Thousands attend 7-party Naya Baneshwor mass meet Kantipur .....The alliance today afternoon announced fresh protest programmes against the Feb.1 royal takeover. According to the new programmes, the parties will stage a joint protest demonstration in Janakpur on Jan.12, 2006. The parties will also organize a mass gathering in Kathmandu on Jan.20.
I get the impression the goal is not to bring the regime down before February. The goal is to disrupt the February 8 polls. Unlike some people in the diaspora, I accept the political leadership of the seven party coalition. I routinely express my disagreements and try to shape outcomes, but I do come around to the decisions they make because they are the ones at the forefront. They can claim to have a much better understanding of the ground realities.
I do think there is still a lot of lack of clarity in the 12 point agreement (10 Point Agreement To Succeed 12 Point Agreement) but it is hard work what they are doing. One has to look at the achivements made rather than the achievements still in the works. They are working under some very difficult circumstances.
My primary emphasis is on having a clear roadmap. Once the agenda is clear and sound, issues of leadership become less important. Once the alliance draws the clearest and shortest route to a constituent assembly, I will be much less particular as to who might lead the interim government. The leadership question is for the seven party alliance to decide. The rest of us can only make suggestions, and express agreements and disagreements.
Freedom of speech is sacrosanct. That is one big thing we are fighting for. There has to be respect for the same within the democracy movement itself. That is there at the level of the individual. But then there is also the issue of clarity and unity. There is the issue of effectiveness.
I have been very critical of Girija Koirala's House revival stand. I continue to be so. This is not a small issue. That single stand has been the root of much of the political mayhem of the past three years. And it is that stand that is preventing the movement from really taking off. And if he does not see that, he is not qualified to take the country through the tortuous route of a constituent assembly. It is a political skill issue. I think Girija Koirala is good at taking strong stands and sticking by them, come high or low. That works really well when you are fighting for the cause of democracy for decades. But that does not work too well when you are working within a democratic framework where the idea is to build coalitions and make sound compromises along the way. Girija Koirala's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness.
That is why I have suggested he be promoted and made the Supreme Leader of the movement, so that Madhav Nepal is the Prime Minister in waiting. The Nepali Congress on its part could have Ram Chandra Poudel for Deputy Prime Minister. I do think that clarity is needed.
The interim cabinet in waiting should be common knowledge.
Clarity is everything. There is a direct relationship between that clarity and the positive response of the masses.
But I don't intend to be preaching, only suggesting. I know it is hard work. There are people and groups in each party pulling in all sorts of directions. It is not easy to get all to come along in any one direction. But these leaders are trying and doing their very best. And they do have much progress to show for it.
The movement could have gone two ways. One would have been to bring this regime down by February. But both the parties and the Maoists seem to be talking in terms of disrupting the polls. To me that is like their saying they both want to do business with the king. They still want a constituent assembly, but they want to get there with the king coming along.
But then this king has exhibited quite some stubbornness. If he continues down that path, there is this buildup to a final confrontation. Or he could opt for the sensible option: King's Peace Overture To Maoists: Fake Or Real?
He could reciprocate the Maoist ceasefire, and he could hold talks with the other two forces.
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