Doubts Persist
Less than three months remain for the November 22 elections for Constituent Assembly (CA), but the usual festive-like environment that accompanies the run up to the election is totally absent. Leaders have broken world records in giving lip service to the election. But they have failed to actually translate their commitments into practice. The Maoists have sown further doubts by announcing agitation and murmuring about the need to defer the elections to have "real CA." In the last one week, the Maoist pronouncements have given ample reason to the common Nepali people to question whether they will get to cast their votes ever. But since the alternative to not holding the election looks dangerously disturbing, the government and eight parties must gird up their loins to conduct a free, fair and credible election to put to rest the decades-old uncertainties haunting the nation
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
Its been almost one decade since Nepali people have voted their representatives to power. And fulfillment of their desires to exercise the democratic right in the November election still remains doubtful given flip-flops by political actors.
Unlike in April last year when the Election Commission (EC) had asked the government to postpone the polls (slated for mid-June) since they lacked electoral legislations and other pre-requisites, this time the EC has repeatedly stated its full preparedness in terms of technical and logistical matters.
However, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Bhojraj Pokharel has, time and again, reminded the political leaders to create a favorable political and security environment for the November elections.
The security in Terai is yet to improve as various armed outfits continue to hold the common people hostage through their systematic violence and strikes.
The high level talks team of the government has been holding a series of negotiations with a number of organizations. Till date, they have sealed an agreement with only one organization – the National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NFIN). However, no sooner had the two sides sealed 20-point deal, different Janajati organizations in the name of Khumbuwan and Limbuwan Liberation Fronts have come to the scene accusing the NFIN of selling out the issues of Janajatis. This showed the challenges before the government team.
Moreover, the political parties have yet to start visiting the districts and villages to campaign for the election.
As CEC Pokharel noted, the political parties have to play the crucial role in educating the voters about the significance of the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections. While the EC and I/NGOs can only provide technical education related with CA, the political parties have the role to educate the people on political aspects of the election. There is not much time left for them to take their agenda related with the restructuring of the state and other important constitutional matters to provide enough time for the people to debate and make up their minds about the nature of new Nepal that they have been promised.
Barring the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), none of the parties have shown zeal to draft election manifesto and conduct electoral campaigns. Instead, the Maoists have announced agitation in this period.
Maoist Enigma
On Friday (August 24), Maoist chairman Prachanda dropped a bombshell hinting that they were game for postponing the election till mid-April next year.
For a party that has been able to catapult the CA as the national agenda, the remarks by Prachanda came as a shocker.
"We are in favor of real CA for which thousands of people of Nepal had made ultimate sacrifice. We cannot support when moves are made to hold election as if we are electing a parliament or National Panchayat (legislature of erstwhile Panchayat regime)," Prachanda said at the interaction with civil society representatives.
Prachanda went on to accuse that his party was being dragged to the election. "When there was a wave in favor of our party, the elections were put off under various pretexts. And when they think that our party has landed in trouble, the very same elements are now saying that election must be held at any cost," he said.
This statement clearly exposed the uncertainties and confusion among the Maoist leadership. They somehow seem to have deduced that they might not be able to fare well in the election.
The Maoists further created confusion when Prachanda rejected the comments two days later. Faced with blistering criticism for suggesting the postponement of election, Prachanda claimed he was 'misreported' by the media. Prachanda now claims that the same elements who deferred the election in June and who had never shown any interest to prepare the ground for the election this time, are now engaged in accusing Maoists of trying to put off the polls.
Meanwhile, in what is certain to deepen the misgivings about Maoist stance on election, its senior leaders are airing conflicting remarks. Speaking at a same program on Sunday (an interaction on CA Polls and Role of Media), Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara and senior Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai made dissimilar comments. While Mahara said that the election will be held at any cost, Dr. Bhattarai said they will support if only "meaningful election' is held.
"No one can stop the election now. If anybody tries to derail the election, all must unite to counter," Mahara said at the interaction. On the other hand, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said that the meaningful CA election cannot be held without first declaring republic. Dr. Bhattarai even warned that his party could walk out of government anytime. He said that his party is not in favor of holding elections to give continuity to status quo.
"It seems that while the Maoists want the election to be postponed, they don't want to be seen as causing this postponement. That is why we are seeing so much of contradictions in the statements of their leaders in recent days," said a political commentator.
Perhaps that is why the Maoists have put forth 22-point demands including the immediate announcement of republic, adoption of fully proportional representation election system, roundtable conference to resolve Terai issues, implementation of recommendations of Rayamajhi Commission report, resolution of issues of disappeared persons and so on.
The Maoists have said that their agitation will help in ensuring the CA election even as they have unveiled a series of disruptive programs like demonstrations, rallies, political strikes and "people's actions" beginning mid-September. As such, the Maoist intention regarding the CA election is anybody's guess.
Congress Unity Efforts
Another aspect that has also contributed to the nagging uncertainty regarding the November election is the inordinate delay in the unification of two Congress parties.
Although the taskforces of two parties are said to have finalized about the structure of leadership at the central level in the unified party, they are yet to agree on the district/local level and sister wings.
On Sunday (August 26), Prime Minister and president of Nepali Congress (NC) Girija Prasad Koirala met with president of NC (Democratic) Sher Bahadur Deuba to discuss expediting the unification process.
Being the largest political party with the longest tradition of following a liberal democratic ideology, the NC's lead is important in kicking off the election campaign across the country.
"But till their unification materializes, the Congress will not be able to go to election in a firm and committed manner," said the commentator.
MJF's Ultimatum
The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), which spearheaded the Madhesi agitation early this year, has once again threatened to unleash movement in Terai plains.
As the talks with the government broke down last week, the chairman of MJF Upendra Yadav warned of another agitation in Madhes if their demands are not fulfilled within a week.
Following their central committee meeting, Yadav, on August 23, said if the demands are not fulfilled within a week, then agitation will be launched. He said MJF will not compromise on its demands for ethnic autonomy and proportional representation.
Yadav has warned that MJF will launch the movement from September 6 if their demands are not met within August 31.
As such, given the Maoist dithering and lack of resolution of various issues including the ones raised by MJF and Janajati organizations, doubts are still hovering over the November election. The government and the eight parties need to express their unstinting commitment towards the polls without delay to cure the confusions that have gripped the ordinary public.
