OFF THE RECORD (Spotlight Weekly)

‘The Constitution And Laws Are Being Openly Violated’

— RABINDRA NATH SHARMA

Former minister RABINDRA NATH SHARMA is a central committee member of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the second largest opposition party in parliament. Sharma, who has been involved in politics for the last five decades, is known for his political acumen. He spoke to SPOTLIGHT on various issues of contemporary politics. Excerpts:

How do you see the current political situation?

We need to work to end the political uncertainty as soon as possible. We want results from the government-Maoist talks soon. If we allow the government to continue with this situation for too long, the country’s sovereignty will be in danger.

How do you see the activities of Maoists after the first round of talks?

I have not seen the level of anarchy of the past month in the last six years of the Maoist insurgency. The constitution and laws are being openly violated.

Do you see any possibility of ending the Maoist insurgency through talks?

As the Maoists have not changed their stand, I don't think the government is in a position to make compromises. The Maoists are still demanding a republic and the abolition of parliamentary democracy. The all-party meeting has clearly told the government not to go beyond the constitution. I think the government will have to clarify its stand on the issues raised by the Maoists.

How do you see the Maoist rally scheduled for September 21?

The government cannot stop any peaceful demonstration, but the organizers must prove that their activities are not going to be violent. Given the experience, I don't think the rally will be peaceful.

What should be done now?

All political forces that believe in parliamentary democracy should come closer. If politicians are really sincere to the cause of country, they have to take into confidence the King and maintain good relations with India and China. Only then can democracy and country survive.

Ranabhat’s Junket

If you were to ask House of Representatives Speaker Taranath Ranabhat what his hobby is, he would almost definitely say travelling. At a time the country is facing an unprecedented crisis, Ranabhat seems to be more interested in reaching foreign climes. What else could explain his 18-day trip to the West African state of Burkino Faso, accompanied by a jumbo delegation, to present a three-page statement? While the rest of the country spending hours upon hours trying to resolve its multiple woes, the speaker’s team decided to take a 20-hour flight to Ouagadougou. Whatever the circumstances the country may have to face, Ranabhat couldn’t miss becoming the first Nepali to lead a parliamentary delegation to Burkina Faso. The Rs 5.4 million bill is perhaps a small price for a speaker who wants himself heard far and wide.

NSP-RPP Strategy

Leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and the Nepal Sadbhvana Party (NSP) finally agreed to allow parliament to run, while maintaining their opposition to the Land Reform Amendment Bill. The turnaround of both political parties was mysterious, as they had earlier declared they would stop all parliamentary activities until ceilings were imposed on all forms of property. Surprisingly, the new strategy was announced just a few days after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba met RPP leader Surya Bahadur Thapa and NSP chief Gajendra Narayan Singh. Did the prime minister’s personal charm do the trick or was some other consideration reminiscent of Deuba’s first tenure as premier involved?

Creative Comrade

Among Nepal’s communist parties, there is no dearth of fertile minds, particularly when it comes to bestowing new epithets on others. Leader of the main opposition CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal has coined various words in criticizing his opponents. The target of Nepal’s ire this time was former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who announced at a public function that there was no need to amend the constitution for another 20 years. Nepal lost no time in christening the ex-premier’s views "Bhattaraipath" (Bhattarai's way). Regardless of whether the Congress septuagenarian liked the name of this new political thought, Nepal’s pleasure at his creativity knew no bounds.

Deuba's Duality

After a brief honeymoon, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has come under pressure after the main opposition CPN-UML and other left parties announced that they would not allow the Land Reform Amendment Bill to pass without certain amendments. Within his own party, Deuba is in no position to push through any reduction in the ceiling of land. So Deuba has decided to adopt a two-track policy. When he meets the leader of the main opposition, the premier supports his ceiling. When Deuba discusses the issue with his party colleagues, he backs their proposal. As a result, nobody is ready to predict what the final shape of the bill would be.

Clubbing On

Nepalese leaders are particularly adept in identifying where their interest lies. After the Supreme Court struck down the provision of pensions for former MPs, our ex-legislators sprung into action to unite for their cause by launching a club. Although the organization doesn’t look like it would contribute much to the nation, it would provide former MPs a platform to push their own agenda. And who knows what kind of proposals the fraternity would float for its common cause?