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

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2016-12-04/looming-political-polarisation.html

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