LOOMING POLITICAL POLARIZATION
The
Kathmandu Post
4 December
2016
LOOMING
POLITICAL POLARIZATION
The
country’s impending political situation does not seem encouraging (“Who is going to relent” 30 Nov, Page 06).
The constitution amendment process is in full swing without taking the Federal
Alliance (FA) into confidence. And the main opposition, the UML does not seem
to be in favour of changing the federal demarcation which is one of the main
demands of FA. It is indeed worrisome and scary. The country and its people will
surely suffer if the political polarisation among the parties widens. This is
definitely not the time for them to politically confront each other. The FA and
UML, at two ends of the spectrum, and the Nepali Congress (NC), the CPN (Maoist
Centre) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) in the middle make reaching consensus
on key political and constitutional issues difficult.
If
we look back, the first constitution assembly (CA) that failed to promulgate a constitution
was not the failure of the CA. It was the failure of major political parties
whose senior leaders had held the CA hostage. In the second CA, these leaders
did not have the other alternatives besides forging consensus on key issues of
the constitution and promulgating it at the eleventh hour. They had realized
their past mistakes in the first CA. However, they seem to have forgotten those
difficult days and are moving in their own ways. It will be unfortunate for them
and for the country if they fail to forge consensus on some of the elements of
the constitution. If the Dahal led coalition government amends the constitution
without bringing the agitating parties on board, it will lead to political
confrontation and hamper the constitution’s implementation. The government does
not have time to play more political game for its own sake.
If
the NC, the CPN (MC) and the RPP join hands strongly, they could become a decisive
force to convince the UML led opposition and the FA to reach an agreement on
constitution amendment. If they fail to amend the constitution, they may not be
able to hold three-tier elections by January 2018. This will be a disastrous in
the political history of Nepal. It may even make the political existence of all
the major political parties doubtful.
Rai Biren Bangdel
Maharajgunj
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