NEPAL: What next for Nepal?

FROM THE GUARDIAN

BY JAGANNATH LAMICHHANE

Time is running out for Nepal to reach political consensus, but a national unity government under the Maoists could avert conflict

Four years after the Maoists and the government of Nepal signed a comprehensive peace accord, the red-dressed Maoists’ protests have once again surrounded Nepal. Since 2 May, they have been staging nationwide protests demanding the resignation of the prime minister, Madhav Kumar Nepal, and the formation of new national unity government under the leadership of the Maoist party’s chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Back in 1996, Maoists instigated a people’s war in order to bring about a new democratic and federal republic. The decade-long insurgency claimed 13,000 lives and left thousands of people displaced, widowed, and both physically and mentally disabled. Victims are still waiting for justice. As the largest political party in the constituent assembly, Maoists claim that their current protest is spearheading the timely promulgation of a new constitution, which is due by 28 May. But time is running out, and new political tensions and public frustrations are gripping the country. If the major political parties fail to reach a consensus before the deadline, Nepal could plunge into conflict.


Supporters of the Maoist Communist party of Nepal march through Kathmandu on 2 May 2010. Photograph: Binod Joshi/AP

The current coalition government is headed by an unelected prime minister and a majority of unelected ministers backed by India, who has already declared its own homegrown Maoists as the country’s biggest internal security threat – it suspects that Nepalese Maoists are aiding their southern comrades. The Maoists, who have the people’s mandate to rule the country, are now in the opposition. This makes it difficult for the Nepalese government to take independent decisions and reconcile with the Maoists.

The Maoists’ urban-centered demonstrations have also further polarised Nepal’s fragile politics. Thousands of Maoist supporters were on the streets of Kathmandu and across the country earlier this month, and Maoists announced an indefinite nationwide general strike, which was called off six days later due to heavy pressure from businesses and professionals organisations. However, their protest is continuous and they have showed appreciable restraint and a willingness and commitment to peace.

The comprehensive peace accord can only survive in a reasonable power sharing and consensus among political actors. In this critical time, if the current government does not show flexibility, the ruling political parties should be blamed for further derailing the peace process. A continued political rancour would only drag this country back to its past, ending the country’s hopes for a new constitution, peace and democracy.

There is a growing nationwide resentment against the government because of its inefficiency to deliver public services and to maintain peace and order. Many feel it is ridiculous for this government to stay in power without Maoists involved. A solution for Nepal would be the formation of a national unity government under the Maoists’ leadership, which would respect the people’s mandate as given in the 2008 election for the constituent assembly. And, in the meantime, India should rethink its policy that pushes the Maoists into a corner.