The resignation of
Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa has come as a greater challenge to King Gyanendra to
find a worthy successor. His search for a person with 'clean image' has left him very
little room to maneuver. Whether King Gyanendra will ever find a Nepali politician with a
really "clean image" is a million dollar question. Those who have already held
the post so far are stinking badly and do not deserve to head any future government if the
country is to move forward. Still they seem to be sharpening their teeth to bite the plums
of office once again. Not only these man eaters of yester years but a horde of contenders
are busy scheming to step in the shoes of Thapa. Since King Gyanendra has narrowed down
his options almost to nullity by his call for a person of "clean image", it
should not be very difficult for him to discard all pretenders and pick the man who can
come up closest to his expectations. In the prevailing circumstances, it could be said to
be his prerogative to appoint the Prime Minister. The experiences of the last nineteen
months have made it quite imperative that independent judgment and objectivity should be
made the only criteria that should be adopted for the selection of the Prime Minister. We
have always emphasized that King Gyanendra must be able to withstand pressures from all
quarters. We have also made amply clear that he must not hesitate or dilly dally to
implement his promises he has made to the nation of his unshaken commitment to
constitutional monarchy in a democratic regime by initiating the process of general
elections without undue delay. This does demand a conducive atmosphere which is possible
only if the Maoists are brought to the negotiating table. These are all tall orders that
call for men of integrity and character to implement them. King Gyanendra must find such
men. Under the circumstances, it is his responsibility. He must not lose sight of the fact
that small men who keep on fighting for grabbing the chair of authority and cannot see and
think beyond self and pelf can have no place whatsoever in the upcoming administration if
the solidarity of the nation and the continuity of monarchy is to be safeguarded.
Consequently, he must use his discerning eyes and not be carried away by or give in to
extraneous forces, power hungry politicians or any vested interests. Since the new
government shall have to work as the caretaker government whose one and only mandate will
be to hold the general election as early as possible, it must be widely representative
covering all sections of Nepali society. And for the elections to be totally free and
fair, King Gyanendra has to be very cautious and tough not to permit over representation
of any political party in the new government. Perhaps, King Gyanendra is facing the most
crucial test in these early years of his reign. He cannot afford to lose his tug o' war
with the unscrupulous leaders of the political parties who are suffering under some kind
of delusion that it is only their birth right to rule the country. His ultimate decision
at this critical time in the history of the nation will, indeed, become momentous. It will
also set the course of future of not only the nation but of the monarchy as well. |
