Uniting In Favor Of Constitution

Thanks to statement by the first vice-chairman of the present government Dr. Tulsi Giri, all political forces have come together in defense of the present constitution

By KESHAB POUDEL

In the last four years, this is for the first time when all the political forces have stood together to defend the present constitution. From former chief justice and chairman of the Constitution Drafting Commission – which drafted the present constitution - Bishwo Nath Upadhyaya to the CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal – who have already declared the present constitution as non-functional - suddenly all of them have rushed to the defense of the constitution.

“There is no need to change the present constitution as it has all the ingredients of democratic constitution,” said Bishwo Nath Upadhyaya – who had also demanded the constituent assembly a few months back. “There is a conspiracy behind the scene to make the constitution defunct,” he added.

Thanks to the first vice-chairman of the present government Dr. Tulsi Giri, who in his recent public gathering in Biratnagar had hinted about the need to bring a new constitution, people and leaders in favor of the constitution came out strongly from all sections. While denouncing Dr. Giri, all the prominent persons hailed the constitution.

Dr. Giri, who is known as a shrewd politician and projected as an extreme rightist hardliner, had also spoken some logical things during the Biratnagar address. Instead of trying to highlight Dr. Giri’s few negative remarks, there are also many important things that he uttered that could be used to bring the political normalcy in the country.

“There is a need for political negotiations between the King and the political parties to solve the present political impasse. There is a need for compromise and unity between them,” said Dr. Giri. Despite his remarks, there are certain political points of agreement and the present constitution can be one of the points of agreement between them.

Although Dr. Giri is not a man with personal conviction on democracy, there were many positive points in his statement. Dr. Giri is a person who had become foreign minister at the age of 30 under the first elected prime minister B.P. Koirala.

Once the constitution is activated and elections held, all political forces from left to right would get opportunity to test their ideas through elections. The main agenda of the present time should not be actions and reactions but efforts to bring the constitution to the right track.

Support has come for constitution thanks to Dr. Giri’s statement. Interestingly, all professionals like lawyers, journalists and others denounced Dr. Giri hailing the constitution. It is always wrong to equate Dr. Giri with other extremists but sometime persons like Dr. Giri need to be thanked for their contribution towards triggering positive development.

When the country’s major political parties are demanding the new constitution through the constituent assembly, Dr. Giri’s statement has changed the tone of major political parties. “Pressing need is not the constitution but what we need this time is to bring all political forces within the constitution,” said a political analyst. “Foremost political agenda should be now to bring the constitution right in the track and second would be to get the competing opinions tested through elections,” said the analyst, adding. “All should help to hold the elections through which all can test their opinions.”

One can list many grievances about Dr. Giri’s statement but it will not help in finding out a political solution. As Dr. Giri pointed out there is the need to start negotiation between the King and the political parties and this must be taken as a point of agreement.