NATIONAL 1 (Spotlight Weekly)]

In Search of Consensus

As the main opposition party seems to be veering towards the extreme end of politics, the RPP steps in with a moderate approach

By KESHAB POUDEL

At a time when the main opposition party CPN-UML and five other left parties are leading a nation-wide violent agitation demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) -- the third largest group in parliament -- has proposed a formula to end the current national crisis.

Heading toward the extreme end of the political spectrum, CPN-UML leaders have announced that they would obstruct the proceedings of the upcoming budget session of parliament. Although the RPP formed a joint front with the communists in the last session to obstruct the proceedings of the house, this time the RPP has not spelled out whether it would back the communists during the budget session of parliament.

RPP leaders : New strategy

"The party has not taken any decision on whether to continue to boycott parliament in the forthcoming session or not," said RPP president and former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa.

The RPP's latest move has underscored that the national political scenario is undergoing a drastic change. "It seems that the communists are heading towards the extreme end with their irrational demand. If the UML wants to be a leader of radical communists, it will have to pay a heavy political price," said a political analyst.

Interestingly, the RPP's political proposal has come a time when the UML and other communist outfits are losing popular support inside the country. Earlier, communist-led protests received strong grass-roots support in the capital. But this time, their support base seems to have been drastically eroded.

Although the agitation is being organized by all major communist parties represented in parliament and is being supported by radical outfits, the participation of the common people has remained negligible.

"It seems the agitation of the communist parties has irritated the local population," said a political analyst. At this juncture, the RPP's proposal for peaceful political solution has considerable meaning," the analyst added.

The violent activities of the CPN-UML and other communist factions have created an uproar among the people. Worse, Western democratic countries have openly started to question the credibility of the CPN-UML.

The RPP's gambit seems to be a well-planned effort to gain its previous status as a major political force. Whatever the political circumstances may be, the CPN-UML leadership seems to be adopting a more extreme posture even if they do not get the desired level of the public support.

"We may disrupt the forthcoming winter session of parliament again if Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala refuses to resign. We will announce stronger programs to oust Koirala, "said UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, addressing the reporters in Nepalgunj.

"The ongoing political turmoil will not end without the participation of the parties which do not have representatives in parliament. The weakness of the RPP's proposal is that it has sought to bypass the other forces that are outside of parliament," said Kuber Sharma, president of Green Nepal Party.

The RPP leadership, however, sees the need to bring all political forces into the national mainstream to find a way out of the current political stalemate.

"If required, the Congress should be prepared to make sacrifices and the main opposition party CPN-UML, too, has to be more flexible in its stand," said Thapa. RPP leaders have proposed a three-point framework. In the first phase, the party has called for the creation of a proper atmosphere for evolving a national consensus. Second, it wants a national conference comprising national political parties represented in parliament. Finally, it has proposed an all-party meet.

As the gap between the ruling and main opposition party seems to be widening, the RPP hopes to gain much advantage in the political process. The RPP's present strategy to maintain equi-distance between the Nepali Congress and the communists is also guided by similar concerns.