After NCCWC Elections
Time To Move Ahead Unitedly

By Prem N. Kakkar

THE election for the Nepali Congress President and 18 Central Working Committee(CWC) members concluded on an encouraging note. This is for the first time that elections were held to choose the members of CWC. It is in this sense that the 10th General Convention of NC must be considered as very significant

The reelection of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala for the second term as the Party President has shown that the trust of the active members at the general convention was firmly behind him. Though there were two other contestants in the fray namely former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ramhari Joshi, but this could not bring about any hindrance to Prime Minister Koirala in winning convincingly.

The votes cast in Koirala’s favour was an overwhelming 429 more than what Deuba had received.

The contest, mainly between Koirala and Deuba, is seen to be a healthy process as to whom the party workers at the convention think fit to steer the party to its future course. As has already been mentioned that after the general convention NC will set on a new course and too unitedly.

The results of the election for the party president and CWC members was as per democratic practice. This is the essence for the party to be the largest democratic force in the country. And the events that have unfolded prove that stress has been laid on party unity. There were some who firmly believed the party was in for a split seeing the younger generation stand up for the election of the party president have been belied.

In fact, the recently concluded general convention has brought about a greater degree of belonging among the party workers. Moreover, even on conceding, Deuba has made it clear that the unity of the party will not be disturbed despite the results. This shows that the ability to face the reality is there.

Though the second generation leaders have been termed as very impatient by Koirala, this is not the case. The younger generation leaders have done what the party’s norms have laid out and are practicing their rights. Even the party president welcomed the move that there were other candidates in the election.

The wide margin with which Koirala won the election shows that he is the person who, at present, can lead the party with the leadership that is so necessary at the moment. In fact, the call for one man one post may not fit into the scheme of things. The present party elections have shown that the voters had more faith on Koirala than on the other two candidates.

Though some stalwarts of the party were defeated in the party election, this does not mean that a rift has been created. In fact, the democratic culture of the party has been strengthened.

This time amendment was made in the statute of the party that the CWC was to have 37 members instead of the previous 31. This increased the participation of the party workers as 6 more members have been elected. It will increase the efficiency of the party with more ideas flowing to make the party more dynamic and meet the party needs.

Another decision with quite long ranging impact was limiting the terms of the party president and the district level president to two consecutive terms only. The aim of the decision would be a boost as new leadership would become inevitable. As for NC President Koirala, this is his second term.

The Code of Conduct that was adopted at the meet will also make it possible for the party to control aberrations which can harm the image of the party. It has also taken note of earnings made in an unfair or illegal means. This will help in maintaining the moral side.

The general convention and the election of the party president and the CWC members has reinvigorated the party and its reflection will be seen in the days to come.

The thoughts that the convention would see chaos has been proved wrong. All the delegates to the convention are satisfied by the results that have come in front. It would lead to better rapport among all in the future. The cooperation of all party workers is essential to take the party forward in serving the people with greater zeal.

In all, the general convention can be termed as successful and saw the mammoth gathering of delegates and NC workers as well as supporters and well-wishers. Now the time is ripe for the party to go ahead with the policy and programmes that it has made in the interest of the party as well as the people in general. Herein, maintaining the unity of the party remains the priority.

On The Occasion Of The National Day Of Australia
Leading Figures In The Federation Movement

POLITICIANS from all six colonies helped make the Australian Commonwealth. Many were remarkable characters, some were powerful intellects Together they contributed energy, imagination, political astuteness, a determination to defend local interests and a commitment to the Federation ideal.

But if the Constitution was mostly the creation of bearded men, Federation was also the result of pressure from ordinary men and women who, on at least one occasion, revived the movement when the politicians appeared to have lost interest. When Henry Parkes called for Federation at Tantesfield in 1889, he spoke to the people, not just his parliamentary colleagues. Other leading Federationists achieved their goal with the support of the Federation Leagues, the Australian Natives’ Association and popular movements, such as the pro-Federation, campaign on the goldfields of Western Australia.

Women who were just beginning to win the right to vote were absent from the Federal conventions, through one, Catherine Helen Space, stood for election. Some feminists argued that achieving the vote was much more important than achieving Federation, while others worked enthusiastically for the Federation cause.

Edmund Barton, a Sydney lawyer and parliamentarian, became the leader of the Federation movement in NSW in the 1890s.A member of the constitution-drafting committee in 1891, he was its leader in 1897-98. Barton became first Prime Minister of the New Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

Andrew Inglis Clark, Attorney-General of Tasmani, drafted a federal constitution based on that of the United States, which he considered the world’s greatest democracy. This was one of the key starting points for the Constitution, written under Samuel Griffith’s leadership during the National Australasian Convention of 1891.

Alfred Deakin, a Victorian Parliamentarian, was the leading Federationist in his colony. He worked with Federation Leagues and the Australian Natives’ Association to promote the cause in Victoria, and was a delegates to all the federal conventions. He was Prime Minister three times in the first 10 years of Federation.

Join Forest, a former explorer, was the first Premier of Western Australia. He was unsure about the possible effects of Federation on his colony and stalled holding a referendum on the issue. But miners on the goldfields, many of them from the eastern colonies, wanted Western Australia to join, and threatened to secede and create a new State as part of a federation. Faced with the threat of the goldfields seceding over the Federation issue. Forrest gave Western Australian women the vote in 1899 in the hope that women from urban areas on the coast would balance the vote of miners on the ‘fields.’ Forrest became Postmaster-General of the first Commonwealth Government.

Robert Garran, a young NSW lawyer and keen member of the Federation League, helped a committee headed by Edmund Barton to draft the final version of the Constitution in 1897-98. At Federation, Garran became the new nation’s first public servant as Secretary to the Attorney General’s Department. He became Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth in 1916.

Samuel Griffith, a former Queensland Premier, was vice-president of the National Australian Convention of 1891 and chairman of the committee which drafted the Constitution. Griffith later became first Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia.

Charles Kingston was Premier of South Australia. He wrote a democracy inspired draft constitution for the National Australasian Convention in 1891. Kingston worked on the drafting committee aboard the Queensland Government launch, the Lucinda, supported the Corowa Plan of 1893 and later hosted the Adelaide Convention of 1897. Kingston was the first Federal Minister for Trade and Customs.

Henry Parkes, a commanding figure in NSW politics, had often spoken of the benefits of Federation. He gave the movement new impetus with his call for a federated Australia at Tenterfield in 1889. Parkes presided over the first National Australasian Convention in Sydney in 1891, and drafted the resolutions for debate. A powerful but ageing figurehead, Parkes actually died four years before Federation came about.

John Quick, a Victorian lawyer, took the initiative to revive the Federation movement, which had lost momentum since the Convention of 1891. At a ‘People’s Convention’ at Corowa in 1893, he suggested that a new federal convention be held, with its members elected by the people. In 1901, he was knighted for his outstanding contribution to Federation. He was also elected to Parliament in that year, serving as a Member until 1913, and was Postmaster-General from 1909-1910.

George Reid, Premier of NSW, earned the nickname ‘Yes-No’ Reid for his seemingly contradictory attitude towards Federation. He believed that the draft constitutions of 1891 and 1898 were not in the best interests of NSW.

Reid was later to become Prime Minister and also served as Australia’s first High Commissioner to London.

Vaiben Louis Solomon held the Northern Territory seat in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1890-1901. Solomon was elected to the 1897-98 Federation Convention, where he pursued northern development, intercolonial free-trade and restricted immigration. Solomon was elected to the new Federal Parliament in 1901.

Catherine Helen Spence, novelist, journalist and social activist, was a prominent supporter of electoral reform. She stood for election as a South Australian candidate for the National Australasian Convention in 1897 to make a point about fair electoral representation. She did not gain a place at the Convention but achieved fame as the first woman to stand for election to political office in Australia.

Maybanke Wolstenholme (Anderson), a leading women’s suffrage campaigner threw herself into the Federation campaign. Wolstenholme believed that Federation would bring the vote for women across Australia. With the support of Edmund Barton, she organised the Women’s Federal League in Sydney. Their aim was to encourage NSW women - who could not vote - to urge their husbands to vote ‘yes’ in the Constitution Bill referendum in 1898.

The leading figures in the movement for Federation were people with vision, courage and determination. But the dream of a united Australia was finally realized in 1901 by the people of six British colonies who’d voted to create a new nation for a new century. In marking the centenary of their achievement-a system of government now recognized as one of the world’s oldest and most successful democracies—Australians of today are responsible for steering the nation safely, bravely and creatively into the future.