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VOL. 27, NO. 45, July25 , 2008 (Shrawan 10 2065 B.S.) |
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DR RAMBARAN YADAV'S VICTORY
Against
Divisive
Politics
The election of Dr. Rambaran Yadav, who has a long association with mainstream Nepali Congress Party with his own clear political stand in favour of national integration, as the first president of Nepal, will have a major psychological impact to fill the gulf created between the Pahadi (hill dwellers) and Madhesi (plains people) communities. At their own initiative, Pahadi community accepted Madhesis for top two positions of Republic Nepal. For Maoists, the election delivered a clear cut message that they cannot form the government alone without building consensus with other mainstream political parties like Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. This is an outcome of centuries-old assimilation existing in Nepal between various ethnic, regional and linguistic groups. Along with bringing the Maoists and other political parties together to draft a new constitution, newly elected president will also need to play a role to reduce tensions and hatred generated against various ethnic groups
By KESHAB POUDEL
After winning the elections of president on second round of voting on July 21, 2008, the first and foremost thing Dr.Ram Baran Yadav did was he paid a visit to Pashupatinath temple and Basantapur where he worshipped Goddess Kumari and Lord Ganesh giving the message that he believes in harmony and continuity.
Dr. Yadav's 308 votes against 282 of Maoist-backed candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh has given the message that Maoists no more hold the trump cards in politics.
In the first round of election held on July 19, Dr. Yadav had secured 283 votes against his nearest rival Singh who got 270 votes – 15 short of magic number of 298. But, Dr. Yadav emerged victorious in the second round.
Although he is from Janakpur, southern plain or heartland of Mithila culture, newly elected President Dr. Yadav indicated that he respects the values and traditions of Nepal and wants to keep these harmonious relations intact.
Having joined Nepali Congress politics in 1981 and served as a medical attendant of Nepali Congress leader B.P. Koirala who was at the last stage of his cancer in 1982, Dr. Yadav has rose to the highest office.
It was a stroke of fate that Dr. Yadav was amply rewarded as the president when the country was observing B.P's death anniversary. Perhaps, destiny has rewarded him for his service to B.P. Koirala at his last moment.
Sixty-one-years-old Dr. Yadav is a politician of his own standing. Born in a poor farmer family in Dhanusha district, he contested the CA election against one Madhes one Pradesh slogan and tested his political stand in the direct election where he was elected with thumping majority defeating the candidate of Terai Madhes Loktantric Party. Even after the election, president, Dr. Yadav has firmly held his political views.
"My victory is a victory of all the communities of Nepal. We have to live together as a nation," said newly elected president Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, a widower. "I will fulfill aspiration of all the people," newly elected president Dr. Yadav told Spotlight on Monday night. Although his party has seen many ups and downs in its history, he continuously followed the same line of party and remained loyal to same group.
Patch-up Efforts
Although it was surprising for many within Nepali Congress, Dr. Yadav's victory backs NC stand of integration and nationalism. This election gave sober message to separatist movement in terai that the country has not lost its social harmony existing between various groups.
With the election of two Madhesi candidates for the post of president and vice president (Parmananda Jha), the efforts have begun to control damage in terai where there was much hatred brewing between two communities.
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Pm Koirala casts his vote: Laying new ground |
Although vice president Jha, who has served more than three decades in judiciary serving up to temporary judge of Supreme Court, was elected as a candidate of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum which is stressing for single Madhes as a federal state, he too has a long democratic credential.
"I am very close to the ideology of Nepali Congress but Madhes agitation put me in the second-top position of the country," said vice president Jha. "I will dedicate my time to country's peace and harmony."
Nepal has centuries-long history of harmony. "Inherent quality of Nepalese people is that they have been living in harmony within a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-linguistic social environment for ages. None of these groups have absolute majority over others and thus all were bound to live in homogeneity. There were attempts to inflict hatred and animosity against each others for ulterior interest but it again failed to bring out aggravated bitterness in an open and democratic society," said a political analyst.
" Nepal does not have any history of ethnic clash as they are all transplanted from elsewhere. Such hatred is not in accordance with the Nepali ingenuity."
For Dr. Yadav being a person of Madhes origin was a plus point but he got elected by his political stand and proved that his political stand had a popular support.
Inclusive Parties
Just as two presidential and vice presidential candidates of Madhes won the election by the votes of Pahadis and many Pahadis have also won the election by the votes from Madhesis. All the mainstream parties in Nepal consist of persons of various ethnic, lingual and regional groups.
Now CPN-UML has proposed Subas Nemwang, a person belonging to indigenous group, as a candidate for the chairman of Constituent Assembly.
These experiences have shown that it is neither viable nor correct decision to divide various communities against each other. The election results reveal that all the communities are in favour of social harmony and integration.
Dramatic Moment
Nepal's politics have seen dramatic turn in the last one week. After surprise breaking of the alliance between two communist parties CPN-UML and CPN-Maoists at the last minute on 17 August, the new political alliance was forged on July 19 between Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and MJF altering the entire political course.
Although Maoists blame other parties for breaking the alliance, nobody understands what compelled the revolutionary extreme leftist party to support the extremely rightist candidate for president.
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Pm Koirala casts his vote: Laying new ground |
Maoist leaders show they have more intimate relations with Ram Raja Prasad Singh than prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala or CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal who had sacrificed everything to establish Maoists as a mainstream party. However, Maoists awarded them by ending their political career. While so doing, Maoist leader Prachanda, who was all along projected as the first president of Nepal, too, lost the chance to form the government with solid backing.
Disclosing his long relations with Maoists, Ram Raja Prasad Singh, in his recent interview to Nepal weekly Magazine, said that he handed over all his weapons to Maoist leader Prachanda including his armed rebels to continue armed struggle.
"Maoist leader Prachanda invited me in all his important programs since he joined the open politics. I supported him while he was underground in India." This indicated the old association between Janabadi of Ram Raja and Maobadi of Prachanda.
All Are The Losers
Although every political party holds the view that they have defeated other, actually they have themselves suffered in the dramatic political events of the last one week when an unexpected dark horse finally emerged as the winner for country's top post.
"One of our successes is that we are able to block prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal from being the first president of Nepal," said CPN-Maoist leader Matrika Yadav. "Our candidate has lost but we won the elections."
By defeating Koirala and Nepal, Maoists have also lost a chance to form the government on its own. Had they contested the election in alliance with CPN-UML, both the parties would have won the game. "Maoists have paid the price for making us fool and betraying us in the last minute," said Ishwor Pokharel.
Although prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, former CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and CPN-Maoist leader Prachanda jointly fought to finish king Gyanendra, ultimately they have paid the price one by one. To retain their political position, they have made all kinds of holy and unholy alliances but such alliances only served the interest of those who wanted to oust them. Finally all of them are losers. If that is so, who is the winner?
All the political leaders have shown there is no meaning of ideological commitments. Extreme leftist CPN-Maoist backed Ram Raja Singh siding with the followers of single Madhes province like Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Nepal Sadbhavana Party and other smaller regional fringes sacrificing their own close ideological ally CPN-UML.
Nepali Congress and CPN-UML sided with regional party like Madhesi Janadhikar Forum to defeat Maoist candidate. In real politics, they all gave up their stand for the sake of power. One of the main losers was the Maoists, who have lost an opportunity to form the government and lead the country.
Although the election result may have brought some uneasy course in politics, one of the positive aspects of election of president and vice president was that it can create psychological environment to bridge the gap among two major communities Madhesis and Pahadis - giving strong signals against separatists of terai.
