Management of political chaos currently prevailing in the country is being shouldered by the caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who emerges comparatively more effective and influential after resignation
By RK Remgee:
The defeat that Nepali Congress candidate Ram Chandra Poudel has been encountering in the prime ministerial poll in Legislature Parliament indicates one of varied contradictions facing Nepali politics today. His continued candidacy appears on surface to be the cause of the problem. But in reality it is a built-up result of political contradictions noticed prominently after the resignation of a majority Prime Minister nearly four months ago.
It mirrors nothing but the conflict in political values represented by issues such as tackling political problems through time honoured parliamentary process or through convenience of party - politics. It also reflects the roundabout way parliamentarians are prioritizing their tasks: emphasizing government formation and side-stepping their ultimate mission - sustainable peace through constitution.
Leaders' power ambition fuels the conflict and the nation's tax payers are compelled to pay the cost. Had time and efforts invested in the pressure politics been used properly, peace and constitution -writing would not have been so uncertain today, say commoners.
Poudel is in clear minority but faces no competitor in the race in parliamentary floor. His challengers - Prachanda and Jhala Nath Khanal - do have unquestioned majority. Yet they are seeking to knock him out not through vote inside parliament but through pressure outside it. Political scientists may have difficulty in finding appropriate logical frame to explain the paradox.
Camouflage
Masking the contradictions are three types of activities which depict politicos highly functional: high level Task Force crusade for narrowing down political differences, consolidating caretaker - form of government and prime ministerial race in parliament. All three are underway not in statesman-like way, but in a manner compelled by imposed circumstances. They have interestingly kept leaders of all parties particularly the three big ones busy.
Their face-goal is to facilitate peace and constitution-making process. The under-current is, however, linked with mutually exclusive power-politics and excuses to fake doing something important in the remainder - seven months - of Constituent Assembly's extended year-long period.
If politicos want to be serious in contributing personally to the national cause, there is of course a cause - a noble one - for all key leaders to fight for under the activities. Prachanda, the opposition leader, who heads the Task Force crusade, has an opportunity to show political dexterity in tackling disputes - 220 in number- as identified and documented in thematic reports of Constituent Assembly. The issues have been instrumental in dividing the political parties, obstructing the scribbling of constitution and pushing the country into deadlock over the past years.
Success of the Task Force could be equivalent to paving way for a guarantee for peace and constitution in the Republican Nepal. Failure would, however, mean uncertainty about both and further political complications in future. The Force has to produce results taking into consideration the fact that the Constitution should be ready prior to May-end next year and the issue of integrating Maoist combatants should be settled before UNMIN leaves on January 15, 2011.
The latest decision of the Task Force - consensus on independence of judicial system of new constitution - could be taken as a positive indicator. Will the same spirit prevail when leaders take up issues related to state re-structuring, base of federal states, form of government, and integration of Maoist combatants? The question cannot be answered positively yet because political leaders are making contradictory statements from time to time on the issues.
Boosting the caretaker
Another activity is: making caretaker government smarter. Management of political chaos currently prevailing in the country is being shouldered by the caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who emerges comparatively more effective and influential after resignation. Interestingly, he has been able to enjoy support from opposition Maoists at the moment besides gaining approval from rival faction of his own party and continuing to preside over what is 16 month-long - 22-party coalition government.
The Premier having scored in convincing Prachanda to bring Maoist combatants into Special Committee under government and engaging him in Task Force as its head appears to gain in getting a full fledged budget approved by Parliament before mid-November. This, he believes, would give him raisond'etre for why his caretaker government should be consolidated and its longevity extended.
Analysts smell the Premier's plans to facilitate the opposition leader in his attempt to improve ties with establishment in India. MKN, observers note, has been instrumental in initiating socialization of Maoist cantonment commanders and leaders as indicated by their recent visit to China and UCPN-M Vice-Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha's inclusion in parliamentarians' visit to United Kingdom.
The third activity - the parliamentary process of picking up a prime minister - has also been kept open and active, although lackadaisically, to keep parliamentarians engaged. The pressure to do away with it is always there and vocal but the pressure to produce a tangible roadmap after its end is lacking. None cares about the public frustration it causes. None feels the socio-economic loss Nepalis have been compelled to bear because of the political contradictions.
(Mr. Regmee is a senior journalist who regularly writes on economic and financial issues. He can be reached at dpal@columnist.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
