Does Nepal need a National Unity Government at this point?
Prakash Bom
November 10, 2009
International community has recognized that a national unity government for Nepal is desirable at this point in order to drafting a new constitution and managing Maoist combatants. However, a national unity government does not necessarily mean Maoist or UML or NC led government.
Perhaps under any one of those political parties´ leadership a national unity government can fail with the current trend of politics unless an emergency is realized for all political parties to come to a consensus for drafting constitution and managing Maoist combatants and their arms. Otherwise, international pressure as such UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon´s appeal is inevitable.
So far, Nepal has witnessed neither a capable political party nor leaderships that can lead a national unity government. The political will is disarrayed within all major political party organizations. The seriousness for drafting a new constitution for Democracy and managing Maoist combatants for peace has been diverted by main political parties´ own self-serving political interest for power.
Basically, political leadership in Nepal has failed to form a national unity government beyond of all limited political stakes of every political party in Constituent Assembly. In Democracy, it is the single largest party in majority should be allowed to facilitate in forming a national unity government. This is what international community has found odd in Nepali politics in regard to the attitude of the coalition government of 22-party.
But, unfortunately, United Maoist party with its simple majority in Constituent Assembly has failed to form such a government which could focus on its fundamental tasks for drafting a new constitution and managing Maoist combatants. But this does not mean Maoists should be outright ignored with their demands that have dragged them with their nationwide protest.
Had Maoists been smart with their commitment to the politics of multi-party Democracy that even after dissolving their first coalition government due to the presidential decree against their government´s decision, they should have immediately taken the authority as the single largest party in majority for forming another coalition government!
Similarly, the other main political parties – UML and NC should have first let facilitate the single largest party in majority to form another coalition government in respect to democratic protocol in politics even after Maoist led coalition government fell down. Such an utter lack of respect to democratic protocols or attitude of political parties has what created current political impasse.
Such attitude of main political parties unless changed to respect the basic protocols in the politics of multi-party Democracy the current political impasse will drag Nepal to the status of a failed nation. This is what makes international community worry and concern.
What if international community has to interfere if as such Nepal drags itself down to the status of a failed nation within few years? This should be a serious question to all particularly those who failed (both incumbent 22-party coalition government and political leaderships) to take UN appeal with the positive political feedback for consensus politics.
The history will not forgive Nepal if 22-party coalition government and their leaderships down play UN´s role in protecting Nepal´s nation hood. India would have a long ago turned it in one of its federal states, if UN had not played its significant role for Nepal. As a matter of fact, in numerous ways Nepal has lost its independence to the trend of Indian socio-economic and political power.
What a new Nepal needs is the fairness and this should be the struggle of all Nepalis around the globe. This is what international community wants for Nepal – end of the culture of impunity, human trafficking (over half a million Nepali women are trapped in Indian cities as a forced sex workers), and so.
But unless Nepal can put its house in order – democratic political system and economic developments, it can do nothing about the socio-economic changes for Nepalis, for instance to save life and dignity of Nepali women tapped in the Indian brothels. Nepali nationalism and dignity lies in the freedom and prosperity of Nepali people, but not in slamming UN appeal to address the fundamental political crises of Nepal.
International community has also appealed all parties remain committed to the comprehensive peace accord 2006, as Indian Prime Minister has appealed to UML chairperson Mr. Khanal. This means that unless peace process revitalized for logical conclusion no party should dare to alter it.
Yet the defense minister Bidhya Bhandari of incumbent government proposed amendment of comprehensive peace accord 2006 for sake of Nepal Army´s promotional recruitment and additional armament against the norms and principle of peace treaty and the position of her own party!
What is happening with several ministers of the incumbent 22-party coalition government seemed out of cabinet coordination – such as briefing news media for deploying Nepal Army to suppress the Maoist protest, claiming that Maoists have breached peace treaty, slamming UN appeal for unity government and so on!
Even the prominent members of civil society and columnists have delivered speeches and published their opinion against the appeal of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for unity government. So far there are none who is capable of addressing the current political impasse that United Maoist party has bent the nation. The intellectuals and civil society members ought to facilitate, but they all seem divided as main political parties.
Therefore, the appeal of international community is inevitable, as Karin Landgren, chief of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) suggesting that parties ought to fix the power of the current president of Nepal under the Parliamentary democratic system, whose ruling has contradicted and caused the current political crisis in the nation. The political parties cannot ignore this as such which will undermine the drafting of the new constitution and managing of the Maoist combatants and their arms.
The national unity government must be formed with the facilitation of the single largest party in majority with the proportional representation of all political parties in Constituent Assembly. Only then drafting of the new constitution and managing of the Maoist combatants can be legitimated. None the party or leader can lead but facilitate such a national unity government.
Perhaps under any one of those political parties´ leadership a national unity government can fail with the current trend of politics unless an emergency is realized for all political parties to come to a consensus for drafting constitution and managing Maoist combatants and their arms. Otherwise, international pressure as such UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon´s appeal is inevitable.
So far, Nepal has witnessed neither a capable political party nor leaderships that can lead a national unity government. The political will is disarrayed within all major political party organizations. The seriousness for drafting a new constitution for Democracy and managing Maoist combatants for peace has been diverted by main political parties´ own self-serving political interest for power.
Basically, political leadership in Nepal has failed to form a national unity government beyond of all limited political stakes of every political party in Constituent Assembly. In Democracy, it is the single largest party in majority should be allowed to facilitate in forming a national unity government. This is what international community has found odd in Nepali politics in regard to the attitude of the coalition government of 22-party.
But, unfortunately, United Maoist party with its simple majority in Constituent Assembly has failed to form such a government which could focus on its fundamental tasks for drafting a new constitution and managing Maoist combatants. But this does not mean Maoists should be outright ignored with their demands that have dragged them with their nationwide protest.
Had Maoists been smart with their commitment to the politics of multi-party Democracy that even after dissolving their first coalition government due to the presidential decree against their government´s decision, they should have immediately taken the authority as the single largest party in majority for forming another coalition government!
Similarly, the other main political parties – UML and NC should have first let facilitate the single largest party in majority to form another coalition government in respect to democratic protocol in politics even after Maoist led coalition government fell down. Such an utter lack of respect to democratic protocols or attitude of political parties has what created current political impasse.
Such attitude of main political parties unless changed to respect the basic protocols in the politics of multi-party Democracy the current political impasse will drag Nepal to the status of a failed nation. This is what makes international community worry and concern.
What if international community has to interfere if as such Nepal drags itself down to the status of a failed nation within few years? This should be a serious question to all particularly those who failed (both incumbent 22-party coalition government and political leaderships) to take UN appeal with the positive political feedback for consensus politics.
The history will not forgive Nepal if 22-party coalition government and their leaderships down play UN´s role in protecting Nepal´s nation hood. India would have a long ago turned it in one of its federal states, if UN had not played its significant role for Nepal. As a matter of fact, in numerous ways Nepal has lost its independence to the trend of Indian socio-economic and political power.
What a new Nepal needs is the fairness and this should be the struggle of all Nepalis around the globe. This is what international community wants for Nepal – end of the culture of impunity, human trafficking (over half a million Nepali women are trapped in Indian cities as a forced sex workers), and so.
But unless Nepal can put its house in order – democratic political system and economic developments, it can do nothing about the socio-economic changes for Nepalis, for instance to save life and dignity of Nepali women tapped in the Indian brothels. Nepali nationalism and dignity lies in the freedom and prosperity of Nepali people, but not in slamming UN appeal to address the fundamental political crises of Nepal.
International community has also appealed all parties remain committed to the comprehensive peace accord 2006, as Indian Prime Minister has appealed to UML chairperson Mr. Khanal. This means that unless peace process revitalized for logical conclusion no party should dare to alter it.
Yet the defense minister Bidhya Bhandari of incumbent government proposed amendment of comprehensive peace accord 2006 for sake of Nepal Army´s promotional recruitment and additional armament against the norms and principle of peace treaty and the position of her own party!
What is happening with several ministers of the incumbent 22-party coalition government seemed out of cabinet coordination – such as briefing news media for deploying Nepal Army to suppress the Maoist protest, claiming that Maoists have breached peace treaty, slamming UN appeal for unity government and so on!
Even the prominent members of civil society and columnists have delivered speeches and published their opinion against the appeal of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for unity government. So far there are none who is capable of addressing the current political impasse that United Maoist party has bent the nation. The intellectuals and civil society members ought to facilitate, but they all seem divided as main political parties.
Therefore, the appeal of international community is inevitable, as Karin Landgren, chief of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) suggesting that parties ought to fix the power of the current president of Nepal under the Parliamentary democratic system, whose ruling has contradicted and caused the current political crisis in the nation. The political parties cannot ignore this as such which will undermine the drafting of the new constitution and managing of the Maoist combatants and their arms.
The national unity government must be formed with the facilitation of the single largest party in majority with the proportional representation of all political parties in Constituent Assembly. Only then drafting of the new constitution and managing of the Maoist combatants can be legitimated. None the party or leader can lead but facilitate such a national unity government.