NEPAL: Fourth Round of Election Ends in a Fiasco

by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan

(August 13, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian)The fourth round to the post of Prime minister held on 6th August, ended up in a fiasco with the candidates getting less than what they had obtained in the earlier third round. Dahal of UCPN (Maoist) got 213 votes- 46 less than in the previous one and R. C. Paudel of Nepali Congress obtained 122 votes, 2 less than in the previous one. As expected both the UML and the Madhesi Groups abstained.

What is surprising is that many of the Parliamentarians did not attend the session in time for the voting. It looked that they had lost interest once it was known that the voting pattern of the parties will not change.

More interesting is that it happened soon after the visit of the Indian Prime Minister’s Special envoy to find a consensus and the obvious conclusion by many in Kathmandu was that his visit was a failure. It is almost certain that the Indian envoy would not have ventured on this publicised visit unless he was sure of getting round to a consensus among the parties. It is not clear as to what went wrong.

But the visit has certainly evoked an unseemly controversy.

The Committee on international relations and human rights of the interim Assembly summoned both the Prime Minister and the foreign Minister to explain the visit of the Indian Envoy. While the Prime Minister did not attend, the foreign Minister explained to the committee that the visit of Mr. Shyam Saran was a private one and that the foreign ministry was not informed of it. The committee concluded that the visit was against protocol and directed the government to ensure that such uninformed visits do not recur.

There was no doubt that the visit was an official one and Mr. Shyam Saran did mention to the press persons soon after landing in Kathmandu that the Prime Minister of India has sent him as an envoy to see “whether or not we can build a consensus.” He also met the leaders of all political parties, sometimes on a one to one basis with Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai of the UCPN (Maoist) and also together as in the case with the leaders of the Madhesi groups at the Indian Ambassador’s residence. He also called on the President..

One commentator called the visit “undiplomatic.” Another called on all the parties to join hands to solve the problem and thus prevent visitors from neighbouring countries coming to “fix the problem.” One other called it as “crude tactics” and that these do not help to win trust and respect in Nepal. The private blogs on the visit have been more critical and severe.

In the central committee meeting of UCPN (M), Dahal made an indirect reference to the visit. He said that the PM’s election is linked to independence and called for forging an alliance with like-minded forces for safeguarding the national interests at a time when the “foreign interference has become critical.”

The Indian embassy was involved in another controversy which on the face of it does not appear to be true. It is alleged that one of the consular officials from the India mission gave a “death threat” to a parliamentarian from the Maoists party, Ram Kumar Sharma for “garnering support” of Madhesis for the UCPN candidate for the 2nd August election. The embassy has denied the whole incident and in fact said that the allegation does not dignify even a response!

The Chairman of the Parliamentary committee on international relations and human rights went to the extent of declaring that the incident was a challenge to the “sovereignty of the nation” and that the Indian embassy should tender an apology. Pracahnda ( Dahal ) is also said to have spoken to the Ambassador besides sending a formal letter seeking clarification from the mission.

The next election is to take place on 18th of August. By this time at least the parties should come to some understanding. One way that is suggested is that the Prime ministership could be rotated among the three parties. Another would be for both the candidates of the Nepali Congress and the UCPN (M) to withdraw and look for a unity government. The third would be for the UML to change its stand and not insist on two thirds majority or opt for one of the two parties now contending.

The Maoists have indicated that after the next round of election if unsuccessful, they would look for other alternatives. It is not clear what that means. Their central committee will be meeting on the 19th. The Nepali Congress has not changed its stand. They are insisting that a consensus should be forged on vital issues of peace process mainly on integration and rehabilitation of Maoists combatants before they could change their stand.

Surprisingly the civil groups which were in the forefront during the Jana Andolan II are silent.

If the present trend continues, it is likely that the fifth round of election on 18th will also end in a fiasco.

The political parties will have to think of alternatives and not go through the farce of elections again and again.