Assurance
On Ordinances
IT is desirable that
the Opposition members of parliament take an active interest in and support Prime Minister
Sher Bahadur Deuba’s peace bid vis-à-vis the Maoist problem. But for them to oppose
certain legitimate governmental efforts to address the country’s law and order
situation, is perhaps not the right thing to do in the present situation. By opposing the
introduction of the Armed Police Force Ordinance-2057 and Local Administration (Fourth
Amendment)-2057 ordinance on Tuesday, the Opposition parties appeared to have preferred to
engage in oppositional politics just for the sake of it instead of going for constructive
and productive discussions on the ordinances. The Opposition bid fell through as the
majority of the parliamentarians rejected the opposition’s proposal to block its
introduction in the parliament. The Opposition lawmakers now owe it to their allegiance to
parliamentary practice to discuss the ordinances in a dispassionate manner. They should
take heart from Premier Deuba’s categorical statement in the House Tuesday where he
sought to allay their fears that the passage of the ordinances might hamper the
government’s much-awaited talks for peace with the Maoists. He appreciated the
sentiments of the Opposition regarding this and assured them that advice from all
political parties will be taken to further refine the ordinances. This assurance from the
Prime Minister is positive and should be taken as his desire for consensual, rather than
adversarial, politics. So is his assurance that the ordinances will not be misused.
Whatever the
concerns of the Opposition, certain practicalities of the matter must also be considered.
Creation of an Armed Police Force is not an overnight exercise. Prior to its
establishment, much spadework had been undertaken. The result of such homework has led to
Nepal already having an Armed Police Force. This wing of the police force has already had
budget earmarked for it to function. Such being the fait accompli, it stands to reason
that the ordinances be passed so as to give them a permanent legal status. In so far as
the Opposition’s concern on the impact on talks with Maoists is concerned, it is not
right to link the much-sought-after peace talks—for which the Deuba-led government
has shown its commitment in more ways than one—to the passage of the ordinances. The
argument for a strengthened police force remains as valid now as ever before because of
the need for maintaining law and order, one of the major tasks of any government.
Therefore, the Opposition should rally around the Prime Minister in facilitating the
passage of the ordinances and sincerely cooperate with him in resolving the Maoist
problem, which after all is a national issue and not a problem of just one particular
party or a government.
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