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Alliance for Democracy & Human Rights in Nepal

Prakash Bom - 9/26/2007

The reasoning of some NC central committee members against the Parliamentary verdict for the declaration of a Republic state is a propensity to the status qua. Sincerely, at this national political crises political leaderships must be flexible. Nation cannot afford political obnoxious and public unrest. For the sake of people and their aspiration political leaderships must be able to transcend their stands no matter how democratic they think their stands are.

For instance, some NC central committee members' argument that nation should comply to the constitutional arrangement of deciding the fate of monarchy through the elected CA has been overruled by the second amendment of the interim constitution that implies that if the nation is disrupted by the regressive elements against CA elections that through this Interim Parliament's verdict the nation can be declared Republic.

In world history of the democratic nations declaring a nation Republic never had been a wait for their constitutional assembly elections. For example, India did not wait for the people vote whether to abolish the British Empire or declare India Republic. If not it could have the same status of Canada and Australia of which symbolic head of the state is still the British Queen. With the same argument, the United States did not wait for the people vote. It is the consensus of the political leaderships that decide precisely the political destiny of the nation. If the political leaderships still wish to suffer with the institution of the monarchy against the mandate of the April Uprising then they are obviously devoid of their political destiny.

The political leaderships have to understand the fact that their political destiny is the destiny of the nation and the people. People as an individual have very little political power for the nation. Therefore, people depend on liable political leaderships to mandate their aspiration for the nation. Only in electoral democracy people can make their leaderships accountable with their individual voting rights. To this fact, Nepali people remain vulnerable if the political leaderships fail to define their political destiny. It is historically evidential that the institution of the monarchy has not only failed but also it has kept Nepali people for two and half centuries in a socio-political and economic Dark Age. All political leaderships must face this fact honestly if they have guts for people and the nation.

How far political leaderships remain obnoxious from making a political decision that can precisely define their political destiny is one of the major political crises of the nation. Despite heads-up from every corner they have remained indecisive. For example, India has clearly hint that it is the question of Nepali political leaderships whether to declare republic prior to the CA elections. The international communities have given clear warning that CA elections must be accomplished as scheduled for Nepal to establish electoral democracy and permanent peace not for sake of the institution of the monarchy but for the sake of the people and their well being.

Still the political leaderships do not have courage because they still try to carry on with their double standard. They are having difficulty to face the fact that democracy in Nepal can never be flourished with the institution of the feudal oligarchic monarchy. It is because the feudal oligarchic institution of the monarchy can never fully comply with the norms of democracy.

The political mandate of the nation for people of Nepal and the international communities is to establish permanent peace and the institutions of the electoral democracy. The nation cannot jeopardize this mandate. The fundamental of this mandate is to bring the Maoists in the electoral democratic mainstream. Otherwise, the socio-political and economic cost for the nation will be devastating. Therefore, at the expense of the peace and the democracy the nation cannot ignore the Maoists. The interim government and the interim Parliament must address their issues.

Why do the Maoists are demanding declaration of Republic by the verdict of the interim Parliament before CA elections? The political leaderships must give the Maoists the benefit of doubt. First of all, EPA consensus on the constitutional arrangement of deciding the fate of the monarchy through the elected CA was at odds therefore it needed second amendment. As a matter of fact, this provision has triggered political uncertainty among leaderships (for defining their political destiny). On the contrary, if the nation has clear political path for the Republic setup then the fundamental purpose of the CA election will be drafting an electoral democratic constitution for the Republic setup. CA electoral should not have this burden of verdict on the fate of the monarchy.

Historically, such a verdict is either declared with consensus of the political leaderships that had political lead or by the referendum. The only choice the nation has now is the consensus of the political leaderships that can be declared by the verdict of the interim Parliament. Finally, the CA elections will endorse declaration for the constitutional adoptability. The benefit of such declaration is immense – probability of the free and fair CA elections, possibility of the permanent peace, and establishment of the electoral democracy. Foremost of all, this will give the Maoist political leaderships another chance to make a full commitment to the mainstream electoral democracy. If the Maoist leaderships fail to comply with the norms and practice of the electoral democracy, then after they will be fully accountable.

The EPA multi-partisan political consensus for the interim Parliament to declare Nepal Republic by its own capacity is legitimate in the best interest of the nation that cannot afford to jeopardize permanent peace and the democracy. The self-interest of those political leaderships who are in favor of the status qua must not get in the way of this new political destiny. If the interim government and interim Parliament fails because of its Prime Minister's stand off then it will be unfortunate for the nation that has just few steps forward to celebrate peace and democracy.