National 3 (Spotlight Weekly)

Confidence Building Measures

After granting audience to CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, the process of confidence building begins between the King and the parties

By KESHAB POUDEL

It took nearly seven months for the ice to be broken between the monarchy and the political forces. But the first meeting alone cannot adequately narrow down the existing rift between them as it requires several rounds of similar meetings to arrive at an amicable solution.

By granting audience to the CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal on Friday (January 2), King Gyanendra has shown that he has political will to solve the political impasse and bring back the country to normalcy.

Nepal : Will the meet lead to reconcilation?

Although a section of Nepali Congress leadership including Arjun Narshing K.C, Narahari Acharya and Ram Chandra Poudel, whose outside connections are well known, have already expressed the suspicion over the two and half hour long meeting between the King and the general secretary Nepal, the process was enough to show that there is still enough room for resolving the problem amicably.

Some pro-monarchists who also expressed unhappiness over King Gyanendra’s meeting with CPN-UML general secretary Nepal argued that leaders of six agitating parties are responsible for the present political mess. They have also expressed anger over the republican slogans raised by the parties at public meeting.

Although agitating parties including Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala used certain remarks against the King, all of them have publicly made clear that their intention is to activate the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990. According to the Constitution, constitutional monarchy, multi-party democracy, independence of judiciary and human rights are four elements, which cannot be amended. The slogan of republic, therefore, is nothing more than display of outrage and anger by the irate cadres.

Since the very basic principles and ideals of Congress party is at stake, the anger expressed by Girija Prasad Koirala, who have championed constitutional monarchy, multi-party democracy and freedom of speech all his life, is just a temporary one and a display of irritated temperament. “Once the constitutional process returns to the right track, there will be no reason to continue our agitation,” said Koirala.

King Gyanendra, Congress leader Koirala, CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and other political parties have certain commonalities of interest. This is the reason King Gyanendra and CPN-UML leader Nepal held the talks for more than two and half hours. If King continues to meet with political leaders one-on-one, it will help to develop the confidence between them.

“The present crisis is not that of constitutional process but that of lack of confidence among them. Once the political forces build confidence, constitutional process will return to the right track,” said a political analyst. “ Since there are many persons in both the sides who gain at times of confrontation, the leaders will need to pluck a lot of courage to build the confidence.”

Political leaders need to understand that the institution of monarchy is an asset of all Nepalese people and it can play an important role in nation building. At the same time pro-monarchist elements should also realize the role of political leaders in democratic process. In case of conflict, the country’s strength will be at stake. Nationalism can be strengthened through the very base of democracy.

Whatever Congress spokesman Arjun Narshing K.C, Narahari Acharya and Ram Chandra Poudel or other pro-monarchists express, it is the political leadership who has to play the ultimate role in confidence building measures. Only through the step by step negotiation, can the political process return to right track.

The likes of K.C and Acharya have already said that the King is trying to split the agitating parties and have urged Congress leader Koirala not to meet with the King till he reverses his decisions.

“What kind of political leaders are they in the party of Congress, which was once led by leaders like B.P. Koirala, who are trying to block the process of reconciliation between Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala and monarchy. Do they want King Gyanendra to come to meet at Koirala’s residence?” asked a political analyst. “I am confident that Girijababu will not follow such suggestions and he will be alone in the time of taking decision based on the national reconciliation.”

In the last one year, country’s security forces have done definite improvement in their capacity to restore the normalcy but they, too, need the support of political parties to keep country in the permanent normalcy.