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Aftermath of the Election for a CA
BY KTM Metro Reporter
On Sunday, April 20, 2008, Indian Ambassador Shiva Shankhar Mukherjee made a visit to newly crowned with success in the election for a Constituent Assembly (CA) held on April 10, 2008 Maoists’ chairman Prachanda at his resident Nayabazaar, Kathmandu. They have discussed the current political events including the graceful exit of the suspended king from the palace he has been residing since June 2001 after the massacre of his brother King Birendra and his family members. It is obvious that Prachanda is set to lead the new government because of his party gaining more than three times the seats the nearest rival party has garnered in the CA. Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has already positively reacted to the election victory of the Maoists in Nepal.
During the meeting Ambassador Mukherjee congratulated Chairman Prachanda on the victory of his party in the election for a CA and assured the Chairman of the India’s support for the new Maoist-led government. Chairman Prachanda in turn told the Indian envoy that his party was preparing to take over the reign of the country responsibly, in full cooperation of all parties representing in a CA following the people’s mandate.
American Ambassador Nancy Powell in the meeting with the current House Speaker, Shubas Chandra Nebwang has said that the United States would continue its assistance to Nepal. So, Nepalis having the fear of the international community not cooperating with the future Maoist-led government need to have a trust in the words of the American envoy.
On Saturday, April 19, Prachanda visited the areas of the electorates that have voted him to victory on April 10 to appreciate their votes for making him the winner in the election for a CA. On this occasion, addressing the mass rally, he said to the audience that he would come back to them as the head of the government, and would help them to build their areas.
In a statement, stating Nepal is heading toward a democratic republic through the CA, Indian opposition political party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the transformation of Nepal from the monarchical state to a federal republic and hoped that the leaders of the New Nepal would not be against Hinduism and India.
The monarchy has been dead since the Interim Legislature-parliament declared Nepal a federal democratic republic on December 29, 2007; and the CA is going to perform the last rites of the monarchy in its first sitting. Then, Nepal would be officially and authoritatively be transformed to a federal republic called New Nepal.
Maoists’ chairman Prachanda has said that he is for the suspended king leaving the palace gracefully. He also has said that he is ready to meet with the king to this end. Chairman Prachanda said, "We will give yet another surprise to the world by negotiating the King's exit from the palace peacefully. Prachanda also has said that the King needs to accept the verdict of the electors, and vacate the palace gracefully; if the king does so he would not be prosecuted for his past activities and he might engage in regular business or even politics as any regular law-abiding citizen. However, he is not for removing the king disgracefully, as it might make an adverse impact on the world’s public opinion about Nepal. So, Chairman Prachanda has said that he has started consulting with the people close to the King, various political-party leaders and diplomats about a graceful exit of the King from the palace thus ending the 240-year-old Shah dynastic administration in Nepal.
Speaking at the event held by the Nepal Jaycees to honor the newly elected candidates from the Kathmandu valley, Nepali Congress leader Narahari Acharya has said that Nepal is going to end the monarchy in a legitimate way; this will be a unique example in the world; either the people rooted out the monarchies in the world forcefully or the kings went in exile in the past.
The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index has suffered a heavy loss after the election results have clearly indicated the Maoists have been the winners; however, it has recovered from the losses on April 17, 2008 after Maoists’ leaders assured the private businesspersons of not touching any private industries rather would be encouraging them to invest in the Nepalese businesses.
