Democracy For Nepal: The Polarization Is A Good Thing

Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Polarization Is A Good Thing

Consensus is a strange political concept. Frankly it is a Panchayati concept. Consensus was what the king wanted to happen.

2006 saw a polarization between the pro king and the anti king forces. That polarization was a good thing. Today the polarization is between the federalist forces and the anti federalist forces. This polarization is also a good thing.

Once a democratically legitimate government acquires the status of a caretaker government, that government stays in place until another elected government shows up to take its place. That is the democratic way.

The quickest way for the NC and the UML to get rid of Baburam Bhattarai is to speed up the elections and to do well in those elections.

But I think the NC and the UML know they are not going to do well at the polls. So to them political paralysis itself is achievement. Elections will mean federalism. But political paralysis means federalism is denied. And in paralysis they see victory.

It is not for a constitutional head like Ram Baran Yadav to make and break governments. It is for the political process to make that decision.

The reason the NC and the UML want Baburam to resign is because such a resignation would create something worse than the current political paralysis. It would create a political vacuum. And they want that. If political paralysis is bad for the cause of federalism, a political vacuum would be even a worse blow to that federalism. And they want that.

Baburam Bhattarai has been flexible. He has been open to inducting NC and UML people into the government. He has been open to giving the Home Ministry to the NC. Heck, he is still even open to resigning - something he is not required to do according to the constitution, but he could make such a political move if he wants, it is a free will thing - but his precondition is a valid one. First all the parties have to agree as to who will replace him, and then he will resign.

But that agreement is not happening.

And that begs the question. If Ram Baran Yadav is merely the Queen of England, and the executive power in the country rests with the Prime Minister, why did Ram Baran Yadav ever hold talks with political parties on so called consensus? The Queen of England does not hold political meetings. The president of India does not hold political meetings.

My conclusion is Ram Baran Yadav is solely responsible for the current political paralysis. It was and is his responsibility to pass the election related ordinances so that the Baburam Bhattarai government can hold elections in April 2013.

That really is the only legal, constitutional solution. That is how you break the gridlock.

Ram Baran Yadav was 100% a political person before he became president. If he had not become president he would have been a strong supporter of the anti federalist forces in the country today. This is a guy who badmouthed the Madhesi Kranti every step of the way. Yes, the biggest beneficiary of the Madhesi Kranti was one of its strongest opponents when it happened.

I think his current bad behavior as president is him acting like an anti federalist. A constitutional head is supposed to be politically neutral. He is not being neutral. In pushing the concept of consensus what he is doing is he is giving veto power to the NC and the UML, the two leading anti federalist factions in the country today.

This is wrong.

The anti-federalists hold a valid, democratic viewpoint. They are entitled to their worldview. But the legitimate step for them to take is to go to the people and seek their support to their worldview. Holding the country hostage is not how you do it. That can only make space for non democratic elements in the country if taken too far, the very forces that the Maoists, the Madhesis and the NC and the UML were united against in 2006.

Either Ram Baran Yadav should stop taking sides, or he is the one who needs to step aside.

Neither the NC nor the UML will cross the 10% mark among votes cast in the next elections. Together they will not get more than 20% of the seats. And that is why they want to drag their feet. They don't want elections to happen.

Mahantha Thakur For PM
A Non Political PM?
What Might The President Do?
The PM Resigning Would Be Weird
NC And UML At Fault
Ram Baran Yadav: Kasturi Mriga
The President, The Prime Minister
NC And UML Do Not Have Veto Power
Dahal's Capitulation Is Wrong
Baburam Bhattarai Will Conduct Elections
Ram Baran Yadav Is Not An Executive President
Why Federalism Bothers Ram Sharan Mahat (2)
Why Federalism Bothers Ram Sharan Mahat

PM candidate nowhere in sight

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal floated three names—Deputy Prime Ministers Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Bijay Kumar Gachhadar and Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Chairman Mahanta Thakur—all of whom were flat-out rejected by the opposition parties. .... “Chairman Prachanda is still against becoming prime minister. If top leaders from the NC and the UML want him to take the leadership then I think we can make him [Dahal] ready for the executive post”

Prez asks Dahal what to do if no consensus
UCPN (M) not to accept Cong at unity govt helm

Dahal has said that Deputy PMs Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar and Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Leader Mahantha Thakur are possible PM candidates from the coalition.Dahal is also learnt to have kept open the option of him standing as a PM candidate. However, this is only when agreement among the parties on the candidate looks virtually impossible and if the parties themselves request Dahal to lead a unity government

US magazine's praise for Nitish Kumar a publicity stunt: Lalu Prasad
Nepal's ex-prince was jailed for drug possession

Paras was caught with a woman
UML presses NC to pick PM candidate
PM threatens intervention in Patan Hospital
New PM only from ruling coalition: UCPN (Maoist)

"NC or UML can get prime minister´s post only after promulgation of the constitution. So, we don´t accept their prime minister now," Horibol Gajurel, UCPN (Maoist) Madhes bureau in-charge, told Republica. He also said NC and UML have no chance to lead national government because UCPN (Maoist) was the largest party in the then CA and also because the FDRA is in majority so an FDRA candidate will be prime minister if not Bhattarai himself or another UCPN (Maoist) leader. ..... "Why will we accept their candidate when they reject ours" ..... Vice-chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Narayankaji Shrestha is Bhattarai´s alternative. ..... "If our party is unable to head the consensus govenrment then either Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar or Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur will be the FDRA candidates for prime minister"