Nav Raj Pokharel
Journalist
Perfect background has been set by the so-called political parties to dodge the public that they are expediting efforts for national interests. In fact, they are setting the right stage where they can display their political shows just before and after the two-year’s tenure of the Constituent Assembly expires on May 28, 2010.
Puny and fragile political parties in Nepal are not working together for the national interests, though they do not hesitate to articulate high-sounding words like nationality, sovereign and consensus, federalism and so on. In fact they are relentlessly working to sustain and ensure their self-appointed tenure at CA. Privileged are those CA members who have prerogative to extend their own employment, but no work, no accountability, no responsibility for their job. Only high paid salary.
In ordinary case, most of the highly paid CA members have no skill, knowledge and ability to earn one thousand rupees a month on their own. Even highly skilled UNMIN chief Karina Landgren recently asked the government to extend her tenure, as 4 months extension is not sufficient for the assigned job of army integration.
But the majority of hollow CA members and parties are now set to extend their tenure as maximum as possible, without assigned job and accountabilities and without asking the people who mandated them until May 28, 2010. Amendment Bill to this effect has been registered at parliamentary secretariat. Leaders are also actors. Their- inter and intra party meetings and different daily decisions are only to disorient the public, in fact they have already made up their minds of uniformity to extend their JAGIR (pay). They have no ability and faith on themselves and no faith on better future for them the next moment they are fired (if it were possible). An unemployed person is most vulnerable subject to suffer from many kinds of socio-economic and political plights in this country. Presently privileged CA members know their tomorrow, just another vulnerable unemployed public in this impoverished country. Extension of CA member is only the best available option for their temporary better survival. And, they will certainly extend their tenure with more titivating in front of the public.
Formation of Constituent Assembly was never meant to draft new constitution. It was to dole out high paid employment to the unskilled cadres and party workers. 601 membered CA was an unprecedented burden to the people from the beginning. Extension of their tenure is another volition mistake the parties are committed to make, without having the second mandate of the people. Everyone knows a group of 20 skilled and professional people can draft the suitable constitution, if drafting new constitution were the need and end. But it was not made ready in two years’ time by the worthless group of 601 CA members only because neither the constitution nor peace process nor the prosperity of the country was a need to the political parties of this country. Those issues and agenda were never a common ground for them to stand together. But now, the common ground is ready. They will stand together else, they will fall together. Falling down the country and its people is not a serious issue. Their falling down together is. They will not tolerate it. Despite 95 percent of differences among themselves, they will work together on 5 percent of similarities. Dire need of consensus, collaboration peace and stability will be envisaged at this politically technical juncture. Ridiculous behaviours of our leaders, isn’t it? Indian spiritual luminary Vivekananda once said, “Give me few good men and women, and I can shake the world.” Nepal has still few good men and women but it lacks a good leader. The country will suffer for many years for its lacking. The Maoist party is the biggest in the existing CA. but it has a minor mandate of the people. Mandate of the majority of the people opt democracy through coalition government.
Right or wrong, if majority is the basis, let us accept the rule. You cannot change the rule of the game once you start playing it. You could have done it before you accepted the challenge. People had kindled hope from the Maoist party, which has energy to do something. But it lacks rational. And parties without rational is unreliable. No people want unreliable leaders and parties. The politburo of UCPN moist on Sunday titivated in front of the public saying that they would extend the CA tenure if constitutional clause will be changed to concessional system government from that of majority system.
My query, had been the Maoist party in majority in existing CA, would the party accept the proposal hurled from other parties? Certainly not. Then what is its belief and democratic logic for the naïve proposal of amending the constitutional clause favourable to them alone? Is that reliability? Is that called consistency in politics? Politics is long run horse; the defeat is imminent if the horse trained for long run is used for sprint.
( published on telegraphnepal.com, 18 may, 2010)
