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POLITICAL ROADMAP |
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POLITICAL ROADMAP |
Likely Settlement Since country requires
peace and stability, political forces must agree on certain roadmap as an
alternative to solve the present impasse By KESHAB POUDEL At a time when the country’s major
democratic party Nepali Congress is under the leadership of experienced leader like Girija
Prasad Koirala, one can still hope that it will search for an amicable alternative to
overcome the current political impasse.
Since the political forces including
monarchy and political parties are struggling to maintain their prestige, there seems to
be no easy or short-cut way out. Although CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has proposed a
round table meeting, its modality is too vague - like who will summon such meeting, who
will be present in such meeting and what are the criteria for nomination of
representatives. Nepal’s round table meeting may be
possible in other forms, which will be legitimate and logical. As Taranath Ranabhat,
speaker of the House of Representatives, is still there, summoning a meeting of all the
members of dissolved House of Representatives by giving it a consultative status can be an
alternative. According to the article 51 (4) a of the Constitution of Kingdom of Nepal
1990, after the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the speaker and deputy
speaker can continue in office until the date of the filing of nominations for election to
the House of Representatives. Although tenure of all other members of the
House of Representatives was completed as soon as House was dissolved, the speaker and
deputy speaker remain in their position till the filing of the nomination for next general
elections. Since the speaker can summon meetings of
already recognized members, it would be more acceptable to different parties. To make such
a meeting legitimate, it has to be addressed by the King. But the question remains: who
will propose these alternatives and how will the political forces respond to it? Although Girija Prasad Koirala, brother of
B.P. Koirala and a political leader with more than five decades of experience , is now
leading Nepali Congress party and King Gyanendra, brother of late King Birendra, is
heading the institution of monarchy, courage from both sides may help to bring the country
to the right track. Once the country’s major forces bury their differences, both the
institution of monarchy and democracy will be strengthened. One can still hope for such political
settlement as long as the octogenarian leader Girija Prasad Koirala, who has spent all his
life championing the cause of democracy, is leading Nepal Congress. But one is not too
sure how his so-called followers have in their mind.
By calling for the reconciliation
with monarchy to protect the nationalism and by upholding the spirit of democracy, B.P.
lost nothing. His call of reconciliation, made some three decades ago, made him one of the
most popular leaders of all time of the country. Instead of bowing down to external forces,
King Birendra, too, gave up his power to agitating political parties in 1990. The decision
of King Birendra made the institution of monarchy more popular. King Birendra is
remembered even today as people’s King. Since political leaders and King Gyanendra
have differences over the way to resolve the present situation, they can find a common
ground to overcome the crisis. If both forces identify commonalities of interest among
them, they will find hundreds of alternatives in front of them. As Nepali Congress leader Koirala is
leading the six party agitation demanding the reinstatement of the House of
Representatives and followers of monarch seem to be against the idea, they have to go for
other alternatives. Political leaders have to give up certain
demands while the monarch, too, needs to be flexible. The King has to convince his close
advisors as well as others backing him whereas political leader like Koirala has to
satisfy his followers and other agitating parties. Once they identify commonalities of
interest, the country will come back to the normal situation with constitutional monarchy
out of controversy and political parties in the process of political mobilization.
“As the country is heading
towards more chaotic situation, political forces have to agree on certain alternative
arrangement. Sooner they overcome the crisis, more secure the nation will be. Since it
will take some time for alternatives, they can develop a road map, a kind of stages of
reconciliation,” said an analyst. ”If the King and leaders of major
parties agree, this meeting of consultative status should recommend the name for prime
minister to lead next government and recommend for elections, it will also be face-saving
for all political forces” said the political analyst. Although King would appoint such government
under the Article 127, the constitutional and legal status of the government appointed
through such recommendation will be different than the present one. “I have found the mood of the King is
compromising. Once all of us give certain alternatives, Thapa will be replaced by the
King,” said Rajeshwor Devkota, senior politician, who was recently given audience by
King. “One of the important task for us is to give alternative to prime minister
Thapa. It should not be like replacing Lokendra Bahadur Chand by Surya Bahadur
Thapa.” Interestingly, when the country has been
passing through a very critical phase in its history, political leaders in Nepal have
celebrated a function to remind the contributions made by two important personalities of
Nepal.
Political leaders celebrated
sixty-fourth birth memorial of King Birendra, who was killed in a mysterious circumstances
along with his eight family members, and national reconciliation day of late B.P. Koirala,
a visionary democratic leader who returned to Nepal after seven years of exile. As the country’s political forces are
groping for alternative process to end the present political stalemate, the way shown by
King Birendra and late B.P. Koirala may help to avert the political clashes. Although King Birendra could not do
anything till B.P. Koirala was alive, he agreed to remain as a constitutional monarch
giving up his powers to the political parties averting a major political clash in 1990. Congress leader B.P.Koirala, who returned
to Nepal in one of its darkest period in the political history, propounded national
reconciliation to avert the on going political crisis. It was not easy for King Birendra and B.P.
Koirala to take such drastic and far-reaching political decisions but they had done it for
the sake of the country. B.P. Koirala, who always stood in his firm conviction, held the
view that national unity can be built on the foundation of democracy and the foundation of
democracy can be cemented only under the speedy economic development. Nationalism,
democracy and economic development constitute the cornerstone of the national
reconciliation. |
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editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
