With the government going into Dashain recess (government offices close down for six days beginning Friday), there are still dark clouds hanging over the scheduled November 19 election. If the past is any guide, the pace of political negotiations will slow down during the Dashain break.
After that Tihar will be right around the corner. Again, the enthusiasm for hard-headed political bargaining that will be needed to get the dissenting forces on board is likely to be missing. [break]
What this means is that it will be only a couple of weeks before the scheduled poll date that negotiations can start in earnest, which will make a favorable outcome extremely unlikely. But there is hope too. The festive mood can also be utilized to engage all political forces in a lighter atmosphere, in sharp contrast to the cantankerous mood in which negotiations have taken place in the past. This window of opportunity must be used wisely.
It does now seem that the country’s march towards November 19 is unstoppable. With the announcement of election candidates under the FPTP component, poll preparations have entered a new phase. Candidates are out visiting their constituencies, pressing flesh. Election manifestos are being finalized.
Efforts are being made to mend fences within each party following the announcement of FPTP candidates. In other words, the country’s politics is in election mood. Eager anticipation of a keenly contested contest in under a month and a half has further leavened the festive spirit. But there is also a lot of unease, not just about the upshots of leaving Baidya and co out of the election process, but also over whether a new Constituent Assembly will fare any better than its first avatar.
We believe it is still possible to get to some kind of an agreement with the dissenting parties who too are now under pressure to be more flexible. They must be realizing that it is impossible for them to stop the momentum towards November 19. At the same time, it will be dangerous to take this as a sign of their weakness and to try to sideline them. It is worth reminding again that the upcoming election is for a Constituent Assembly.
The legitimacy of a constitution that is produced without the consent of a sizable section of national polity is likely to be bitterly contested in the days ahead. Thus the government as well as HLPC interlocutors should continue to engage the dissenting forces and try to adjust their demands.
As we have long maintained, if Khil Raj Regmi’s resignation as Chief Justice will placate them, this is a price worth paying. With all the big political parties on his side, surely Regmi will still retain the political legitimacy to hold election as the head of the government. Nepalis want a semblance of peace and stability after years of volatility and uncertainty. But they are yet to be convinced that the same set of politicians who failed them the last time will be up to any good this time around. What better occasion to work towards removing this suspicion than the auspicious occasion of Dashain?
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