Had the agitating parties been sincere about polls, they would have taken part in talks with a different spirit. They would have insisted that HLPC accommodate their perfectly plausible demands like resignation of Khil Raj Regmi from the post of Chief Justice, deferment of election by two-three weeks, and amendment of the Interim Constitution accordingly. [break]
They would also have agreed to go to the people on issues the roundtable could not sort out right away. For instance, the roundtable cannot write the constitution itself. As the CA I is already dead, the Constitution must be drafted by elected members of CA II. At the most, the roundtable may agree on constituting a group of eminent persons from among the elected members of CA II to draft the Constitution to be subsequently approved by a full House.
Some had always doubted if the roundtable conference would be able to produce any positive result. As it was, the conference stalled before it was even convened. Some took the agreement for roundtable as simply a CPN-Maoist time buying tactic to postpone election date. Well, they were right. CPN-Maoist is not alone in not wanting election. Even UCPN (Maoist) does not want to contest election without an understanding with CPN-Maoist. Both clearly know that if they contest election as two parties, it would be inimical to either’s interest.
Despite the roundtable setback, there are some positive indications for the scheduled CA election. Eight agitating parties, including MJF led by Upendra Yadav, have agreed to participate in the election. This has increased the possibility of most parties from the Madhesh taking part. Moreover, a festive mood of election is apparent in Tarai as well as Hills as political parties have started to deploy to contest the ballot. Above all, people have been gearing up for election, which was evident from long queues for voter ID cards.
Against this backdrop, it is high time for the remaining agitating parties—mainly Mohan Baidya’s CPN-Maoist and Ashok Rai’s Federal Socialist Party—to respect the right of people to vote and heed the call of the HLPC to participate in election. People are impatient for an end to the protracted political stalemate. After all, it is the people, not political parties, who are sovereign. Political parties cannot take the country hostage indefinitely, while people consistently endure the pain of political uncertainty.
Their disenchantment with political parties is growing. It has increased with growing differences among political parties on election issue and allegations that one or the other party is encouraging external interference in Nepal’s matters. People view it as the political parties’ decreasing sense of nationality, patriotism, and as their design to weaken the mosaic of cultural, ethnic and religious harmony. This has led to the rise of regionalism, tribalism and animosity amongst various communities in Nepal. The situation has been further aggravated by other difficulties like galloping inflation, pervasive corruption and bad governance.
Recent events in Egypt show that people do not have infinite patience. Whenever political change fails to meet its goals, people fight again, even for a dispensation that could take them back to the old days. For more than three decades the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood fought alongside liberals against the dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak for freedom, democracy and human rights. In the election after Mubarak’s removal, people elected Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammad Morsi as President.
Morsi tried to impose Islamist agenda and failed to fulfill even the minimum needs and aspirations of people. As political and economic difficulties mounted, the same people who had risen up against Mubarak and voted Morsi into power called on the military to depose Morsi. Now the elected Morsi has been put behind bars and the deposed Mubarak has been released from jail. These things should be expected when political parties try to snatch away people’s sovereignty.
In Nepal too, there are troubling signals. Supporters of the deposed King Gyanendra could hardly gather a handful of people for a mass meeting after 2006. But they are slowly making a heroic comeback. They are getting public attention and can now hold large rallies. When they speak of the misdeeds, insincerity, opportunism, and corruption of political parties, people nod in agreement and applaud in support. This is the result of increasing frustration with government and political parties. Many do not feel the presence of government at all. So much so they have started to wonder who actually rules the country.
On the face of it, the possibility of emergence of a dictatorial regime from either within or outside political parties triggering a nationalistic wave cannot be ruled out.
We have fought for more than six decades to write a constitution through an elected body. But when such opportunity was at hand with the election of CA I, political parties fought over irrelevant matters. Now they are fighting a similarly irrelevant fight on the eve of CA II polls. We the people do not yet see light at the end of the tunnel.
People are sovereign in a democracy and democratic election is the only way to resolve political problems. Political parties are only the means, not the end. Therefore, they should all get new mandate from the people. Unfortunately, at a time when the majority of political parties are readying themselves for election, CPN-Maoist and a few other fringe parties have stood as an obstacle. They should respect people’s sovereignty. Likewise, the HLPC should try to accommodate the agitating parties as well.
People will give political parties the mandate they need on various issues facing the country today. But not all issues can be resolved through periodic vote. Such thorny issues like federalism and secularism need to be settled through a referendum. Otherwise, the same issues that prevented CA I from writing a new Constitution will come in the way of CA II as well. All political parties beware! The people that threw out the 240-year-old monarchy could chuck you out without a second thought if you fail to honor their will. So get down to business at once, which is free, fair and timely election.
The writer is former
foreign secretary
bhagirath_51@live.com
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