Uncertain Course

Displaced from villages and interiors of Nepal by terrorist attacks, political parties are being threatened in the urban areas by civil society

By KESHAB POUDEL

Koirala : Leadership Challenge

Unlike previous times, Friday’s meeting (August 5) of civil society gave different message to the senior leaders of major organized political parties. Addressed by more than half a dozen of members of media, technocrats, leader of ethnic groups, poets, university teachers and human rights activists, octogenarian Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and other leaders did not have any other option than to listen to criticisms and threats that political parties will lose their utility in absence of clear cut demands in agitation.

The latest attack by some populist persons in the name of civil society has not appeared as booster to political parties as their whole utterances and emphasis were concentrated at proving that political parties have lost their relevancy in the leadership of the people.

“Leaders of the prominent political parties were made to listen to their irrelevancy as well as the irrelevancy of the monarchy, too. It is pathetic that the leaders of the people’s movement of 1990 are perhaps being sidelined by a new ‘upsurge’ in the pattern of the “Rose Revolution” that occurred in some countries of former Soviet Republic ,” said a political analyst. “Unfortunately, common people in Nepal , as like others in emerging democracy, are completely unaware of a “Great Game” being rehearsed in their own country.”

Crowd is not a proof of political popularity. Like our innocent rather than ignorant faces of attending politicians, Nepalese people listened to them all but their reactions are not so vacillating and mysterious. The mind of the people is reflected by their response and behaviors and that is not so anarchic and destabilizing.

“Once the democratic process restarts, election is held and parliament comes into its full form, all these would vanish as smokescreen. Interests are there for foul play but there should be a little bit of care to disseminate between the real and fake,” said analyst.

Political parties - which still adhere to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 - need the parliament whether through elections or reinstatement. However, extremists, whether armed or unarmed, seem to have interest to fish in the troubled water and to prolong a regime of non-elected government.

The demand of Constituent Assembly, which has glittering cover of republic can suit both the extremists. One is not sure and they themselves are not sure that the people of Nepal will opt republic. To prolong a regime of non-elective government, one cannot conceive any other populist slogans than this.

Extremists in Nepal are really a problem as any other emerging democracy and Nepal had appeared as most vulnerable to that malady. But unfortunately, what appears spade in the eye of analytical viewers does not look the same to others.

From left leaning human rights activists Dr. Mathura Shrestha to Krishna Pahadi and former finance minister Dr. Devendra Raj Pandey, all of them have a single complain against the leaders of organized political parties – that they are losing relevancy as they don’t have powerful demand against regressive acts of King Gyanendra. Members of civil society demanded that political parties must decide whether they want present status quo or Republican set up.

“People want complete democracy with republic,” declared Dr. Mathura Shrestha, who was appointed health minister following the people’s movement of 1990. “If the King does not want to abide by the constitution, the country has no option other than to go for republic.”

For more than two hours, there were competition among the speakers on who would use more provocative remarks against the monarchy. Congress leader Koirala, who has seen many larger mobs in his more than six decades long political struggle helplessly listened to them for two hours.

New Wave of Attacks

For senior leaders of organized political parties, along with civil society members, the younger student leaders are also challenging their leadership with a demand of handing over the leadership to the young generation. Country’s all broadsheets daily newspapers, knowingly or unknowingly, have already started to portray a young student leader like Gagan Thapa as replacement for old and experienced leaders.

Nobody understand rationale behind the argument for the replacement of the leadership when country’s experienced political leaders are fighting hard to unite the party - how these students leaders will be better alternatives. At a time when reason and rationale have no place in so called intellectual debates, people do not have any option other than to watch the drama.

It seems that the political parties – which are displaced from the villages and interiors of Nepal by terrorist attacks – may be displaced from the urban areas like Kathmandu valley soon.

Despite agreeing to open joint front with the Maoists, leaders of political parties honestly admitted that their activities have been confined to the district headquarters and mainly in the capital city of Kathmandu . “Maoists must allow our party workers to hold the rally in the villages,” said CPN-UML general secretary Nepal .

As student leaders and civil society members are harping extremist slogans, moderate political leaders like Girija Prasad Koirala has to speak populist and extremist rhetoric to maintain a populist posture. Despite harping extremist slogans, political leaders do not find mass support except unruly students behind them to demonstrate the strength.

The capital city has been undergoing virtually a confrontation not with the political parties but between the government and unruly student agitators with varied non-political slogans. In that way, the political parties have not been properly represented in public posture.

Slogans of Referendum

When some extremist political leaders are calling to hold the referendum on monarchy and republican, finance minister Madhukar Shumsher Rana surprisingly challenged political parties calling to hold referendum.

If the monarchy goes to referendum, can finance minister Madhukar Sumsher Rana assure Nepali people that the sovereignty and independence of nation will not go to referendum?

It was sheer irresponsibility and stupidity to speak like that. Where some appointed ministers on the merit of technocratic know how transience his limits and interest into populism he makes the institutions of faith and belief of the whole nation as a matter of choice in the elections.

How can there be referendum between democracy and dictatorship - so is the case with monarchy and Republicanism in monarchical states including advanced European and Asian monarchy.

It was wisely enshrined in the Constitution – which was the outcome of a great reconciliation of 1990 that is known as people’s agitations. The present constitution has passed through an acid taste of revolutionary tremor of 1990. It is unnatural rather mysterious to conceive that the people of Nepal has changed their attitudes and convictions regarding basic features of the constitution which are constitutional monarchy, multi-party democracy, rule of law and above all sovereign and independent nation.

Somebody would have taken it very seriously had it come from a shrewd politician like Dr.Tulsi Giri but our simpleton finance minister speaks the language perhaps he does not understand himself.

As country’s politicians do not know where they are heading, it seems that there is more uncertain political course looming large in front of Nepal working to finish the relevancy of organized institutions like monarchy, political parties and others.