February 24, 2006

Despite the call by the King for dialogue, political parties seem to be heading towards absurdity by putting unnecessary conditions

By KESHAB POUDEL

“We will not compromise with the King as long as he does not agree to hold the elections for Constituent Assembly,” said Sushil Koirala, vice president of Nepali Congress, the party that has been struggling to reactive the constitution.

King Gyanendra : New Gesture

Leader of CPN-UML Pradeep Nepal , too, has similar point of view. “The King’s message has nothing substantial to start negotiations. King Gyanendra just wants to show to the world community that he is sincere to negotiate but in practice he is not,” echoed Pradeep Nepal , powerful politburo member of CPN-UML.

Although all the political problems appear because of absence of elected parliament, nobody seems to worry about it - and political leaders also do not have any comment on whether they are committed to hold the elections or not.

After listing the response of political leaders, any watchful persons may say that the debate going on at present in the political meetings is getting more and more innovative and populist.

One may conclude that they are treading the road of absurdity. There is enough anger in their speech against the arbitrary rule by the King in the absence of elected parliament but they themselves are helping to prolong the situation by not underscoring the need for credible elections to hand over the power to the people.

The King, in his message on national democracy day, called on the political parties to start meaningful dialogue to initiate the process to bring the constitution right in the track. Although the King’s message can be interpreted differently by different people, there are enough indications of the will to start the negotiations.

“Despite so many ifs and buts, the King’s message has some positive directions to resume dialogue,” said Speaker of House of Representative Taranath Ranabhat.

Girija Prasad Koirala : Tight-lipped

Contents are there but the language could have been more flexible and persuasive. One has to understand the position of the state authority who needs to speak in the assertive language to boost up the morale of the services. The current political problems and crises can end as soon as the elections for the parliament are held after which politicians can talk about ways to curtail the power of the King.

The King cannot remain silent spectator in this vacuum in absence of parliament to prevent the state from collapsing. Situations have compelled him to fill up the vacuum in the absence of the elected house. In a way, King Gyanendra has to resort to his traditional Royal prerogative which the present constitution does not accept. That way he is transgressing the constitution by the compulsion of the situation, thereby, casting the image of ‘reluctant despot’ - and the credit goes to imaginative and innovative city-centered leaders who oppose elections through which the King’s power can be curtailed.

Extremists in both the sides are helping to prolong non-elected persons in the government. Those in the opposition side who are pressing for the constituent assembly and Loktantra and inclusive democracy are supporting the argument put by those extremists on the King’s side who are preaching that power should not be vested in two places.

The populists, in the competition for populism, with one against another politicians of the alliance do not bother what purpose they are serving by such jargons like Loktantra, constituent assembly and inclusive democracy.

The moderate-leaning Nepali Congress seems to be learning the lessons of extreme utterances from their communist allies. They have stretched themselves to outdo extremists in their utterances. They seem to be a competition to outdo each other in the race towards absurdity.