EDITORIAL ‘REPUBLIC’ IN TURMOIL Groping In Darkness

SIKKIM OBSERVER  Jan 29, 2011

Nepal’s Constituent Assembly was to frame a new Constitution for the country by May 2010. Framing of the new Constitution for the former Hindu Kingdom was the top priority of the Nepalese Parliament. Unfortunately, seven months have elapsed and there is still no visible sign that this objective would be achieved at a given time-frame. The three main parties – the Maoists, UML and Nepali Congress – are totally responsible for this sad state of affairs.

The recent withdrawal of Nepali Congress candidate, Ram Chandra Poudel, from the country’s prime ministerial election is a welcome move but in the first place he should not have been allowed to take part in the seven-month-long futile exercise that witnessed the unprecedented failure of the Parliament to elect the prime minister for the 16^th time. Even now there is no guarantee that a new man would be elected to head the government next week.

Nepalese leadership may agree on a ‘consensus government’ but the ground reality is that it is not too clear about who should lead it. The Maoists have the largest number of MPs in the Parliament and logically they should be allowed to head the government. It is for the Maoists to choose its own man for the top job. Nepalese leaders must realize that it would be very difficult to secure two-thirds majority for adoption of the new Constitution, particularly when small parties are playing a dominant role in shaping Nepal’s future. A practical approach needs to be made in the present political imbroglio to ensure that Nepal swiftly embraces the democratic process, which, hopefully, will lead to speedy economic development.