[This time, Nepal’s Supreme Court ruled that the term could not be extended. Mr. Bhattarai, who is a member of the Maoist party, said his decision to hold elections in November was consistent with options outlined by the Supreme Court, in case the deadline was missed. But other political leaders blasted the decision, saying that the prime minister should have followed a different option, under which the Constituent Assembly would be allowed to become a parliament that could continue to try to hammer out a constitutional deal.]
By Kiran Chapagain And Jim Yardley
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Niranjan
Shrestha/Associated Press
Protesters in
Katmandu, Nepal, demanded Sunday that state lines not be
drawn based
on ethnicity. Their wish was rendered moot as
negotiations broke down.
|
KATMANDU, Nepal — Nepal descended into a new crisis on Sunday after rival
political parties in the Himalayan nation failed to reach an agreement on a new
constitution before the national legislature’s term expired at midnight.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, speaking
on national television, announced that the legislature, known as the
Constituent Assembly, would be dissolved. He said he would remain in power and
that his government would hold November elections for a new assembly. Rival
political leaders quickly denounced the plan as a power grab.
“Political consensus is
still needed to move ahead,” Mr. Bhattarai said in his address, just before
midnight. Describing himself as “saddened” and “dejected,” the prime minister
added: “Let us learn from mistakes and move ahead.”
The development on
Sunday is yet another setback in Nepal’s long and often torturous transition
from monarchy to democratic republic. The country suffered a decade-long
guerrilla war by Maoist rebels that ended in 2006 when the Maoists agreed to
put down their arms and join the democratic political process. The Constituent
Assembly was elected to a two-year term in 2008, but that term was extended
again and again after rival political parties failed to cut a deal on a new
constitution.
This time, Nepal’s
Supreme Court ruled that the term could not be extended. Mr. Bhattarai, who is a member
of the Maoist party, said his decision to hold elections in November
was consistent with options outlined by the Supreme Court, in case the deadline
was missed. But other political leaders blasted the decision, saying that the
prime minister should have followed a different option, under which the
Constituent Assembly would be allowed to become a parliament that could
continue to try to hammer out a constitutional deal.
“It is a well-planned
conspiracy,” said Gagan Thapa, a leader of the Nepali Congress Party. Early
Monday morning, four political parties called for the prime minister to step
down.
Distrust runs deep among
Nepal’s three biggest political parties: the Maoists, the Nepali Congress and
the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). On Sunday,
negotiations broke down after the rival parties could not agree on the
federalist structure for the government under the new constitution.
Two weeks ago, the three
parties and the Madhesi alliance, a group of parties from the region along the
Indian border, had agreed to create states whose borders would be designed to
include members of different ethnic groups. However, the Maoists later withdrew
from the deal following opposition from indigenous groups and some of the smaller
Madhesi parties.
These smaller parties
want boundaries in which states would be based on ethnicity, ensuring that
minorities would be able to accumulate greater political power by forming a
majority in certain states. Opponents of this idea argued that such a structure
would only perpetuate and deepen ethnic divisions in the country.
The issue of ethnic
states has sparked protests and violence across Nepal in recent weeks. On
Sunday, as political leaders were gathered inside the prime minister’s residence,
people rallied outside, chanting slogans for and against ethnic-based
federalism. Roads near the Constituent Assembly building were filled with
people singing or dancing, as different sides tried to rally support.
“There should be a
federalism based on single ethnic identity,” said Rohit Limbu, 25, a student
with a red band around his head, who attended a mass gathering organized by
ethnic groups.
Yet not far away, people
at a different rally waved national flags and warned that dividing the country
by ethnicity would incite tension and undermine the ethnic tranquillity that
has long prevailed in Nepal.
“We do not want a
constitution that upholds ethnic-based federalism,” said Suresh Karki, 35, a
businessman. “We want good will in society.”
The continued political
instability in Nepal will only worsen the situation in a tiny country pinned
between China and India. Power failures have become common, while the economy
has been battered because of the country’s political uncertainty.
Kiran Chapagain reported from Katmandu, and Jim
Yardley from New Delhi.
[Issuing a joint statement Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Ram
Chandra Paudel, CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, Madhesi People’s Rights
Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav and Rastriya Janashakti Party Co-Chairman
Prakash Chandra Lohani opposed the decision. They said that they put all-out
efforts to give continuity to the legislature-parliament by promulgating a
constitution based on the agreements reached so far and entrusting
responsibility to the transitional parliament to complete the remaining tasks.
They claimed their sincere efforts went in vain due to the Maoist leaders’
reluctance.]
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| Indigenous peoples' activists demanded states of their 'identity' |
KATHMANDU, May 27: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai late Sunday night
announced a fresh election to the Constituent Assembly for November 22 despite
opposition from his coalition partners.
The ministers representing the CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP)
and other coalition partners walked out of the cabinet meeting which took the
decision to call for fresh polls.
The decision has come after the CA term expired on Sunday. Prime Minister
Bhattarai argued that the government was compelled to take the move. “There was
no alternative [of the election] ...,” he said in a televised address to the
nation, minutes before the CA term expired.
Issuing a joint statement Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Ram
Chandra Paudel, CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, Madhesi People’s Rights
Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav and Rastriya Janashakti Party Co-Chairman
Prakash Chandra Lohani opposed the decision. They said that they put all-out
efforts to give continuity to the legislature-parliament by promulgating a
constitution based on the agreements reached so far and entrusting
responsibility to the transitional parliament to complete the remaining tasks.
They claimed their sincere efforts went in vain due to the Maoist leaders’
reluctance.
“We tried our best to save the legislature-parliament and its
achievements. But our proposals were not accepted,” the statement said. They
accused the government of not listening to their concern that the fresh
election can’t be announced without making some amendments to the interim
constitution. The parties have accused the prime minister of trying to impose
autocratic system by dissolving a most inclusively elected CA.They have
demanded that the prime minister tender his resignation and pave the way for
the formation of a national consensus government to save the country from a
political quagmire.
Also, the UCPN (Maoist) dissident faction led by senior vice-chairman
Mohan Baidya objected the government decision to go for fresh polls.
“This announcement made without the consent of other political parties
and without any constitutional ground, is obviously unconstitutional,” said a
statement issued by Baidya. “Therefore, we vehemently oppose it.”
Deputy Prime Minister and CPN-UML leader Ishwar Pokharel, Rastriya
Prajatantra Party minister Parshuram Khapung, Minister Chandradev Joshi of CPN
(Samyukta) and Kumar Belbase of CPN-ML, among others, announced their objection
to the prime minister’s proposal for election.
PM Bhattari decided to opt for the new polls, after the last-minute
efforts to find consensus at the CA chairman Subas Nembang’s office failed.
Later, an emergency meeting of the Maoist standing committee decided to go for
the fresh election.
Though the major political parties have opposed the decision, PM
Bhattarai has urged for consensus among the parties.
“Though we failed to fulfill our duty this time, the people will be the
judge. I do not want to blame anyone,” he said, adding, “We cannot move ahead
without forging political consensus.”
The prime minister said he continued to assume the executive powers and
his government will hold the election.
Expressing sadness over the failure to draft the new constitution, the
prime minister urged the people to move ahead united.
He said the government decided to go for the fresh election because
drafting a forward-looking new constitution upholding the aspirations of
Dalits, Janjatis, Muslims, and oppressed society was not possible before the
end of the CA term.
Meanwhile, CPN-UML and Nepali Congress (NC) leaders opposed the prime
minister’s decision. UML leader and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal
said his party and the NC have objected to the prime minister’s proposal to go
for fresh elections.
Nepal said the ministers from his party walked out from the cabinet
meeting as the prime minister, according to him, tabled the proposal for
election all of a sudden without holding any discussion with other parties.
“The way the prime minister announced the election was completely against
the constitution so we objected to this decision,” he explained. “The Maoists’
motive behind backtracking from the agreements reached with other parties is
part of its strategy for capturing the state powers by force.”
Nepal also said the UCPN (Maoist) party is squarely responsible for the
failure of CA and accused the Maoist leaders of never working sincerely for
completing the constitution.
“They always believed in conspiracy and creating pressure on other
parties instead of sincerely working for writing the constitution,” said Nepal.
“At one time they [Maoists] encouraged lawmakers to launch signature campaign
and then the Maoists provoked others [ethnic communities] to take to the street
at such a crucial juncture.”
Also, NC General Secretary Krishna Sitaula said that the NC wouldn’t
support the government decision to go for the new election. “The prime minister
made the announcement as per the decision of the standing committee meeting of
UCPN (Maoist) and not with the consent of other political parties,” said
Sitaula.
CA chairman saddened
CA Chairman Subas Nembang expressed sadness over the failure to
promulgate the new constitution from the CA. He said the CA failed to finalize
the constitution despite the fact that a large part of the task of statute
drafting had already been completed.
“This is very sad that we couldn’t promulgate new
constitution due to differences over only a couple of issues although we had
already completed the major tasks,” said Nembang. “We did our level best to
forge consensus but in vain as leaders from major parties couldn’t agree on
giving continuity to the legislature parliament which was the best option
available before us.