TRN feature, Feb.15, 2008
-Vijaya Chalise
Ultimately, all parties are set for the Constitution Assembly (CA) election. The election Commission has already published the schedule of proportional electoral system for the purpose of CA election. Prime Minister has promised all over again to hold the election within the stipulated time as the upcoming election to the CA is an important task of a nation. Nepali Congress has already made public its manifesto and is mobilizing its cadres nationwide holding public meetings. The CPN-UML has passed the election manifesto and party's strategy for the election opening door for forging alliance with the democratic republican forces for the CA. Communist party of Nepal-Maoist also has also has finalized its election manifesto and has busy in creating enthusiasm among people nationwide for the election.
The government has come up with important decisions to address the aspiration of the people seeking their inclusion and participation in the Nepali state machinery and system. It has decided to ensure proportional representation of the marginalized groups in all organs of the state, including the security forces. In its recent cabinet meeting government has decided to enforce effectively the reservation policies to ensure equitable participation of marginalized communities including Madhesis in all state apparatus. Now, there will be an arrangement of 45 per cent reservation for endogenous nationalities, Msdhesis, women, dalits, marginalized and backward groups in all the public services. This decision has addressed at large the demand of the endogenous nationalities, women, dalits, marginalized and backward groups including Madhesis. In spite of that, seven political parties and the government seems ready to sit together and sort out other possible remaining demands of all disgruntled groups. They have been called formally by the joint talks team to come forward to talks requesting not to launch any kind of protest that directly affects the people and the election. Yet, they neither came to the dialogue nor called back the indefinite general strike across the country. This indicates that they are not much sensitive to hold election and strengthening of national integrity. They have to know that the demands of creating a single Madhesh and full autonomy with the right to self determination by some Madhesi leaders are not possible as it weakens the nation's integrity and sovereignty. They should know that demand of creating a single Madhesh and full autonomy with the right to self determination by some Madhesi leaders only weakens the integrity and sovereignty of country. We can not deny that Madhesi people are oppressed for a long time, but dividing a small country like Nepal on the basis of language and ethnicity would only weakened the national integrity. Therefore, there is no ground left to continue agitation now to Madhesi leaders as most of their genuine demands have been fulfilled and remaining is not possible to fulfill before the formation of Constituent Assembly. Obviously, at the time when Nepali people are going to attain long awaited Constitution Assembly election, no one should play against it and small issues should not come on the way of holding CA election. All the people have by now known that those opposed to the election were trying to disestablished the country and the benefit goes only to the foreign factor and to the reactionaries. The responsible leaders belonging to the regional party including Terai should not forget that some armed groups are trying to destabilize and disintegrate Nepal guided by reactionaries and foreign interests.
All should realize that the reactionary forces and some foreign factors who do not want to see a republican Nepal, still are trying their best to foil the election creating disturbances. Even polarization among the royalist supporters is being surfaced within the seven political parties who already have accepted republican set up of the country. This has helped the King to be vocal once again against the even party alliance and interim constitution. Royalists have been encouraged yet again by not only the non compromising attitude of Madhesi groups, but also by some recent debates and controversies among influential members of seven-party alliance. The debate on Maoist's decision operating the Joint Revolutionary People's Council; alleged attack on Congress MP and former Minister Dilendra Prasad Badu: and the sudden police raid on three Yong Communist League offices in the Kathmandu valley affiliated to Maoist, have given grounds to those who want the unity of seven party alliance be broken. The clashes during political rallies and mass meetings that occurred recently in Darchula, Sindhuli and other parts of the country between the Maoist cadres and other partners of the alliance along with sudden raids by the government into Young Communist League offices have made people disappointed. They hope such activities should not repeat again if they want to foil conspirators move against CA election. The renewed commitment to move ahead in a united manner to foil any conspiracy against the election of seven-party alliance coordination committee along with formation of an investigation panel representing all the member in order to probe such unwanted incidents, obviously would help to control such incidents in the future and help to overcome misunderstanding among the alliance partners.
CA is imperative to materialize the aspiration of all Nepali people and political parties expressed through the People's movement-2. This aspiration could not be fulfilled without seven party unity and commitment towards new Nepal. The parties, who played decisive role to make success the historic people's movement, have to be more responsible and work in unity. Maoist, a driving force for setting agenda for a republican set up through Constitution Assembly poll in order to change almost two and a half century old history of Nepal bringing all the major constitutional monarchial forces to the federal republican set up, should be more responsible to this regard to foil conspiracies against CA election. However, conspiracies against the election are being hatched with the help of some foreign forces; there is no alternative of CA election to institutionalize the new history of the country foiling jointly such conspiracies. For that reason the unity amongst the nationalists, republican and left forces including Madhesi people is necessary to hold the CA election successfully and to overcome the conspiracies of the regressive forces against the election.
(Vijaya Chalise is Editor-in-Chief of the Gorakhapatra Daily)
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