Alliance for Social Dialogue

तिलक पाठक/भुवन केसी

प्रमुख राजनीतिक दलले प्रधान न्यायधीश खिलराज रेग्मीको नेतृत्वमा चुनावी सरकार बनाउन लिखित सहमति गरे । र, त्यसै दिन अथार्त् फागुन ३० गते मन्त्रीपरिषदले अन्तरिम संविधानको धारा १५८ अनुसार २४ बु“दे वाधा अड्काउ फुकाउने आदेश राष्ट्रपति समक्ष पठायो । त्यसै अनुरुप रेग्मीले राष्ट्रपति समक्ष पद तथा गोपनीयताको शपथग्रहण गरे । रेग्मीसँगै चैत्र १ गते माधव प्रसाद घिमिरे र हरि प्रसाद न्यौपानेले पनि क्रमशः गृह तथा परराष्ट्र र कानुनमन्त्रीको रुपमा शपथग्रहण गरे । मन्त्रीपरिषदको पहिलो वैठकले निर्वाचन आयोग सँग परामर्श गरी छिट्टै संविधान सभा चुनावको मिति तय गर्ने निर्णय ग¥यो । सरकारको यो निर्णयले निर्वाचन हुने आश पनि जगायो । यद्यपी, निर्वाचनका लागि चौतर्फी जटिलता र चुनौती भने नभएका होइनन् । प्रधान न्यायधीशलाई सरकार प्रमुख बनाउने प्रस्तावमा कांग्रेस र एमालेभित्रै असन्तुष्टी थियो भने नेकपा–माओवादीसहितका साना दल विरोधमै थिए । त्यस्तै नेपाल बार एसोसियसन र नागरिक समाजले समेत यो प्रस्तावको निरन्तर विरोध गर्दै आएको थियो । त्यसैले रेग्मी नेतृत्वको सरकार गठन भएपछि यसको चौतर्फी आलोचना सुरु भयो । एकातर्फ आलोचना तथा आन्दोलनका कार्यक्रम र अर्कातर्फ सरकारले चुनावको मिति तय गर्न नसक्दा असारमा गर्ने भनिएको चुनाव भने अनिश्चित बन्यो ।

तिलक पाठक/ भुवन केसी

एकीकृत नेकपा माओवादीका अध्यक्ष पुष्पकमल दाहालले वहालवाला प्रधान न्यायधीशको नेतृत्वमा सरकार गठनको प्रस्ताव ल्याएपछि यो महिनाभरी त्यही प्रस्तावको पक्ष÷विपक्षमा वहस भइराख्यो । माघ २० गते हेटौडामा शुरु भएको पार्टीको सातौं महाधिवेशन उद्घाटन गर्दै दाहालले महाधिवेशनले राजनीतिक निकासको नया“ फर्मुला ल्याउने बताए । त्यस्तो फर्मुला सबैलाई मान्य हुने बताएपनि दाहालले त्यसलाई प्रष्ट पारेनन् । तर, माघ २५ मा महाधिवेशन हलमा नै प्रधानन्यायाधीशको नेतृत्वमा चुनावी सरकार गठन गर्ने प्रस्ताव अघि सारे । महाधिवेशनमा प्रस्तुत यो प्रस्तावलाई बन्दसत्रबाट पारित पनि गरियो ।

Bhuwan KC/ Tilak Pathak

Sharp differences over formation of new government and holding elections along with mutual distrust and suspicion remained among the main political parties. Ruling United Democratic Coalition demanded election by June and asked congress, UML and other parties to join prime minister Baburam Bhattarai’s government, but the parties maintained that it was not possible to form an election government under Bhattarai. The opposition parties privately took the suggestion by the ruling coalition to form a government under independent individual if not under Bhattarai as another ruse to extend the government. Opposition parties also suspected that the different proposal by UCPN (M) and the government as a ploy to extend the government. However, after the President Ram Baran Yadav stopped extending the deadline for formation of a new government and the possibility of a consensus diminished, the opposition parties resorted to protests.

Bhuwan KC/ Tilak Pathak

President Ram Baran Yadav encouraged the parties to find consensus and prepare atmosphere for CA election in April-May, yet the political parties could not agree among themselves. Mainly, the coalition parties were against an alternative to the prime minister Baburam Bhattarai, while the opposition parties were in favour of exit of coalition Bhattarai government and Congress President Sushil Koirala becoming the prime minister. The role of UCPN (M) appeared to vacillate through it all.

Bhuwank KC/ Tilak Pathak

After the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly (CA) on May 27, the political parties were set on a collision course. Though they had announced new elections to the CA for November 22, 2012, it could not be held due to lack of consensus among the parties. Most of the time, they were focused on accusations and counter-accusations. The parties did not budge from their stances despite efforts at consensus. Instead, they started forming fronts against each other. Instead of political consensus, this pushed the country towards further polarisation

Though the President Ram Baran Yadav took lead in managing the political transition and encouraged consensus, power-centric politics of the parties became an obstacle. The parties not only ignored the President’s encouragements and suggestions, they attempted to use the Office of the President for their own advantage. This created occasional rifts between the Office of the President and the Office of the Prime Minister. Despite accusing each other and refusing to accept the other’s leadership, they have given continuity to meetings and discussions. When there was no consensus between the parties and the government announced another date for the elections in April 2013, the President called for consensus government. With differences on the government, the constitution, elections among others, the parties could not recommend a consensus prime minster, and the series of extending the deadline for new government formation at the request of the parties by the President began.

The Constituent Assembly (CA) was dissolved without fulfilling its main responsibility of promulgating a constitution. Despite trying for four years, the political parties could not draft it. Towards the end, mainly UCPN (M), Nepali Congress, UML, and UDMF had held discussions on the disputed issues of constitution-drafting. However, there was no concrete outcome. Although the parties had reached agreement on forming federal states on the basis of identity and capability, there was sharp division on whether to name them based on a single ethnic or multi-ethnic identity. UCPN (M) and UDMF were in favour of single identity while Congress and UML were for multi-identity. When there was no consensus on this, the parties discussed alternatives. There was no agreement among the parties on this. The CA could not even sit because there was no agreement among the parties. As the discussions were going, deadline was nearing. In the meantime, prime minister Baburam Bhattarai announced a new election to the CA on November 22, 2012, and the CA deadline passed.

There was no consensus among the parties on state restructuring, which has remained one of the most disputed issues in constitution-drafting. The dispute remained whether state restructuring should be based on a single identity or multi-identity. While there was no consensus among UCPN (M), Nepali Congress, UML, and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) on the number of states and their delineation, the government decided to extend the Constituent Assembly (CA) for three months by amending the Interim Constitution (2006).