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VOL. 27, NO. 20, January 25, 2007 (Magh 11 2064 B.S.)
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Elusive Conviction
Despite rhetoric leaders of major parties fail to convince the doubting masses
By SUSHIL SHARMA
Ram Sharan Mahat, Jhalnath Khanal and Hisila Yami are senior leaders of the country’s three biggest parties.
Apart from being senior figures, the stalwarts of the Nepali Congress, the UML and the NCP (Maoist) share nothing in common.
But a rare commonality surfaced last week.
At a programme on what many think to be still-uncertain constituent assembly election, the three leaders laboured hard to brush aside doubts about the polls.
After they sought to assure the audience that “the election has to take place, it will take place, we will hold it at any cost,” a joint question was hurled at them.
“If they are so sure about the polls can they publicly declare that they will quit politics if the polls do not take place?”
None of the firebrand leaders dared make such a declaration.
“Let’s not talk negative at this stage,” was all the UML’s Khanal had to say.
The NC’s Mahat thought the question to be “too hypothetical” to warrant a straight answer. “The question is like what happens if all hell breaks loose.”
Maoist leader Yami flatly dismissed the idea altogether. “Why should we quit? We will fight instead.”
So, none of the firebrand leaders of bigger potential dared to risk their future at something they publicly say they believe in.
Normally, political leaders use public declaration to quit as a powerful weapon to counter criticism and allegations.
“If proved, I will give up politics for good,” is a popular refrain to challenge the allegations of corruption.
On the question of the proposed April elections, none of the top leaders have dared yet to resort to that refrain.
In mass meetings, at press conferences, in seminars, they are seen taking extra pains to assure the people about the certainty of the elections. They also quickly label the doubters regressive and royalist rogues.
But they have not mustered courage to rely on the traditional quitting-the-politics weapon.
“If they are so sure of the polls taking place as scheduled in April, what is stopping the leaders from making the doubting masses believe in their assertions,” asked an audience after listening to the evasive leaders in Bhaktapur
“They should have no hesitation in declaring that if they are proved wrong (on the election assertion) they will quit politics for good”, added another
