Maoists take a long march - from jungle to Singhdurbar (Nepalnews Analysis)
By Sanjaya Dhakal
As the former rebels now find themselves warming the seats in Singhdurbar, their immediate challenge is to prove that they, indeed, have changed themselves from a militant and belligerent force to a normal democratic political entity.
While Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has taken a great gamble by inducting the Maoists into the interim cabinet amid doubts about their democratic credentials from some influential quarters, the Maoists will now need to prove the justification of their joining the government.
"It is time the Maoists abandoned vestiges of their militarist thinking and embraced whole-heartedly the democratic political behavior," said senior politician Nilambar Acharya.
In the immediate horizon, the Maoists will find themselves staring at the huge task of working together with other political parties to conduct Constituent Assembly elections that is credible not only domestically but also internationally.
For starters, the Maoists have the challenge of living up to their commitments to return seized properties; allow displaced persons to return home; cease all kinds of extortion and intimidations for good; and stop projecting themselves as rebelling force with parallel strength.
The eyes of international community, particularly the Americans, will be closely following how they conduct themselves.
Having traversed a tumultuous path in the last 12 years, the comrades have been saying that they want to embrace the competitive multiparty politics. Now is the time they show they mean those words.
"The main challenge before the Maoists is to transform themselves from a fighting force to a political party. Their whole credibility – domestic and international – hinges on that," said Dhruba Adhikary, senior journalist and independent analyst.
At the domestic front, the Maoists will now need to prove to the people that they are the force that can actually deliver. "In the interim cabinet, the Maoists have gotten an important portfolio like Information and Communication. In the past, they were involved in intimidating and threatening free media. It will now be closely watched how they take criticisms and what media policy they follow. Likewise, they have also bagged Local Development Ministry. Till now, the politics and development have not normalised at the district level. They will have to make their contributions to create free and fearless environment in villages," said Acharya.
At the international front, the Maoists have a huge challenging of winning the trust and confidence of the international community and development partners.
American ambassador to Nepal, James Moriarty, had-- just a few days ago-- said that inducting them into the interim government before they completely renounce violence will be "dangerous." The Maoists would do well to prove him wrong. Instead, if the Maoists try to push for power from within and continue to disregard the past commitments, then as Moriarty said, that will be a dangerous portent for the stability of not only Nepal but that of its immediate neighbors.
Having harped on communist economic policies and Marxist ideology for long, the Maoists will now have to face with hard reality. As they rub shoulders with the likes of centrist Prime Minister Koirala and reformist Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat in the cabinet meetings, their conduct on issues ranging from foreign investment to economic reforms will indicate how far they are willing to compromise.
As World Bank Country Director Ken Ohashi recently said Nepal currently finds itself in 'stalled transition' in which the political process hits some obstacles and stalls. Ohashi said that Nepal is in a situation where even though the peace process is intact, the reform and development side is moving slowly. He called for protecting past reforms, focusing more on development and growth side and ensuring a successful transformation of Nepal from "feudal/illiberal" system to an "open/liberal" system.
Even in the best of times, managing economic reforms - in the back drop of revolutionary commitments made to the masses from collectivisation of agriculture to re-education of bourgeois and from 'scientific' land reforms to fixation of ceiling on private properties - for a battle-hardened communist organisation like the Maoists would have been difficult. At a time when Nepal is passing through a painful transition, the stakes will be much higher and impacts much greater.
CA Challenge
The first and foremost task before the interim government is to conduct free and fair elections for the Constituent Assembly. They are constitutionally bound to hold the elections on stipulated time. As it is, the parties have agreed to hold it on June 20.
But how possible it is to hold credible CA elections within next two and a half months is anybody's guess given the incomplete legislative, technical and security preparations.
"As the Maoists have now joined the interim government – which was quite expected and logical – the next challenge for them is to help create the situation of law and order; bring stability to all the state institutions and go for free and fair elections," said Professor Krishna Khanal, a political analyst.
"We see that holding credible CA polls by June is almost impossible. Now how the government and parties take up their responsibilities remains to be seen," Khanal said.
Just three days ago, the Maoists had said that it was useless for them to join the interim government if the CA elections cannot be held on time. But they dramatically shifted gears, dropped their demands for deputy prime minister's position and humbly joined the interim cabinet – which is completely dominated by PM Koirala's party.
For the 8-party government now, holding credible CA elections is going to be of paramount importance. Although they may be tempted to push back the elections now that even Maoists have joined the government - that would be the greatest folly. At a time when sizeable section of intelligentsia and legal experts have pointed out to the serious flaws in the interim constitution – which gives high importance to eight parties and which lacks check and balance norms – it will be a mistake to try and prolong the unaccountable government.
The international community has also given high importance to the holding of credible CA elections. They have made it clear that the interim government – which is not accountable to anyone in particular – cannot continue indefinitely.
Last week, Neena Gill, Head of the Delegation of the European Parliament, had publicly said "delaying elections will send adverse signals internally and externally that the country is not able to hold the polls." She said that since there is a huge amount of goodwill and support (from international community to Nepal), it is possible and feasible to hold polls in next two and a half months. "But it really boils down to the role of key players here," she had said.
Though it came good four months late than the time stipulated in the November 8 agreement among the Seven Party Alliance and Maoists, the formation of interim government marks another landmark achievement in the spectacular progress of peace process in Nepal. Equally spectacular, however, has been the deterioration of law and order, particularly in Terai region, in the past two months. As March 21 Gaur carnage brutally pointed out, Nepal still has a long way to go before its political actors can claim of having restored peace and normalcy.
The Maoist-included interim government must deal with the Terai problem for a simple reason that credible CA polls are impossible without creating normalcy in the country. And credible CA polls are absolute must to ensure the smooth transition of Nepal into a democratic, inclusive and peaceful nation. For all this to happen, the formation of interim government must not end up becoming April Fool's gift to the people of Nepal – who have bitter experiences of being fooled in the past by the people in power. nepalnews.com Apr 01 07
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