Zonal, district and local bodies of major political parties have already proposed candidates. Aspirants were seen thronging the central offices of major political parties and residences of top leaders throughout the week so much so that Nepali Congress and CPN-UML had to issue circular to its local leaders urging them to stop visiting the top leaders´ residences and return to their local constituencies instead.[break]
The government and several political parties, including those on the High Level Political Committee (HLPC), seemed determined to go to polls after the long-drawn-out negotiations with Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist and its allies foundered earlier this week.
Failing to convince the Baidya-led party to participate in the polls, the major parties and the government decided to amend the interim constitution and election laws to create grounds for the November 19 elections. The president endorsed the ordinances.
Despite the developments, there a palpable apprehension among the people as a result of threats issued by leaders of the agitating CPN-Maoist. A large section of society fears that election may not be peaceful.
Knowing that keeping a strong force out of the election process may create grounds for conflict, leaders from major political parties, including Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML, had worked hard to broker a deal acceptable to all.
NC President Sushil Koirala had repeatedly committed in public that he would leave no stone unturned to bring Baidya´s party on board the election process.
UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal took initiatives to resume talks with the dissident parties.
Lately, senior UCPN (Maoist) leaders Baburam Bhatarai and Narayankaji Shrestha lobbied in favor of inclusion of the CPN-Maoist in the election process.
“It is a big mistake to go to polls without participation of the CPN-Maoist,” Shrestha told Republica.
NC leader Minendra Rijal, who was closely involved in negotiations with the dissidents, said that they had to move ahead as rounds of talks with the dissidents yielded no result. “We took the decision to move ahead as we had no time to wait for them any longer. However, we haven´t given up yet. We will keep on trying to bring them on board the election process until the last hour,” said Rijal.
However, it appears futile to hope for the agitating parties to participate in the elections. Chief of the agitating Revolutionary Communist Party of Nepal, Mani Thapa, said that they wouldn´t compromise on their demand for resignation of the head of interim election government Khil Raj Regmi as the chief justice. He said they now plan to intensify mass protests in the days to come.
Dissidents´ boycott a serious challenge
Politicians and commentators argue that there was no alternative other than heading for elections though Baidya-led party´s boycott poses a serious challenge.
Even leaders from rival political parties acknowledge CPN-Maoist to be a strong force given that the party has a group of core leaders who led the decade-long insurgency. As the party has 92 former lawmakers, the president´s office had recognized the Baidya-led party as the fourth force during the19-party meetings at Sheetal Niwas earlier this week.
UML Spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali said failure to bring CPN-Maoist on board the election process would pose a serious challenge to the ongoing political course.
He admitted that the dissidents´ boycott might create grounds for another conflict. He was however quick to add that other parties had tried their best to persuade the dissidents into joining the election process.
Asked about possible consequences, Gyawali said there might be immediate as well as long-term implications. “At first, they will try to obstruct the elections. Secondly, they may raise a question on the acceptability and ownership of CA and its work,” he said.
According to him, the result depends on how efficiently other parties deal with the situation.
Gyawali, however, claimed that the agitating parties wouldn´t get public support if they try to disrupt polls. “People are eager to elect new CA and give it a fresh mandate. So, if the agitating parties try to deprive people of their voting rights, they will certainly lose public support,” he said.
Professor Lok Raj Baral found faults on the part of leaders of agitating Maoist party. “It was their [Maoist leaders´] mistake to boycott election by setting various conditions, which are non-substantive,” said Baral. “They should have given priority to CA election and a new constitution.”
He argued that the country shouldn´t be held hostage just because one of the political forces boycotts the election process. Stating that general public is in favor of election and that an overwhelming majority of political forces have prepared for election, Baral said there was no point in deferring the polls. “Because polls can´t be deferred in the pursuit of absolute consensus, which is elusive,” he explained. “The dissidents have the right to boycott but not to deprive voters of their right to vote.”
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