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All the events of the past few weeks have shown that the country would have to wait for a long time to see the revival of elected bodies through the democratic process. As the widening of distrust and mistrust between the legitimate political forces - the King and the political parties – continues, the current political situation would prolong where governments are made and unmade in mysterious circumstances. Any move to hold the election or reactivate the present constitution will be taken as hostile action. Unfortunately, a liberal democratic like Nepali Congress – whose very survival is dependent upon the popular support – has also joined a camp to oppose the move to go to the people. In the present crisis, except Nepali Congress (NC), no other forces need elections. The royalists oppose elections because they do not want to share their power with elected representatives. The communist parties never had any firm commitment towards the liberal democratic process. Even for external elements, it will be difficult to sway the democratically elected representatives. Delay in the resumption of election process is a matter of genuine concern for European countries and the United States . Maoists withdrew their unilateral ceasefire after accomplishing the mission to push Nepali Congress to the extreme camp. As we had long feared, events foretell that Nepalese people may not have elected representatives and they may not see the resumption of democratic process for a long time to come. Major victims of the withdrawal of unilateral ceasefire are the citizens’ right to vote and choose their own representatives. Situated in very important geo-strategic position in the Himalayas dividing two major powers of Asia, Nepal does not seem to have any easy way out from this instability and political conflict.
The country has been passing through a crucial period without elected parliament and elected bodies at the local level. Parliament – which is supposed to represent the latest public opinion and is a legitimate institution to ventilate the public opinion - ceased functioning after October 4, 2002. There is no legitimate institution to express day to day opinion of the people except the media even though the country still has basic paraphernalia of a democratic society such as right to equality, press freedom and remedy of habeas corpus and there are constitutional organs including the Supreme Court following the dictates of the constitution. But the most significant element of democracy - the public opinion - has no way to get into decisive position. This very peculiar situation is being prolonged and aggravated in which neither the people are consulted nor the King seems to be in “proper terms.” None of the Nepalese forces are gainers in this stalemate. In such a critical period, only hope for ventilating the popular opinion is left with the media but the media in Nepal , too, seems to be in a peculiar position. Outwardly everything seems normal but Nepal ’s realities are quite different than others. This week we have decided to see the role of media power in the ongoing crisis and their limitations.
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