National
Are talks in the cards for change of guard
With the conclusion of the Nepali Congress (NC) General Convention (GC) and election for a new leadership, there are early signs of some discussions around a change in the government.Kamal Dev Bhattarai
With the conclusion of the Nepali Congress (NC) General Convention (GC) and election for a new leadership, there are early signs of some discussions around a change in the government.
The discussions appear to be gaining some traction with agitating Madhes-based parties predicating their strategy on the outcome of the NC GC.
Sher Bahadur Deuba, a three-time prime minister, is seen more amenable to Madhesi demands, though he had been blamed for taking a tough line on demarcation favouring an undivided far-west.
Analyst Dipendra Jha says Deuba’s victory as NC president has kindled hope in Madhes that demarcation and other issues will be resolved.
“Madhes has remained a stronghold for Deuba. When he set up the Nepali Congress (Democratic) in 2002, majority of its central level members were from Madhes,” says Jha. “Compared to other leaders, Deuba has a flexible and accommodative character.”
Madhesi leaders also see Bimalendra Nidhi, a senior leader from Madhes, playing an instrumental role in prodding Deuba to resolve Madhes crisis.
Publicly Deuba has insisted that there should not be a consensus government in democracy and that NC would play an effective role as an opposition, but privately Deuba’s aides argue that the first and second largest party should not be in government together. They say that NC will lead the government if there is an environment for it, but it prefers the second largest party, CPN-UML, in the opposition.
“The present government cannot address the problems facing the country because it is an unnatural government. Parties that strongly oppose federalism and secularism are also in government,” says NC leader Bal Krishna Khand. “The second largest party (CPN-UML) should remain in opposition in democracy. But if it wishes to remain in the government, we are ready to provide it second position in government,” says Khand.
Deuba, however, has said that there is a need of discussions within the party before making any statement about government formation.
The UCPN (Maoist), a key coalition in the government, is already proposing to form a government that includes the NC. “We need to form a national unity government including the Nepali Congress to speed up constitution implementation process,” UCPN (M) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on Tuesday.
“I will start consultations with the newly elected president of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba about forming a national unity government because meeting the challenges facing the country is the need of the hour,” Dahal said while addressing a programme in Chitwan on Tuesday.
There is a growing dissatisfaction in the UCPN (Maoist) about the performance of the incumbent government.
Maoist leaders say though it has been six months since the government was formed, there has been very few or little progress towards constitution implementation. Pressure is also mounting on Dahal to call back its ministers from the government.
Agitating Madhes-based parties would, however, like to see a change of guard as soon as possible. They are of the view that the incumbent government cannot take a lead in resolving Madhes crisis. Madhes-based parties are in favour of lending support to the NC to form the government.
In the prime ministerial election after constitution promulgation, Madhes-based parties had supported NC prime ministerial candidate Sushil Koirala.
“A tactical alliance with the NC on a power-sharing deal and disputed issues of the constitution is a possibility. But nothing can be said now, as things still look fluid,” said a senior leader from agitating Madhes-based parties.
Just before his visit to India, PM KP Sharma Oli formed a mechanism led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa to work on issues related to demarcation but it has not made any progress. Both the NC as well as the agitating Madhes-based parties have rejected the mechanism.
“If Deuba offers credible assurances that demarcation will be resolved and forms a mechanism for the same purpose, Madhes-based parties will lend their support to Deuba for government formation,” says Dipendra Jha.
UML leaders, however, outright reject the possibility of the government change in immediate future.
PM Oli himself has clearly said that the Cabinet would be expanded by brining the NC on board. Speaking at a public programme in Jhapa, PM Oli said the incumbent government will be in place for the next two years.