CA Poll

The eight-party government has finally achieved yet another milestone on the road to sustained peace in the country and the people's aspiration of converting Nepal into a democratic republic. Despite certain hurdles and some crisis of confidence among the ruling parties, the agreement on holding the Constituent Assembly election on 22nd November this year has given forth a positive message. Encouragingly, within 24 hours of announcement of the poll date the country has set its sights on the goal to be achieved in the next five months. It is now the duty of all political parties, civil society, civil servants, security officials and the general public to work towards that goal. The stakeholders, however, should not forget that the situation at present is certainly not congenial for free and fair elections. So the task ahead is not only arduous but also clouded by uncertainty.

This is the first time ever that the Nepali people have an opportunity to decide their own fate, as the new constitution will be drafted by representatives elected by them. The first and foremost condition for free and fair elections is a peaceful environment. The Election Commission is rightly worried about the security situation. It is therefore the duty of the government to settle the issues raised by dissenters and seek their cooperation in holding the elections in a free and fair environment. The situation will not be congenial until and unless representatives of all the political parties are able to canvass in the remotest parts of the country without any fear and intimidation. Unfortunately, in order to achieve that goal the country has to court the Madhesis and the Maoists.

Except for providing 21 days to the Electoral Constituencies Delimitation Commission to review the report it submitted on 12 April, the government has not addressed the demands of the Madhesis. The onus is now on government to persuade them to cooperate and participate actively in the elections so that the dream of building a new Nepal will materialize. The Madhesis should understand that if we fail to hold the CA poll this time, we might see the beginnings of a civil war that could end up dismembering our country into various pieces. The Maoists' case is a bit different from that of the Madhesis. They have to discipline themselves because they are in the government. If the comrades are at all concerned about the existence of this country, they should immediately give up their violent methods of impressing the people through intimidation. They should try to win hearts through peaceful means instead. If the CA election is postponed yet again, it is likely that the reason will be the Madhesis or the Maoists, or both. If either of these parties shows any intention of disrupting the poll, regressive and pro-king elements will be more than happy to add fuel to the fire.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, June 26, 2007