Nepali Congress Central Working Committee meeting on Wednesday officially nominated its president Sushil Koirala as the consensus PM candidate, ending weeks of speculations about NC’s official candidate for the country’s top executive post. NC decided to put forward Koirala’s candidacy after the UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML asked the party to settle its candidate. The request of the governing Maoist party is an indication that the ruling coalition now accepts the fact that the present caretaker government of Baburam Bhattarai cannot be turned into a consensus government.
This has, to an extent, also narrowed down differences between the major political forces over the formation of a consensus government. However, although an NC-led government is the most desirable option at present, and something we have been consistently rooting for since the dissolution of the CA last May, Koirala’s elevation to the position of the prime minister is far from certain.
It is a welcome step that parties across the spectrum now seem open to an NC-led government to hold fresh elections of the Constituent Assembly. It would be even more heartening for the people if the parties can settle power-sharing issues before the end of the extended deadline for consensus on Thursday. On Tuesday, President Ram Baran Yadav, who has been consistently putting pressure on the parties to work together to find consensus, had invited top leaders and told them that it would be a shame if the parties failed to come to a solution within the extended deadline. We completely agree with the President.
The parties’ continued failure would not only spawn a dangerous belief that Nepali leaders are inefficient, but would also further delay the end of prolonged transition. More than four years after the CA election, the parties are still at loggerheads on various issues concerning constitution-drafting. Significantly, the erstwhile CA had managed to establish consensus on most constitutional issues, and only a handful of issues are yet to be settled. At this critical juncture, we believe UCPN (Maoist)’s insistence on pre-conditions for NC-led government would only take the parties farther apart.
The parties are already on the same page as far as fresh CA election is concerned, which, as everybody now understands, is an absolute necessity. The common belief is also that people should be given one more opportunity to choose their representatives to draft their constitution. The most contentious issue regarding the modalities of federalism should be left to the people to decide. The people will no more accept the decisions taken within four walls, not the least because the political leaders don’t enjoy the same degree of legitimacy they did immediately following the 2008 CA polls.
Instead of endlessly wrangling over contentious issues, the parties should now focus on formation of consensus government under Koirala, so as to create a favorable atmosphere for new CA polls next April. Let each party put forth its agenda for people’s endorsement, as should be the case in a working democracy. Meanwhile, the parties should now agree to NC leadership and set a common minimum program for the Koirala-led government in order to rule out major disagreements till election date. Delaying the election and extending the current transition would only jeopardize the historic achievements made in the last six years. And that is in no one’s interest.
Related story
Koirala family will take over NC leadership: Shashank Koirala
