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VOL. 27, NO. 35, May 16, 2008 (Jestha 01 2065 B.S.)
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Conditional Support
Nepali Congress and CPN-UML set conditions to pave the way for Maoist government prolonging political instability
By A CORRESPONDENT
As the prime minister has summoned the first meeting of constituent assembly on May 28, the political temperature has gone up to match the May heat. The preconditions put by Nepali Congress and CPN-UML before the Maoists, which emerged as the single largest party in the last election, has pushed the country's political situation onto uncertain course.
When Maoists have been threatening to use all kinds of methods to form the government under their leadership, there are certain consensus among anti-Maoist parties as seen in the conditions put forward by the Nepali Congress.
"It is very surprising to see the new conditions laid down by Nepali Congress. I have not read all the conditions of Nepali Congress but there is no way we can follow their diktat," said CPN-Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai. "Nepali Congress and CPN-UML must respect the verdict given by Nepali people."
Although Madhesi leaders agree on the issue regarding the resignation of Congress-led government and on giving the chance to the Maoists to form the government, they back NC's stand on amendment of constitution.
"We are with the other parties regarding the conditions of amendment of constitution," said Upendra Yadav, chief of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum. "The provision should be made to replace the government on the basis of majority not on the basis of two third."
Nepali Congress leaders, who compromised and sacrificed everything in the last few years to please the Maoists, have now started even questioning the intention of Maoists and their alliance with other forces.
"The Maoist charted extremely utilitarian course by using blatant words against prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala who they had once praised as the most towering personality in the Nepali political field," said senior Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel. "Once they had all the good words for Koirala but now they are humiliating him and knocking the doors of Kamal Thapa. We cannot keep mum against this tendency," said Poudel, who was one of the persons who had, at different times, labeled Maoists as a pawn of palace to a messiah of democracy.
After forwarding conditions for support to form the new government, NC and CPN-UML have shown that they will not let the Maoists form government without fulfilling certain pre-requisites.
Convened under the chairmanship of prime minister and party president Girija Prasad Koirala, NC Central Working Committee meeting has put seven conditions to support the government under the leadership of Maoists.
The demands of Nepali Congress include: the amendment of interim constitution adding clauses to form and dissolve the government on the basis of simple majority, dissolution of Maoist army, People's court and People's government, dissolution of YCL's paramilitary structure, prevention of anarchical activities, immediate handover of arms and ammunition stored in Maoist cantonment, formation of political unit to reintegrate and rehabilitate the Maoist cadres, return of property seized by Maoists and rehabilitation of internally displaced population and guarantee of independence of judiciary, police administration, constitutional bodies and government media.
"This is the view of Nepali Congress. If Maoists want our support to form the government, they must fulfill these conditions forwarded by our party," said Bimlendra Nidhi, general secretary of NC. "Maoists must agree on these conditions to forge an alliance for future."
Although the resolution of CPN-UML is flexible than NC, they, too, have concluded that Maoists need to change their anarchic behavior to form the government. "If Maoists continue to terrorize our workers, it is virtually impossible for us to support the Maoist government," said Pradeep Gyawali, senior leader of UML.
At a time when Maoists have been talking about one point agenda of abolition of monarchy from the first meeting of CA and formation of new government under their leadership, the new conditions laid down by two major parties have pushed the country into another direction.
Maoist leaders have already declared that they will march tens of thousands of people in the streets of Kathmandu in case of denial of power to them. "If Girija Prasad Koirala declines to resign, he will be thrown out of the chair by the people," said Dr. Bhattarai.
NC, too, has similar stand. "We will not allow Maoists to form the government without amendment of the interim constitution," said Congress leader Govinda Raj Joshi.
As the disputes among major political parties begin, the formula of consensus will be replaced by course of confrontation.
