Where Does The Power Lie?

Keshab Poudel

"I have to admit honestly and frankly that Nepali people no more have the decisive power. The decisive power is in New Delhi and Washington," said CPN-Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara who is also the government spokesperson as the Minister for Information and Communication. (See Kantipur May 14 and Nepal Television May 13) addressing general meeting of District Development Committee, Rolpa.

- "NC people must consider what BP Koirala had once said. Rather than going to India with a package of problems, they would have done well had they gone there with a package of solutions," said Jhalnath Khanal, reacting to the visit of NC delegation of vice president Sushil Koirala, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and Dr. Shekhr Koirala. "I don't understand what they are up to when they go to India with a problem." (The Himalayan Times May 28)

Strangely Khanal, who criticized the visit of three Nepali Congress leaders who are reportedly in New Delhi for health check up, is himself going to be a member of CPN-UML delegation to New Delhi. According to a May 29 reporting in The Himalayan Times from New Delhi, a team of CPN-UML leaders including its general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal will arrive in New Delhi on 30 May. The members of delegation include K.P. Sharma Oli, Jhalnath Khanal, Bamdev Gautam and Ashok Rai.

As Nepal's present political situation is in a very crucial phase and internal political forces are in dispute over the announcement of elections date for Constituent Assembly, the visit of high-level party leaders of Nepal's two major political parties have definite political meaning.

The Himalayan Times –which is supposed to predict political weather coming from South – has already declared on May 27 that Koirala clan is losing its grip on the party. "In a way, the election of Pradeep Paudel as Nepal Student Union president is tantamount to a rebellion against the Koirala clan and its political ideology dating back to the 1950s," writes the daily.
According to THT, the bid is a last ditch effort by prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala who is under stepped up pressure to declare Constituent Assembly Elections.

If minister Mahara really believes upon his statement, many more questions may be raised at him. Along with other political forces, which one force led the Maoists into the power?

Prachanda's Realization

For CPN-Maoist leader Prachanda, it took a year to realize Nepal's reality. "One year after my public appearance when I met a number of capitalists, feudalists and other power centers, I have drawn the conclusion that Nepal is not like what we used to think. Eventually, we are now in a position to understand Nepal," said CPN-Maoist leader Prachanda (Kantipur May 24).

It is not clear whether they are the expressions of frustrations or expressions of real situation of the country. People in Nepal generally feel that they have come to know the Maoists in their political shape but surprisingly its supreme leader Prachanda has just started knowing what Nepal is.

The precious 15,000 lives have been lost to educate him about Nepal as he has realized now. Despite his realization, indications are that political situation in Nepal has no sign to stabilize and follow a fair and predictable process.

Past Experiences

Past experiences have shown that sooner the election is held, better for the country's over all situation. As Nepal's internal political forces are yet to agree on the date to hold the elections for CA, third party will have reasons to rejoice as its intervention will then be required to end any major political deadlock.

"Although the situation was very abnormal in the last days of Panchayat system, the upheavals of that time - which overthrew the previous order - reintroduced the multi-party parliamentary process very shortly. Within 14 months, the constitution was promulgated as a product of unique political understanding and reconciliation under which three elections for parliament were held with amazing peace and popular participation," said a political analyst.

According to the analyst, ongoing interests in the political destabilization created an opportunity to do away with that constitutional order as well as the political adjustments. "In the last phase of previous constitutional order, unfortunately, politicians ignored the consequences of cut throat competition for power which created a situation in which an inexperienced but over ambitious King played a short sighted role and the country entered into another phase of uncertainty and destabilization."

From Stable To Unstable

Following the promulgation of interim constitution, the country entered from a stable and predictable to unstable and unpredictable situation. Nobody is able to predict his/her own future now. Nobody in politics knows his/her future role. Even prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who sacrificed all political ideals, values, and country's interests for power, is uncertain about his position.

"As long as elected parliament was in operation, it was generally believed that entire parliament was capable of reflecting the popular will of the country and it could decide the fate of politicians. The previous constitution not only had declared the sovereign power vested into the people but it also generated belief in declaration. During the direct rule of King in the last phase, rightly or wrongly, the supreme decision making power was believed to be with the King," said the analyst.

Of course, April upsurge of last year deprived the King of that power but unfortunately no political force is sure of the center of the decisive power of this country now. In the last days of Royal regime, as a theoretician vice chairman of council of minister Dr. Tulsi Giri used to argue that there could not be two centers of power – the people and the King.

"Few days back the Maoist group leader in the cabinet and Minister for Information and Communication Mahara was on record in the media telling the people that the decisive power of this country is either in New Delhi or in Washington. Recalling Dr. Giri's statement regarding duality of the center of power to decide, it is now neither with the King nor with the people," said the analyst.

About Washington

In the words of minister Mahara, the decisive power has gone away either to Delhi or to Washington. However, while judging position of Washington, it has a very humiliating response from current events of Nepal. Prime minister Koirala completely ignored the advice of America in the process, particularly, on the decision of inclusion of Maoists in the government.

US and its ambassador James F. Moriarty, whose car was stoned Friday (May 25 in Damak Jhapa) by the members of Maoist -affiliated Young Communist League, are persistent in their position vis-à-vis Maoist party, which they term as terrorist outfit and have given no indication to budge from their stance yet. Americans denied visa to Maoist leader and still put them in US terrorist list.

Although US ambassador Moriarty was unhurt, this stoning incident, which the Maoist organization later claimed was not its planned doing, has raised a question on whose protection Maoists are waging a war against the US. In the words of vociferous Maoist leader and Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Matrika Prasad Yadav, US ambassador Moriarty has completely failed in his attempt to block their road to power.

About New Delhi

About another power center New Delhi, there is a lot of whispering and rumors getting space in the print media that it has a lot of influence in Nepal. Actions and activities of politicians corroborate the apprehension of the people, which is not in the interest of good neighborly relationship between countries.

Series of meetings and negotiations were taking place in New Delhi before finally the 12 points agreement came to light in November of 2005. Even the recent rush to New Delhi by all leading politicians of major political parties is not properly explained to the people. Although CPN-UML leader Khanal who objected Congress leaders' visit to New Delhi a day before - is now going to New Delhi along with his party general secretary Nepal.

After looking at this entire circumstantial situation, one can guess that something covert and secretive dialogue and negotiations are going on in New Delhi. There is no sense for different political persons of Nepal to go to Delhi for dialogue and negotiations among themselves. One does not know the role of third invisible and undeclared party into that deal.

According to Nepali Congress leader Amod Upadhyay, the visit is no more than a visit for medical check up. "All of them are political figures, they might meet Indian political leaders," said Upadhyaya. Anyway, this kind of visit of politicians to a powerful neighboring country is not without definite meaning.

"The experience of the past creates a reasonable doubt in the minds of people. Perhaps minister Mahara could not betray his conscience and expressed naked fact that internal conflicts of Nepal has shifted decisive power of this country," said the analyst. "Dr. Giri's views have prevailed but in a perverted manner. Now the power is neither with the King nor with the people. It has shifted to a hegemonic center. It is very painful to believe and accept this fact. And now the uphill task for all is to clear the hostility and conflict among ourselves for a broad based national unity based upon widely accepted political process in which all will have fair opportunity to live and let live," said the political analyst.

Source: Spotlight, May, 2007