Some of the aspirants for the position are Nepali Congress (NC) acting President Sushil Koirala, former Prime Minister and NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML chairman Jhalanath Khanal. These leaders are making every effort to prove that they are capable of replacing the late GP Koirala. NC is sharply divided over the HLPM leadership issue, evident from the recent squabble between Deuba and Koirala. If such differences persist in NC, it may also lead to political crisis in the party. Senior NC leaders seem unaware of the fact that their intra-party differences can put the ongoing peace process in jeopardy.
Following the tradition of NC, the acting president is supposed to handle the responsibilities in the absence of president. It is a different question altogether whether Sushil Koirala with his intolerant attitude will be able of steer the second largest party in the Constituent Assembly towards the right direction in the absence of GP Koirala. Deuba claims that he should succeed GP Koirala as he has already attained the second position in NC ‘s hierarchy.
Deuba has a strong following in the party. Having been appointed prime-minister twice, he has also developed an image and personality, which Sushil does not have. Deuba is also considered an ambitious leader and there is some validity in his claim as the successor of Koirala. It is not necessary that GP Koirala’s successor has to come from the Koirala family. Ultimately, the successor will be decided by the party’s forthcoming general convention in August.
It makes no sense for the UCPN (Maoist) chairman Puspha Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to claim both the top positions: prime minister as well as the chair of HLPM. He has to sacrifice one or the other if he is really serious about the peace process.
Maoists are playing a dangerous game to form a new government. According to them, unless the national unity government is formed under their leadership the peace process cannot be brought to its logical end. The Maoists want power by hook or crook and will do whatever they can to get the top post. How can Prachanda assure people that he can take the position of late GP Koirala? And even if he were to become prime minister again, will he be able to conclude the peace process and draft the constitution within the stipulated time? If Prachanda once again tries to form a new government under his leadership, then HLPM might become defunct.
The HLPM is entrusted with the responsibility of taking the peace process to its logical end and drafting the constitution by May 28. HLPM was formed on January 8 after months of negotiations between the leaders of the three major political parties UCPN (Maoist), NC and CPN-UML, under the leadership of Girija Prasad Koirala as other parties couldn’t forge consensus among themselves.
Nevertheless, consensus among leaders in choosing the HLPM head is a must to find a way out from the current impasse. There is an urgent need to forge consensus among the parties involved to either dissolve this body or make it more effective in coming days.
But the point to note is that if the leaders decide to dissolve the body, they have to understand that it will take thousands of hours of talks before the parties again build consensus, in the absence of a body like HLPM.
In the meantime, the deadline for writing constitution is approaching. People are wondering what the situation will be like after May 28. People are worried that the nation may face an even bigger political catastrophe if the constitution is not promulgated by May 28.
shresthas.shree@gmail.com
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