Election for Prime Minister in Nepal

By Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

On Friday, August 15, 2008, the Constituent Assembly (CA) session was held to elect the first Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) Prachanda and senior leader of the Nepali Congress (NC) and former three-time Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba were the contenders for the position of a Prime Minister. After the CPN-Maoist entered into an alliance with the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist and Leninist (CPN-UML) and Madheshi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had a little chance of winning the election. However, in the words of the NC leaders they fielded a candidate for Prime minister not to allow the Chairman of the CPN-Maoist to win the position of a Prime Minister uncontested. So, It was not a surprise that Chairman of the CPN-Maoist Prachanda won the election with overwhelming votes whereas former Prime Minister Deuba received only the votes of the NC members on the CA.

As the NC leaders has filed the nomination of former Prime Minister Deuba for the position of a Prime Minster before Chairman of CPN-Maoist Prachanda did, the Speaker invited the NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel to the rostrum for proposing the name of a person for the position of a Prime Minister on the CA session for the election pursuant to the Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal of 2007.

Speaking from the rostrum, senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel charged the Maoists with not keeping the commitments they had made; however, he said that his government has been following the commitments it had made. He attempted to refute the accusation the Maoists had made against the NC leaders of being status quoits saying that the NC leaders had fought against the feudal lords in 1950s and the then-Panchayat lords for 30 years; so he asked them how then his party leaders could be called status quoits. In addition, he sarcastically said that when the NC entered into an alliance with the CPN-UML and the MPRF, the Maoists said that it was an unholy alliance; then the Maoists entered into an alliance with them; he questioned whether the alliance was really a holy or not. Then, he proposed the name of Sher Bahadur Deuba for the election for a Prime Minister pursuant to the Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution.

Then, the Speaker invited another NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi to second the name of Sher Bahadur Deuba proposed by Ram Chandra Poudel for the election for a Prime Minister. Leader Nidhi charged the Maoists of not being able to form a consensus government; then he said that the members of the Young Communist League affiliated with the Maoists have captured the government buildings and property but have not returned the seized property to the concerned government agencies, yet. He also said that they also have grabbed the property of NC senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML senior leader Amrit Kumar Bohara, Leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Lokendra Bahadur Chand and of many others, they have not returned the seized property, yet. Then, he seconded the proposal of the name of Sher Bahadur Deuba made by Ram Chandra Poudel for the election for a Prime Minister.

The Speaker invited General Secretary of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal to propose the name of a person for the position of a Prime Minister on the CA session for the election pursuant to the Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal of 2007.

In the course of his brief speech delivered from the rostrum, General Secretary of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal said that it was unfortunate even after four months from the day of the election held for the CA, the country did not have a dynamic and sustainable government; it has been in a state of no government, as the members of his party and of the CPN-Maoist have resigned from the government headed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, then the government has been virtually of only the few members of the NC. He also said that anarchy has been spreading all over the country, violence has been increasing, people have been breaking laws with impunity and the administration has not been working. He went on saying that his party along with the Maoists have been working for a minimum common program and persuaded the Maoists to agree to give the defense portfolio to the NC; however, the NC leaders putting forward another conditions for joining the government led by Maoists clearly indicated the intention of the NC leaders not to join the government led by the Maoists; so, the CPN-UML leaders along with the MPRF leaders decided to enter into an alliance with the CPN-Maoist to form a government headed by Chairman of CPN-Maoist Prachanda for the rule of law, for creating an environment conducive to a peaceful living and resolving the people’s problems; and called upon the NC leaders to work together to build a new Nepal. He then proposed the name of Chairman of CPN-Maoist for the position of a Prime Minister pursuant to the Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution.

Then, the Speaker invited the leader of MPRF Upendra Yadav to second the proposal for electing Chairman of CPN-Maoist Prachanda made by General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal for the position of a Prime Minister pursuant to the Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution.

Leader of MPRF Upendra Yadav said that the end of the monarchy and the setup of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal were the results of the people’s war waged by the Maoists for 10-11 years and of the peaceful movement launched by the MPRF for the rights of the Madheshi people. He also said that the previous regime has oppressed and discriminated against the Madheshi people, and created social disparity among the Nepalese people; so, the Madheshi people wanted an inclusive administration for which they wanted the restructuring of the State; they also wanted reinstating peace in the country, and resolving the people’s problems of food and fuels. He also said that the Madheshi people wanted the enforcement of the agreements the Government of Nepal had reached with the Madheshi political parties in the past; however, the Government had been never serious about implementing the agreements. He also said that the NC leaders had been speaking in public that the Maoists needed to lead the new government; however, they refused to join the government led by the Maoists on the pretext of not having the defense portfolio. Then, he seconded the proposal for electing Chairman of CPN-Maoist Prachanda made by General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal for the position of a Prime Minister pursuant to the Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution.

Then, the Speaker gave time to senior leader of CPN-Maoist Dr. Baburam Bhattarai to speak to the CA members. First, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai also sarcastically replied to the statement made by senior leader of NC Ram Chandra Poudel that ‘the alliance the CPN-Maoist had entered into with the CPN-UML and MPRF holy or not’ saying if we mixed potato with cow dung then it was unholy and if we mixed potato with gheu (home-made butter-like stuff) then it was certainly holy. He also said that whatever the NC leaders have been making the charges against the Maoists were the expression of their helplessness. He said that the NC leaders did not join the government led by Maoists, as the NC was the party of the leader such as BP Koirala who had once claimed that his neck was conjoined with the neck of the king. Concerning the statement of NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi that the Maoists could not form a new government, Dr. Bhattarai said that the NC leaders did not allow the Maoists to form a new government for four months.

Thereafter, the Speaker opened the floor to the debate about the election for a Prime Minister. Altogether 20 leaders of small parties took part in the debate. All of them except for the leader of Rastriya Jana Morcha and the leader of Rastriya Janashakti Party supported the Chairman of CPN-Maoist Prachanda for electing him for the position of the first Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Both the leaders of Rastriya Jana Morcha and of Rastriya Janashakti Party said that they would not participate in the voting, as they did not agree with the policies of both the candidates for a Prime Minister. CA members belonging to the Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party did not show up at the session.

After ending the debate about the election for a Prime Minister, the Speaker gave an opportunity to NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel of taking back his proposal for electing former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for a Prime Minister.

Taking the advantage of the opportunity given by the Speaker, NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel first said that the statement of General Secretary of Jhalanath Khanal made at the time of proposing the name of Chairman of CPN-Maoist for the candidate for a Prime Minister that ‘the NC leaders even after they have been offered the defense portfolio brought up other issues as the pretext for not joining a government led by the Maoists’ was a total lie. Then, he said that he would stick to the proposal he made and would not take it back and requested all CA members for voting for former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Then, the Speaker explained the process of the election for a Prime Minister to the CA members. He said that the election would be held for voting for and against Sher Bahadur Deuba, as he was the first candidate to file his nomination for a Prime Minister, and then the Speaker said that the CA members voting for Deuba needed to go to the lobby passing through the gate on his right and those against Deuba to the gate on his left, and signed against their names on the list of the CA members placed there. Thereafter, the Speaker rang the bell for five minutes for any CA members to come in to the CA hall and then ordered to close the door for holding an election, and declared the floor was opened to voting.

All the CA members belonging to the NC went to the door on the right of the Speaker and the rest went to the door to the left. After the voting, all the CA members came back to their respective seats.

After collecting the total votes cast, the Speaker announced the results of the voting. He informed the CA session that altogether 551 CA members participated in the voting; of them 113 voted for Deuba and 438 voted against him. So, he declared that Deuba’s bid for a Prime Minister was rejected by the majority votes.

Then, the Speaker initiated for holding the election for the second candidate for a Prime Minister. The second candidate was Chairman of CPN-Maoist Prachanda proposed by General Secretary of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal. So, the Speaker gave General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal an opportunity of taking back his proposal for electing Chairman of CPN-Maoist Prachanda for a Prime Minister.

Taking the opportunity given by the Speaker, General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal first refuted the statement of NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel that ‘the NC leaders even after they have been offered the defense portfolio brought up other issues as the pretext for not joining a government led by the Maoists was a total lie’ was not a lie at all; so the NC leader must have misunderstood what he had said. Then, General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal said that he was sure that overwhelming votes would elect Chairman of CPN-Maoist for a Prime Minister; so he was not tacking back his proposal for electing Chairman of CPN-Maoist Prachanda for a Prime Minister.

Then, the Speaker repeated the instructions in the voting process to the CA members. Following the instructions of the Speakers, all of the CA members except for the CA members belonging to the NC went for voting for Chairman Prachanda.

This time, the Speaker said that altogether 577 CA members participated in the voting, and 464 CA members voted for Chairman Prachanda and 113 voted against him. So, he declared that overwhelming votes of the CA members elected Chairman Prachanda for a Prime Minister.

Thereafter, the Speaker declared that the CA would be in recess until the Prime Minister would call for a session again.

On the same night, the Speaker submitted the results of the election for a Prime Minister to the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.