Nepal Waits A Republic Regime: Diasporas Dont Favour Koirala
By Nava Thakuria
17 June,
2008
Countercurrents.org
The Nepal diasporas in America are in the mood of joy as their country has transformed from a monarchy to a federal democratic republic. While feeling optimistic about the future of the Himalayan nation without a king, they expect a greater role for the Nepali people living abroad, primarily in the United Sates.
However, most of them don't seem to prefer GP Koirala, the present prime minister of the interim government at Kathmandu as the first president of Nepal. Many of them even termed him as the ´Greedy Emperor´ and demand his resignation to pave way for the formation of government by the Maoists.
Mentionable that as soon as newly elected Constituent Assembly declared Nepal to be a federal democratic republic on May 28, the delight of the Nepalis living in America knew no bounds. The New York based Republic Nepal Utsav Committee (NUC) expressed their happiness through an official statement.
"We, the Nepalese residing in the greater New York area, which have proudly expressed solidarity and provided assistance to the democratic struggle of the Nepalese people, express our exhilaration. We salute the Nepali people who have, through their exemplary and decisive people's movement capable of inspiring the rest of the world, and despite pressing civil conflict, successfully established a true democracy," it said.
While congratulating the present interim government of Nepal for the completion of a successful Constituent Assembly election, also urged the government to adopt clear policies that ensure the proper rights of the Nepalese Diaspora around the world and utilise their resources, skills and talents toward the development of Nepal.
But unfortunately, as the last king Gyanendra leaves the Narayanhiti royal palace on June 11, ending a 240-year-old dynasty, Nepal´s political parties had fallen on each other in a squabble for power. Days of debate and discussions among the parties, including the rebellious communists, has resulted in little more than confusion about the formation of a stable government.
Initially the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) CPN(M), which led a bloody decades-long revolution that killed more than 12,500 people, wanted it all, demanding both the post of president and prime minister in the coalition government. The Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, more popularly known as Prachanda, made it clear that the communists would take the top posts until a rebellion by the other parties in the 601-member Nepal Constituent Assembly drove them into retreat and spared the post of president. Nonetheless, shut out of claiming the post, the Maoists now want the presidency reduced to a non-political entity.
As many as 17.5 million of the 26 million Nepalis went to the polls on April 10, after two postponements. The new Constituent Assembly, to serve for two years, is to draft a new constitution. Despite the fact that Maoism as practiced in China has been discarded as unworkable, the CPN(M) finished first, with 220 of the 575 elected seats, followed by the Nepali Congress with 110 and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) with 103.
Although his party now holds fewer than 40 per cent of the seats, Prachanda, in a May 30 interview, told local media that "Our party deserves both the posts of president and prime minister. Losers in the Constituent Assembly polls cannot get these posts."
But the other political parties were not in the mood to buy the theory. The Nepali Congress leaders argued that as the largest political party, the Maoists have the legitimate claim to form the next government, but that it should share one top post with the coalition.
Meanwhile, there were rumors that the current prime minister, GP Koirala had been proposed as the first president. That was immediately shot down by Prachanda himself, who said he wouldn´t accept Koirala, whom he called a grand National figure, because of his ´age and fragile health´. "Besides, he has been in power for long and if he is given the post (President) there is a possibility of two power Centres in the government," asserted the Maoist leader.
"GP Koirala is not acceptable for the post at all," reveals Bishal Shah, the chairman of Nepali Nationalists Organisation (NNO) in USA. In a recent write up for an America based portal, Bishal Shah also added, "Even though the Nepali Congress showed its poor result in the April polls, they have claimed for the first presidency. It is nothing, but a negation of the Nepali people's verdict and a sheer example of greed on the part of Koirala."
Nepal at present needs international recognition as the newest Republic. Its survival is at stake. Hence, Nepal needs a personality to serve the presidency, who can garner support efficiently from the international communities as well as from the United Nations, argues Malla Sagar.
In an article contributed from Belgium, Malla Sagar described that Koirala´s ´lust for power has exceeded every limit´. He also added, "Koirala has changed his earlier nationwide self-proclamation that he will resign immediately after the Constituent Assembly polls. A liar like him should never be fit for the post of Nepal´s first president."
Nava Thakuria is a Guwahati based independent journalist
whose areas of interest include the socio-political developments of
Northeast India with Burma, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. He can be
contacted at [email protected]
