When the Maoists resigned from the government, perhaps little did they know that the other parties that had enjoyed power on a number of occasions were so desperate to get back to power. Following that, they have resorted to all kinds of tricks to remain in power. The Maoists made a mistake by so quickly forgetting that the Girija Prasad Koirala-led government had taken almost three months to make way for the new government after it emerged as the largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections.
The Maoists, who were once considered champions at handling uncertainties, seem to be a bit slow in understanding the dynamics of power politics. They are the largest party in the parliament-legislature but are ironically out of power.
The thinking of the non-Maoist political parties, especially their leaders, seem to be extremely parochial. None of them are interested in thinking beyond their own party interests. Why is there so much rambling for power? People did not send these members to the CA for shaping and reshaping the equation of the government. The mandate from the people is to frame a constitution for Federal Nepal. The political parties and their leaders will have sufficient time for power politics once the constitution is framed and promulgated. Why are they so impatient and adamant for power now? It’s time for them to listen to the calls of the Maoists and refrain from repeating the same mistake that they committed in 1995/96.
The Maoists tried their best to make the resolution motion work. They listened to the concerns of the non-Maoist political parties. The parties in government, especially the 18 political parties who sent a signed request to the president to revoke the decision of the Maoists to terminate Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal, say that they would not include any word in the motion that would damage the prestige of the president. In a tea party organized by the Maoists on the occasion of Nepal Sambat immediately after Tihar, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had made it clear that his party was neither trying to degrade the value and dignity of the president nor scheming to oust the president.
The entire imbroglio has given birth to two schools of thought. One labels the Maoists as naïve in playing the number game-politics. The non-Maoist political party leaders are vocal in saying that the Maoists can form the government by proving its majority in the House. This is an indication from them that they are not willing to share power with the Maoists. They are rather suggesting the Maoists to discharge the duty of a responsible opposition. I think it is not in the interest of any political party to speak this kind of non-compromising language.
The other school of thought says that the Maoists are desperate to be in power. I think this statement is self-defeating. They are the same party who resigned from the government. They could have easily continued to occupy power but they showed magnanimity, so rare in Nepali politics.
If the present government continues till May (the CA term will end then unless some other arrangement is made), it will be the second-longest-serving government. However, if the new constitution is not written, what purpose will it serve other than massaging the egos of some political parties and leaders? What is the nation going to get out of it? Can this government give a new constitution to the Nepali people? Will the nation benefit by sidelining the Maoists?
Without the Maoists, we would not have seen the major changes that have taken place in the country in recent times. The CA, republicanism and inclusion were their agendas. Now, every political party is cashing in on the changes championed by the Maoists. But when it comes to sharing power with them, they do not want to do it. When the 12-point agreement was inked, the seven parties knew that the Maoists had arms and armies with them. Because of this, they cannot be considered as liabilities now. Instead, we should work with them to convert them into an asset of the nation.
This nation has witnessed a long but cruel history of rivalry for power. Since the time of Prithivi Narayan Shah, those with extra power, zeal and popular support ultimately triumphed. I urge the responsible political parties to seriously consider the consequences of keeping the Maoists out of power. In fact, no political party should attempt to outnumber the other political parties. The parties need to both compete and collaborate at the same time and strive for consensus on critical national issues.
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