Prime Minister’s Address to the Nation: To announce his resignation

(Siddhi Ranjitkar translated it from Nepali to English)

Honorable Nepali sisters and brothers:

1. Today, we Nepalis are standing at a very glorious but challenging moment. Rarely such moments come in the history of any country. On the one hand we have successfully completed the great decade-long People's War and its complementary movements such as joint People’s Movement and the Madhesh Movement, and the elections for the Constituent Assembly (CA) for the first time in the history of Nepal on the other hand we ended the centuries-old feudal monarchy and transformed the country into a federal democratic republic. The achievement is something to be proud of for all of us. We need to credit for this achievement to those tens of thousands of great martyrs, people made to disappear, and wounded warriors (during the conflict) and remember them for centuries. However, various national and international regressive and status quo elements have been seriously intriguing against our infant republic, our beloved national independence and fast socio-economic transformation and development desired by all people. This is a matter of great challenge to all of us. In the context of these issues, as the first elected Prime Minister of Republic of Nepal I am addressing you.

2. With the so much love and support from all the Nepalis, our party United CPN-Maoist won a clear majority in the direct election and emerged as the largest party in the Proportional Representation System of the election for the CA. This win was a clear people’s endorsement of our slogan "New thoughts and new leadership for New Nepal" we put forward during the election campaign. However, even after four months of the election results, a government under the Maoists’ leadership was not allowed to form under various pretexts. Ultimately, feeling shame at not allowing us to form a new government they opened the way to form the first elected government of the Republic of Nepal under my leadership in the last week of August of the last year. Thereafter, due to our weakness of inexperience in running the government we might not have been able to do all the work in time as you have expected. We are not for covering up any mistakes committed knowingly or unknowingly on any pretext. Learning from the people and taking the healthy criticisms of the people seriously are our declared ideal commitment. However, some people staying in and out of the government have continuously obstructed us from doing many good things for the people and the country while in the government. For example, the programs and policies and many people-oriented programs included in the annual budget we submitted to the parliament immediately after forming the government were not allowed to implement under various pretexts. Not allowing the formation of local bodies, billions of rupees sent to villages across the country could not be spent. Protests and shutdowns have continued, and parliamentary sessions have been obstructed under the pretext of even trifle matters for weeks and weeks. As a result, many important bills of national importance and public interest could not be passed (in the parliament), billions of rupees worth of the development budget could not be spent, and the people could not receive the relief that they deserved immediately. However, we remained patient thinking of a special situation of the transitional period and of our obligation to working together staying in the coalition government. However, different regressive and status quo elements have continued to trap the popularly elected government, not to allow the implementation of the progressive agenda and to make it unsuccessful.

3. This government has always given a top priority to complete the ongoing peace process to the logical conclusion, craft a people’s constitution in time, to make people feel the socio-economic transformation and protect national sovereignty. Similarly, we have embraced and are always strongly committed to the values and ideals of the multiparty competitive democracy, federal system of governance, rule of law, human rights, press freedom and so on. We have been putting special emphasis on the national consensus politics in view of the special transitional period in the country, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the provisions made in the Interim Constitution. We took months to make even regular decisions in most of the cases while attempting to reach consensus on the matters with the political parties staying in and out of the government. So, we have been quietly tolerating the accusation made by some people of us being authoritarian and by others of us being indecisive in the same matter. However, our faith in and commitment to the peace process, values and ideals of democracy, national unity and sovereignty have never diminished and I will once again repeat that our commitment to these things will not be unchanged by any sorts of provocation.

4. The civilian supremacy over the army has been a very serious and sensitive question since the establishment of a republic. Civilian supremacy over army means the army remains under the unconditional control of the government elected by the people. Antagonism and conflict between the governments elected by the people and the army have continued for a long time in many countries where institutional development of democracy has just taken place. The events of December 15, 1960 (Poush 1, 2017) and February 1, 2005 (Magha 19, 2062) are the evidences of such things in our own country. Considering these facts and following the Constitution and law, this government elected by the people made a decision on firing the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rukmangad Katuwal that has repeatedly defy the policies and orders of the popularly elected government giving him appropriate opportunity to clarify his position. Attempts have been made to reach consensus on this matter with the political parties and powers remaining in and out of the government. However, in order not to allow the implementation of and even reverse the decision made by the government elected by the people, under the pressure and encouragement of various power centers and political parties, Honorable President has taken an unconstitutional and undemocratic step contributing to the grave political crisis in the country. The Interim Constitution has no provision for the President to make any independent decision on the army or any subjects without the recommendations of the Council of Ministers. Nowhere in the world of democracies, a constitutional president has the rights to be an active president as a parallel power center. However, making the first President of the Republic of Nepal active and inciting the president to be active against the government elected by the people, and to take such an unconstitutional action on the most sensitive issue of setting the civilian supremacy over the army, whoever did it, has hit hard on the infant democratic republic set up in the country. Today, to raise voices against this move and take the necessary steps to make the President rectify his unconstitutional step and ensure civilian supremacy over the army has been the duty of all democratic and patriotic forces.

5. The issue of the army chief and the case of some political parties and powers being active in taking the President forefront for seriously hitting democracy, constitution and peace process, have been the matter of serious concern for our infant republic and the peace process. All democratic political parties need to take seriously the case of recently some elements publicizing the rumors about the Maoists seizing the power have prepared the ground for the president to take the current unconstitutional step. Despite our best efforts to reach consensus on this case with the political parties, the success of various vested interest groups in developing disagreement among the political parties causing confusion and suspicion among them has been even the larger matter of concern. Some parties and their leaders initially agreeing on the matter later on for unknown reasons stepping back from the previous agreement and not seriously taking such a sensitive issue has given the indicator of danger for the culture of democratic values and ideals. I heartily urge all democratic and patriotic political powers to take the issue of civilian supremacy over the army seriously reminding the Nepalese saying, “Occurrence of death is more fearful than the passing away of one old person”.

6. I would also like to draw the attention of all patriotic Nepalese sisters and brothers to the visible and invisible activities of some international power centers on the issue of the CoAS. We are committed to maintaining smooth diplomatic relations with all our neighboring and other friendly countries. However, we don’t absolutely accept any intervention in our internal affairs. We won’t compromise with anybody on anything going against the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Nepal. Honoring the blood of tens of thousands of patriots, we are not going to bow before any foreign masters. We also want to send to all concerned the clear message of the end of era of seeking the favor of foreigners for the position in Nepal has ended. In addition, we want to urge all patriotic forces to be ready for making sacrifice of any sorts for preserving the national self-esteem and freedom.

7. In this situation, I have come to the conclusion that I must be ready to leave the position for fighting for peace process, democracy, civilian supremacy and sovereignty. The current two power centers set up in the country through the unconstitutional means need to be ended at any cost. Today, the entire country needs to unite against this situation. So, in order to remove this difficult situation, and to create an environment conducive to saving democracy, nationalism and the peace process that have been at risk, I announce my resignation from my leading position in the Council of Ministers.
 
8. At the end, I once again repeat my commitment to defend the ongoing peace process, democracy and nationalism, and heartily appeal to the entire populace, civil society and political forces to engage with determination in the current struggle for the civilian supremacy and creating a new prosperous and democratic new Nepal.

Thank you,
 
Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'

May 4, 2009 (Vaisaka 21, 2066)