Both Prachanda and Nepal PM have insulted CA body

TGQ1: How you Dr. Lohani evaluate the unfolding political situation and the developments in the country? What could be the best solution to come out of the current political impasse? Your opinions please.

Dr. Lohani: To tell you very frankly, the main opposition-the Maoists-need bouncing back to power at any cost. However, the nation needs a new constitution under any circumstances.

The Maoists claim that the new constitution could be drafted only when they were in power, but we maintain that the drafting of the constitution and formation of the government fall under the domain of the Constituent Assembly. We conclude that the government which has the CA mandate is only the legitimate government which can only draft the constitution in a legal manner.

There is a clash in between the preferences of the people and those of the Maoists and thus this stalemate. If the people demand new constitution then the Maoists want power. The difference lay here.

To arrive at a solution to the current political stalemate, the Maoists must shun from attacking and accusing others. If the constitution is to be drafted on time then all must abide by the duties assigned to them by the Interim Constitution. Even if you want to come to power then you have to adhere to the legal procedures stipulated by the Interim constitution. Power will not come to them by terrorizing others, this the Maoists must understand. If you ignore the parliamentary procedures to bounce back to power then no one will approach you and say “Lords! Please come and here is power for you”

PM Nepal enjoyed the 301 CA members support and thus he is in the government. If the Maoists can garner the majority at the CA body then they will come to power. There is no alternative to the parliamentary procedures and means. All have to understand this ground reality.

TGQ2: The Maoists claim that the talks of parliamentary procedures were simply a window washing drama and that India in effect was engaged in making and breaking of governments. Now Prachanda claims that he will talk straight to India. To add, Nepal PM too made clear upon his return from Copenhagen that he had been assured by the Indian PM. Why Nepal PM has not been criticized for his similar utterances? So what you say Dr. Lohani?

Dr. Lohani: This is the climax of irresponsible behavior. This government has been formed only after enjoying the strength and the support of 301 CA members. If the support is not there tomorrow, the government can crumble. To dub the CA body, elected by the people, as the seat of the brokers tentatively tantamount to his taking the CA body as brokers itself. Isn’t? Is this what Prachanda wants to say? Such irresponsible remarks will not do well to the Maoists and Prachanda himself.

One can understand that the Maoists want to come to power which is only but natural. However, he should follow procedures and not make irrelevant remarks.

Nepal PM must not have talked on those lines. PM’s utterances could be taken as very close to inferiority complex ridden mindset and also be considered as to have come from a somewhat “subjugated” feeling. When friends sit together, they talk on different subjects wherein one may assure the other; however, such blunt explanations have come as an insult to the Nepal CA body. Both Prachanda and Madhav Nepal have insulted the gravity of the Nepalese CA body. Both remain at par in insulting the CA body. The people may conclude that the center of power in Nepal remains in the hands of the foreigners.

TGQ3: It is being felt that after the second movement, the parties did not pay needed attention to the solution of the common issues confronting the nation but instead concentrated their entire efforts in grabbing power only. What say you Dr. Lohani?

Dr. Lohani: Yes! To some extent this is the picture. The efforts of the parties remained concentrated in bouncing back to power or bringing down the other set to foot path. Which government remains in place until the constitution gets drafted is immaterial.

You can’t garner the needed majority at the CA body but yet you vehemently criticize others is not good. A responsible party should not get engaged in such nasty activities.

The constitution has got to be drafted on time which is possible as of now. But if the strikes and bunds continue then the people will definitely evaluate us all. If the Maoists continue with their erratic activities then it may ultimately boomerang on them. I hope that the Maoists will not commit blunders as they have allowed the parliament to function. I feel that the Maoists may have allowed the House to come into operation thinking that the constitution has got to be drafted.

I feel sorry for the Maoists who want to keep the House their hostage. If they want to open it, they open it, if they want to close it, they close it. The parliament must not remain the hostage to their whims. A responsible party must not act in the way they have been doing now.

TGQ4: The Maoists have suddenly allowed the parliament to resume its functions at a time when their demands have not been addressed. How you take the Maoists fresh move? Have the Maoists become a democratic party? Your comments Dr. Lohani.

Dr. Lohani:  The general mass is not in support of the Maoists over their issues that they have raised as regards the civilian supremacy.

By ignoring the President while sacking the Army Chief, the Maoists chief is the one who himself has gone against the civilian supremacy. To act ignoring the Constitution, tantamount to the insult of the Civilian Supremacy.

Now Prachanda talks of the preservation of nationalism by deriding at the Indian establishment. To recall, when Prachanda as Nepal PM went to India, he is on record to have taken two Indian leaders as his “guardian”. On the issue of the sacking of the Nepal Army Chief, he had asked the Indian regime to send emissaries to sort out Nepali issues.  Now, how such a person can blame and challenge others as regards the issue of Nepali nationalism? Prachanda has raised the issue of 1950 treaty. Had he sent any treaty renewal draft when he was the country’s Prime Minister?

Susta and Kalapani are definitely sensitive issues for Nepal. But what he did as regards Susta and Kalapani when he was the PM? The notion of Nationalism at best has become consumer product for the Maoists.

The people know of the Maoist’s ploys for the State capture and thus such slogans have become redundant.

The Maoists will use what is available to them to gain power or to be in power. This no longer remains a secret now. The Party of the ex-rebels is in a conflicting state wherein one set claims that they want to capture the state, the other opines that it is committed to democratic norms and procedures.

This does mean that the Maoists leaders do not obey Prachanda or at best who is talking what the party leaders don’t know themselves.

TGQ5: Are you confident that the new constitution could be drafted on time? Some even claim that we are heading towards a failed State? What say you Dr. Lohani?

Dr. Lohani: There is no alternative for the parties to come together in order to draft the new Charter. Or else a negative signal will approach the people that the fight in between the parties is for being in power which has sidelined the drafting process. We have been suggesting the Maoists and other major parties not to play foul with the people’s aspirations and future. The parties can compete for power being well within the ambit of the democratic means, nobody will have objection to that. We must also not seek the foreign blessings.

In a failed state, the rule of law remains absent. A complete breakdown is observed in between the political parties for dialogue. The State can’t generate or collect revenue. The State which has to implement economic policies throughout the country fails. These were some of the indicators prior to the declaration of a failed state. Thus we as a nation-state have not become as yet a failed State, however, we definitely have become a weakened state.

If the Maoists continue with their erratic activities then such acts may push the country towards failure. The parties are in dialogue.

I had heard that after denouncing the Indian regime, Prachanda went to see Nepal PM. This is a positive signal.

Care must be taken that if two parties clash, we can bring them in dialogue but if the national economy takes a nose dive then it would be very difficult to bring it at the same level overnight.

Both the parties in government and the party in opposition must understand these basic realities.

Posted on : 2009-12-30 14:27:51

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