How are you preparing for upcoming CA polls? There have been talks of a broader electoral alliance among Madhesh-based parties under Mahantha Thakur.
We have started preparations on full scale with the goal of establishing our party as the third largest national force in the new polls. We have been campaigning to expand party base nationwide. It would be really good if an electoral alliance can be established among Madheshi parties. If there can be unity among likeminded Madheshi forces, it would be even better. Electoral alliance is a secondary agenda. If the alliance is not possible, we have been discussing about electoral adjustment (talmel) among the parties. These agendas have not taken shape because an election date has not been fixed yet. But all three possibilities are being deliberated during formal and informal discussions.
Even the constituent parties in the United Democratic Madheshi Front seem sharply divided. How will any unity or talmel be possible in such a situation?
National politics is deeply polarized. Madheshi parties are no exception. But over the basic issues such as identity, inclusion, autonomous Madhesh province, powerful federal structure, and establishing Madheshi forces as decisive interventionist force in national politics, there is no difference among us. Instead, the idea of a broader alignment on Madhesh is gaining ground.
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But leaders like Sarat Singh Bhandari and Upendra Yadav have ruled out any election alliance, especially with your party.
Despite differences between some Madheshi forces, issues like inclusion, identity, autonomy for Madhesh and strong federal set up unite us. We have been trying to achieve these common goals collectively. Even when we were divided in the erstwhile CA, we were together when it came to defending Madheshi issues. Bhandari and Yadav may have said so on the spurt of the moment. But we are together on vital issues. We are united whenever there is an attempt to sideline Madheshi agendas.
You mean there is possibility of unity with Yadav and Bhandari?
We have been talking about it. Around a fortnight ago I and Upendraji were together for ten days in the US. Before that we discussed many issues during a seminar in Chandigarh. I learn that party president Bijaya Gachchadhar, Upendra Yadav, Mahantha Thakur and Mahendra Yadav are in constant touch through formal and informal channels. After all, every Madheshi force has realized that contesting polls individually won’t help institutionalize achievements of Madhesh Andolan. Things are moving positively. It would be immature to make all the details public now.
What will be your main election agenda?
Because this is CA polls, we will focus on socio-political agenda, not economic ones. We will raise the issue of identity, language, culture and federalism.
People seem tired of hearing of these amorphous ideas. Isn’t what they want jobs, development and economic wellbeing?
You are right. But we will be able to frame policies for development and employment after we have an inclusive constitution in place. Then the Constituent Assembly will be transformed into a parliament which will work to address the concerns you have raised. That does not mean we will remain silent on economic issues. We will make our economic agendas public through our election manifesto. We will focus on hydropower and infrastructure development. If we can ensure these two things, it will help us solve many other problems.
Let’s come to the controversy over Lokman Singh Karki. Your party president apparently believes Karki is the most competent man to head CIAA.
Look, we are a democratic force. And democrats have morals. I remember late Ganeshman Singh saying democracy without morality breeds criminals. I believe in this principle. As regards Karki’s appointment, it is no time to discuss whether he is the right or wrong person because he has assumed the office and a writ has been filed against him in the apex court. But dissent against Karki started to surface only after HLPC had recommended his name to CC. All four parties in HLPC—UML, NC, Maoists and UMDF—had signed the recommendation. If we had opposed it, perhaps they would have called us an anti-election force. We were compelled to back Karki because we had already put our signature on the paper. We are not defending Karki as a person; we are defending the decision of which we were one of the signatories.
But those protesting Karki’s appointment are doing so on moral grounds.
Personally I don’t believe Karki was the uncontested candidate. There could have been more capable and qualified candidates to head CIAA. But you cannot write off someone saying he or she was king’s man or was involved in suppressing people’s movement. If we want to make such arguments the basis for selecting someone for public office, the arguments should be applicable to everyone indicted by investigation bodies like Malik and Rayamajhi commissions. But many of those indicted by these commissions are in high office today. It is not right to single out one person. If Karki cannot prove his high moral character in office or fails to carry out his duties, the next parliament can impeach him.
Conflicting reports have come out as to who recommended Karki. What’s the truth?
Only Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Jhalanath Khanal, Sushil Koirala and Bijay Kumar Gachchadhar may know the truth, for they were the ones who settled on Karki. Only these four personalities attended the meeting which decided on Karki’s appointment. So far as I know, there had been informal discussions among Big Four leaders on the issue long before. They had agreed on Karki during informal talks. The decision of informal talks was given final shape in HLPC meeting. As Prachanda has said, UMDF and UCPN (Maoist) took the initiative and NC and UML lent their support and the minute was prepared accordingly. Not a single member present in the meeting had objected to the decision.
Some say the proposal came all the way from India.
Those who believe in this theory are undermining status, credibility and strength of Nepali leaders, Nepali political parties, Nepali people and Nepal as a sovereign nation. They suffer from inferiority complex. So they smell foreign hand in everything that happens in Nepal. I say this is an anti-national and slave mentality. I pity such people.
Some Madhesi leaders are in favor of single-Madhesh. What is your take?
Major Madheshi forces including our party have agreed on two provinces. That’s our bottom line. We will take into account identity and viability as the basis for province delineation. By identity I mean ethnicity, culture, language, history and geography and by viability, the economic strength of a particular region.
There is a growing concern that the Big Four are not ready to face polls and are projecting CPN-Maoist as a hurdle just to delay election.
That’s not true. I am sure an election date will be declared within the next ten days. And we will reach an agreement on PR threshold, CA size and candidates’ eligibility within the same timeframe. I believe the government will draft an election ordinance and forward it to the President very soon.
Many fringe parties are opposed to one percent threshold on PR seats in new CA. Will the idea be dropped?
If it is proving to be a hurdle, let us do away with it. It is likely that the threshold will be removed as many are opposed to this provision. We are going for CA election which is supposed to be an inclusive body. Those who oppose threshold are not wrong because it limits people’s representation. After all, there was no threshold in the last CA election. So why is Election Commission making it a big issue? EC is not supposed to make laws, it is supposed to work according to the existing laws.
Will the election date be announced before taking agitating forces into confidence?
It could be either way. I don’t think CPN-Maoist will come around for election right away. But if we address some of their genuine demands like scrapping the threshold, it will build mutual trust and create an environment for their participation in election.
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