Nepal: Fresh Election a drama staged by Dahal-Bhattarai combine

Mahendra Paswan

CC member, Nepal Maoist party

TGQ1: What could have been the prime reason for the abrupt dissolution of the Nepal’s Constituent Assembly body?  And also tell us as to how you take the fresh declaration of a new election for the CA body once again? Your comments please

Paswan: We have already stated that the dissolution of the CA body was made under the pressure of some foreign elements. The forces who did not want to institutionalize the change, those who did not prefer the country becoming a secular one, those who were against the country embracing a federal order and those who did not want to draft a constitution of people’s preference collectively managed the sudden death of the CA body. It was this group which could be taken as to who caused this very death. More so in this entire affair, our own party chairman Prachanda and Prime Minister Bhattarai and the government led by him could be held primary responsible. In addition to all these, the other parliamentary parties, regressive forces and the status quoists too have their respective share in having caused the untimely death of the CA body.

The election announcement made by Prachanda and Babu Ram has neither meaning nor any relevance. This declaration or say notice is nothing but a grand scheme to take the population for a ride.  We have taken this as a drama staged by Prachanda and Bhattarai. Question could be asked as to why the government not made any substantial efforts in amending the interim constitution and eased the process for election prior to the announcement of the CA polls? They knew in advance that there remain constitutional bottlenecks for the conduct of another poll but yet the election was announced under the excessive pressure of the foreign influence and dictates. It was just a ploy to prolong his presence in the Prime Ministerial Chair and nothing more than that. It is just a calculated drama.  Had they remained honest then they should have in advance thought of the constitutional hurdles prior to the announcement of the election. But that course was completely ignored which is sufficient to prove that they had mal-intentions.

TGQ2: So you mean that the collapse of the CA body and subsequently the announcement of fresh CA polls were completed with a calculated mindset? But tell us as to how the constitution could be amended in the absence of the legislative parliament? Your remarks please? Is it that you think that the CA body was made to dissolve under the personal whims of Dahal-Bhattarai duo combine? Can it be taken so?

Paswan: Primarily, the government itself was not in favor of the draft of a new constitution. Things were being dilly-dallied and in the process, the acts of befooling the population and the world at large were in progress by sidelining the crucial debates under this or that pretexts.  And the primary actors were our own party chairman and the Prime Minister. In this process, I must admit that even the leaders of the UML and the Nepali Congress too had assisted our own party leaders. Notably practically all the leaders like, Prachanda, Babu Ram, Sushil Koirala, Jhal Nath Khanal had been assuring the people that by May 27, 2012, the new constitution will be drafted and that would be a reality.  But it did not become a reality in essence. What all these shows? That they-the Nepali leaders, were not in a mood to award a new constitution to the people. So I think that the CA body was left to die in a very well planned and in a calculated manner. The prevailing reality is that we can’t go to the polls at the moment. This demands some necessary constitutional amendments.

As regards to your associated question, let me tell you that some eighty percent of the constitution drafting job had already been accomplished. For the remaining 20% of the work, we have had agreed upon several issues or were very close to an agreement. Yet there was space for handing over of the real contentious issues to the transformed legislature, however, this loophole and an alternative that it was had been completely ignored and the election declared. This has distanced the parties instead of bringing them all together. The declaration of the election appears to have been deliberately made in order to prolong the tenure of Babu Ram in government. This is completely an unconstitutional method that has been acquired. That is why I am saying that such declaration has no meaning in itself. We have been demanding a convention to be participated in by various sectors and stake holders. This could be the best and suitable option to get the country out from the current political and constitutional deadlock.  I presume it to be so.   

The newly developed unilateralism and the arrogance in the minds of Bhattarai and Prachanda could be taken as the primary cause for the dissolution of the CA. Neither we will honor their decisions as it was accomplished under foreign influence nor we will go to the polls. We all will dishonor their solo decisions. We have not awarded any value to the announcement. No one deserves the right to keep the country’s hostage to one’s personal whims.  We remain determined in this fact.

TGQ3: We have been told that your panel has convened a national meet on June 15, 2012. What could have been its real motive of this meet? Will there be any political and organization decisions during the said meet? Is it that this particular meet will divorce its relations with the establishment panel? What say you?

Paswan:  The fresh dissolution of the CA body and the announcement of the elections have already proved that the establishment panel has failed in carrying forward its revolutionary credentials. It has tried to do so. What to do in such a situation? How to proceed ahead in such a state? The meet has been summoned to settle these very pertinent questions. Comrade Mohan Baidya Kiran has already declared that it would be this meet which will announce the future political and organizational-structural course the party would take in the days ahead.  It would be this said meet which will guide the entire party’s future course and line of action in the days to come.  This would function like a new party and accomplish the tasks with the spirit of people’s revolutionary mindset.  This will perform the remaining revolutionary tasks.

By political decision, what we mean is going with the way with the revolutionary mindset. The political decision that we take in the meet will be on how to avert the current gloomy political situation and allow the people to come out of it.  The meet will also come to a conclusion on how the revolutionaries should proceed ahead in the days ahead and it will also decide as to which direction the party should take henceforth. 

By the structural organization we mean to award suitable roles to those who have had contributions in the decade long people’s war and had gained adequate experience. We will avoid those with opportunist and submissive mindset. We will also initiate a procedure to sideline those who had abandoned their revolutionary credentials by submitting themselves to the influence of foreign power centers. We will also ignore the so called Communists. The creation of a new party will thus begin in earnest.

Yes! Surely this meet will divorce its relationship with the establishment panel for good. It would be this meet which will separate the opportunists and novo-revisionists with the real revolutionaries. Kiran has already told that “we were already in the process of the formation of a new party”. Perhaps this carries meaning underneath. This speaks so many things unspoken.

TGQ4: Chairman Prachanda has already said that he will prefer to quit the post if the party remains in a united form. Is it necessary thus to form another party as such?

Paswan:  There is nothing as such in Chairman’s new declaration. It is a very weak point and nobody believes in his announcement. At best this could be a fresh ploy to take the party members for yet another grand ride. He is the one who pushed the party to the stage of this dissolution. He not only dissolved the Maoists militia but wiped it at a single stretch. He made the CA body to dissolve under the instructions of foreign power centers. He played foul with the people’s wishes as regards the new constitution draft. And announced the election in a dramatic manner. All these events do prove that Chairman remains in a deviated mental state.  This also proves that he possess no love and honor either for the people or for the country.  Thus the atmosphere of trust upon him has already been broken. The trust links stands broken now.

TGQ5: Do you mean to say that Prachanda had a role in dissolution of the Maoists Army? Is that so Mr. Paswan? Your comments.

Paswan: What we had suggested the party leadership that let’s not dissolve the Maoists Army for the time being. Unless we remain assured of the constitution being drafted in people’s favor, let’s keep intact the Army which will be our strength. But Prachanda submitted the Maoists army without having a constitution in favor of the general population. The Army which made him the party top leader and chairman were in a humiliating manner sent under the control of the Nepal Army Institution in the dark hours.  He talked of the honorific integration of the Maoists Army but instead moved ahead in submitting his own party’s army to the Nepal Army. We instantly had suspected his inner intents. That he is not guided by the party as such but someone else makes him to act.

Text courtesy: The Dristi Weekly dated June 5, 2012. Thanks.

PS: Unity efforts though are in progress. 

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