NC Unification : Indecisiveness Affects CA Polls

Vijaya Chalise

Leaders from both the Nepali Congress are feeling enormous pressure to unite prior to the Constituent Assembly (CA) election. The sole purpose of the unification, as Nepali Congress-Democratic (NC-D) leader Minendra Rijal puts it, is to influence the CA election. The NC needs to show good electoral performance, and for it unification is a must, says he. Consequently, the urgency for Nepali Congress (NC) unification seems further inspired by the political polarisation in the upcoming Constituent Assembly polls. In addition, the anti-communist paranoia of the United States and other foreign political players might inspire the political forces to become polarised.For the second time, the left parties in Nepal have a majority in the interim Parliament following the promulgation of the interim constitution, and should they establish a working alliance, then they will be in a good position to win a majority in the upcoming election to the Constituent Assembly.

Strong pressure

However, even in the face of strong pressure from within the party cadres and from foreign powers like India and the US, the unification course of the Nepali Congress (NC) and Nepali Congress (D) has yet to gear up. Political analysts say the situation took a new turn after the new U.S. ambassador, Nancy Powell, met with the Nepali Congress leader and gave suggestions to expedite the unification process. It is believed that after Prime Minister and NC president Girija Prasad Koirala and NC-D president Sher Bahadur Deuba meet to sort out their problems, the merger would pick up momentum. Positive signals are, however, not forthcoming, with the NC-D leaders accusing the mainstream Congress party of not showing interest in the party unification. Even the NC leaders charge that the people responsible for bringing the two parties together have not been showing interest and that their indifferences have been delaying the process. The unification process of the Congress, which split five years ago due to lack of internal democratic exercise, has been slackening for months even after the formation of the task forces.

The NC-D wishes to forge unity at all levels. It includes allocating equal positions in the party high command, something that the NC has maintained reservation about. Obviously, it is not easy to unite the party by keeping people from both the sides happy. NC leader Narahari Acharya, who leads a republican camp within the party, says the basis of the unity should be based on inclusive democracy. Calls are growing within the Congress for amending its fundamental documents, including organisational set-up.Many of them want a greater intra-democratic environment within the party. Since long, second generation leaders have stressed the need for a transfer of power from the old hat to them. Ram Chandra Poudel and Sailaja Acharya, the senior leaders after Koirala, and their supporters see several reasons for changing Koirala's leadership. However, they fear the rift in the party will only widen if they challenge his leadership. NC (D) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, while welcoming a respectful unification between the two NC groups that split in early 2002, had once claimed that the much-hyped party unification was nothing but a hoax promoted for cheap publicity. He thinks unification is not possible only on the strength of verbal commitment as such words need to be backed by practical steps. He is in favour of respectful unification - unification of feelings, a dignified place for workers at all levels and clarification of certain ideological obscurities such as the issue of ceremonial monarchy. Otherwise, in his opinion, it will be nothing but a repetition of conspiracies, betrayals and division.

Deuba says he is not against unification, but it should not be in the interest of a handful of leaders at the top. It should address the issue of the cadres at the grassroots. Deuba's distrust is understandable because Koirala himself was leading the party when it split four years ago. Many cadres believe he could have saved the division at that time. Apparently, extensive homework is needed for the unification of the two NCs as uniting just for the sake of it would not bear the desired results. This unification should positively consider the feelings of Jana Andolan-II. Obviously, all the NC cadres and followers, who desire to see a new Nepal totally free of autocratic past practices, would like true and sentimental unification instead of differences being patched up in a hurry. Responding to Deuba's scepticism, Prime minister and Nepali Congress president Koirala once said in Biratnagar that the leaders were prepared to reconcile with an open heart, and that the unification of the party would be carried out in a respectable manner. While addressing party cadres in his hometown, Koirala assured complete party unity by bracing reunification in its entire structure, starting from the villages up to its upper level. But, whether Koirala can provide all members of both the parties as well as the central leaders the same status is doubtful.

Obviously, unification starting at the grassroots level to the general convention, then at the level of the central committee, as prescribed by Koirala, does not appear easy as there are many lobbies and interest groups in both the parties. Even the oldest democratic party, the Nepali Congress, has a bad reputation as far as intra-party democracy is concerned. This also might cause hurdles in unifying the two parties. Visibly, the inability of the Congress to unite has affected the pace of the Constituent Assembly polls. Due to the indecisiveness, the Congress has not been able to take a decision on whether to back a constitutional monarchy or to go for a republican set-up during the election. Neither has it been able to make internal preparations for the poll.

Obligation

Undoubtedly, the NC faces a twofold pressure. Majority of the young cadres within the party are building pressure to go for a republican set-up. On the other hand, some quarters within the party as well as foreign forces think left influence can be curtailed only if the NC joins hands with conventional forces. The indecisiveness caused by such pressure has delayed preparations for the Constitution Assembly election. Obviously, this has delayed the entire peace process. Only 82 days are left before the CA elections, however, none of the parties have hit the campaign trail. The political parties in power should show greater enthusiasm to institutionalise the verdict of the April movement and the subsequent comprehensive Peace Accord that had clearly spelt out that the CA would determine the fate of the monarchy. It is the obligation of the political parties to fulfil their commitment.

Source: The Rising Nepal, August 31