There is the never-ending bickering regarding the integration and rehabilitation of Maoists ex-combatants, about which everyone seems to have their own interpretation. While the defense minister allegedly said that she had never heard of it, Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala says integration was never discussed. Prime Minister (PM) Madhav Kumar Nepal, ever as subtle, switches the placing of the words. The army and the Maoists have their own views. United Nations Mission in Nepal has preferred to stay mum lately. Some say the integration and rehabilitation process should be completed before the promulgation of the new constitution, others after.
Like the gray skies these days, the mood among the people is gloomy. I have warned in these pages before, it is during desperate times like these that the people turn a blind eye to authoritarianism.
Then there is the omnipresent ‘who should lead the government’ controversy. Everyone seems to agree that the need of the hour is a government of national unity. Those in the government claim that the current government in itself is a government of national unity, notwithstanding that the largest party and the now officially-recognized faction of the fourth-largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA) are both not a part of it. So what, they say, almost all the fringe parties are with us. The Maoists claim that without them at the helm, no national unity government is possible. Upendra Yadav of Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) claims that Koirala, the engineer of this coalition, will himself bring about the downfall of the government. Not surprisingly, the cacophony of who should rule is reminiscent of the pre-Janaandolan II era, very much like the constituents of the current ruling coalition. The rule of reincarnation being a norm in Nepali politics, we now have Panchayat-era stalwarts once again as coalition partners.
Then there is the governor controversy, the Chief of Army Staff controversy, the controversy regarding term extension of Nepal Police personnel, corruption controversy, and the most recent addition, the controversy of Vice President Parmananda Jha’s oath-taking in Hindi. Meanwhile, as we go on engaging in our numerous controversies, more than 150 people die of an easily preventable disease in the mid-western region. Floods and landslides kill dozens. Thousands remain at risk of major flooding. Prices of basic commodities skyrocket. Lawlessness and disorder continues unabated. Bandas are rampant.
So busy are we with our daily controversies, we have forgotten what debates we should actually be engaged in. We have conveniently shelved discussions – hell, even controversies – that this CA, and by extension, the parliament should engage in. A friendly reminder: The former is charged with drafting the new constitution, the latter with important legislations for now. Nope, not such pusillanimous tasks for them. They’d rather engage in heated day-to-day controversies. Meanwhile, the executive is paralyzed, unable to perform even the basic of tasks.
One can only imagine what will happen when the real contentious issues come to the fore when the serious task of constitution writing begins. What sort of an electoral system will be adopt? What will be the structure of our executive, legislative and judiciary? How will we maintain check-and-balances? And the allocation of resources and revenue collection? What will be our new national security policy, including the reform of the security sector? And the mother of all, what sort of a federal structure will we settle for and with how much vested power?
Like the gray skies these days, the mood among the people is gloomy. I have warned in these pages before, it is during desperate times like these that the people turn a blind eye to authoritarianism. When Gyanendra Shah assumed all executive powers, many – particularly among the middle class – were relieved. It would not be surprising to discover that elements within and outside the country are already contemplating such a move, under a democratic façade. The Maoists allege so. By marginalizing the two most visible agents of change with substantial mandate in the CA from the government, it could very well be likely that the stage is being set. The recent oath-taking controversy, coupled with a disgruntled MPRF, may breed further resentment towards the state in the Tarai. The government’s apathy towards the interests of ordinary people will alienate the rural and underprivileged populace. Both the Maoists and the MPRF will capitalize on this discontent. The resulting breakdown in governance will make the urban middle-class long for stability. What will happen is anyone’s guess.
Poet Bhupi Serchan rightly said ‘yo hallai halla ko desh ho’ – this is a nation only of noises. Expect no actions. But if our leaders have even remotely a commitment to democracy, respect for the people’s mandate, and fundamentally, our strong desire for change, they better clean their act up. Make the constitution-writing process the top agenda, with the executive focusing on the basics of governance. Or in PM Nepal’s own chosen word, a ‘tsunami’ is in the making. We hope that our leaders once again prove themselves as adept at compromising as they are at engaging in controversies.
daulat.jha@gmail.com
Related story
'No noises, only birds': silent strike shuts Myanmar as prisone...
