Nepal Must Get A New Prime Minister
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2007/10/nepal-must-get-new-prime-minister.htmlUltimately it has been the Prime Minister's responsibility to hold
polls. He does not get to blame the others, not the Madhesi Kranti,
not the Maoists. It has been for him to make the political moves and
the necessary political compromises to ensure timely polls. He has
failed thrice to do so.
Elections were postponed from one summer date to another. From there
the elections were pushed to November. And now we have a scenario
where we have no idea if elections will take place in summer of 2008,
or the winter of 2008, if ever. Girija refuses to take the decisions
that need to be taken to make the polls possible. He is Mr. Political
Paralysis.
Unless a political settlement is arranged with the Maoists and the
armed Madhesi groups, elections will not take place, not now, not six
months from now. So if you are trying to hold polls in Nepal, you want
to cut a political deal with those two groups. That is not rocket
science. That is just common sense.
New Prime Minister
Girija has failed to perform. And so he must be fired.
Who should replace him? I think it is going to be a choice between
Deuba and Madhav Nepal. If the Congress still had been two parties, I
think the choice would have been obvious: Nepal.
It can not be some Maoist since that will not be palatable to the
international community, for the sole reason that the Maoists still
have an army.
Instead of trying to convince Girija one way or the other, the Maoists
and the UML must exhibit some sophistication and play the arithmetic
in the interim parliament.
They should stop acting like Girija has total power, or that street
agitation is what will do it. Girija does not have total power, and
street action is unnecessary. Between them, the UML and the Maoists
have the numbers to undo the political paralysis.
Curiously, it looks to me that the original UML stance might be the
right one. All eight parties could agree on holding a referendum to
decide the fate of the monarchy, and then hold a fully PR election to
a constituent assembly.
And for being right the first time, Madhav Nepal should be rewarded
with the Prime Minister's office right now. Even the Nepali Congress
should support him.
Possible Election Schedule
October 2008: Depose Girija, put Madhav Nepal as Nepal's new eight
party Prime Minister. Speaker position goes to Congress, to
Chitralekha Yadav.
November 2008: Respectful dialogue with all armed Madhesi groups,
Jwala, Goit and the rest of them. Release all their imprisoned cadres,
take back all cases filed against them, put all their soldiers into
cantonments, and invite them to participate in a fully PR election.
February 2008: Deadline for new parties to register.
April 2008: Referendum on the monarchy. Country becomes republic. Ram
Raja Prasad Singh, first president of Nepal.
May 2008: Dissolve the interim parliament.
June 2008: Fully PR election to a constituent assembly, 300 strong.
Every third name on a party's list must be female. Other than that
there are no rules.
