 2012, senior leader of NC Sher Bahadur Deuba has asked his party cadres to get prepared for going to the streets in protest against the Bhattarai-led government for the national independence stating the incumbent government is preparing to impose a despotic rule sideling other parties. (Source: thehimalayantines.com)

Talking to the reporters upon arrival at the Kathmandu International Airport from India on September 26, 2012, Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal said that his party was open to the issue of leadership of the consensus government stating a national consensus government was the prerequisite for resolving the current crisis; so, the next Government could be formed under the leadership of any party. He said, "Earlier we had wished that the NC assume the leadership but it has not been able to play an effective role towards that end." (Source: RSS/thehimalayantimes.com)

Talking to the reporters in Biratnagar on Wednesday, September 26, 2012, Acting Chief Commissioner of the Election Commission (EC) Nilkantha Upreti has said that preparations for the election should be special as the election to the Constituent Assembly (CA) is also of a special type as compared to other elections. Stating that elections could be held with complete preparations only if the government clearly informed the EC before 120 days of the date of the CA election. He said that difficulties would be to hold elections if an amendment to the Election Act was not made, and if other processes were not completed. He said that the EC has collected the names of 11 million voters, three millions of them are out of the country and 1.2 million people have not registered at the EC, yet. (Source: RSS/thehimalayantimes.com)

Speaking at an interaction event held by the Reporters Club in Kathmandu on Tuesday, September 25, 2012, Vice-chairman of CPN-Maoist CP Gajurel said that the Bhattarai-led government would crumble within a month. Gajurel said, “We will come up with such a struggle plan that it won’t take even a month to topple the Bhattarai’s government.” He also claimed that the Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda and his coalition would wither away after the storm of the struggle. (Source: thehimalayantimes.com)

Talking to the reporters at the Janakpur Airport on September 25, 2012, Minister for Information and Communications Raj Kishor Yadav has said that the effort of the NC to form a new government under its leadership without agreeing on fresh elections to the Constituent Assembly is nothing but a breach of the five-point deal. He also has said that political parties have two alternatives, either to go for elections or reinstatement of the CA but the parties in recent days have agreed to go for the fresh elections. Minister Yadav also the spokesperson for the government has said that the government is ready to go for elections by removing all constitutional hurdles. "But, some powers have feared to take part in the elections," he added. (Source: RSS/thehimalayantimes.com)

On September 24, 2012, President of NC Sushil Koirala has decided to opt out of the race for prime minister amid the claims and counter claims made for the post by rivals Ram Chandra Poudel and Sher Bahadur Deuba. Koirala had already conveyed this message to both the leaders during a recent meeting but he had not said anything about supporting anybody of the two in case of the NC got the opportunity to lead a new government.  “Koirala is in favor of becoming the prime minister only if there is consensus both within and outside the party on his candidacy,” said a NC leader close to him, adding that Koirala won’t be in the fray in case there is majority-based government. After the Koirala’s decision, internal struggle between the Poudel and the Deuba faction is likely to increase. While party vice-president Poudel erstwhile parliamentary leader claims that he is the rightful candidate, whereas Deuba has maintained that he should get a chance to lead the new government as he is left without any role in the party. The two sides had reached an understanding to support the Deuba´s candidacy for the national consensus government and the Poudel´s candidacy for a majority-based government when the CA was still functioning. (Source: myrepublica.com)

September 29, 2012