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VOL. 28, NO. 20, Jan 23, 2009 (Magh 10 2065 B.S.)
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Under Communist Domination
For the first time in last sixty years, Nepal's largest democratic party does not have significant role in constitution making
By KESHAB POUDEL
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CA meet: Under Communist Domination |
After the elections of CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal to Constitution Committee, main committee to draft a democratic constitution, the historic constitution making process through Constituent Assembly has also set some historic record.
For the first time in Nepal, Communist dominated assembly with almost all leading position under the communist leader is preparing to draft a constitution. One is yet to see how democratic it will be when communist whose ideology is against the universal value of democracy will finalize the document.
Out of fourteen constitutional committees, nine members are representing various communist parties. Along with Madhav Kumar Nepal as a head of constitutional committees, CPN-UML Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist and Leninist secured two other positions.
Lalbabu Pandit was elected as a chairman of committee of Minority and Marginalised rights protection committee and Binda Pandey as a chairman of Fundamental Rights and State Policy Committee.
Similarly, Lokendra Bista Magar, Prabu Sha, Amrita Thapa Magar and Janak Kumari Chalise of CPN- Maoist leading State Restructuring and State's Authority division committee, Natural Resources, Economic Rights and sharing of natural resources and Public Opinion and Coordination Committee.
United People's Front leader Amick Sherchan is heading National Interest Protection Committee. Likewise, Nepali Congress CA members Ramesh Rijal, Meena Pandey and Shambhu Hajaria are given the committee to decide the structure of legislature, Citizen Relation Committee and State Structure Committee respectively.
Govinda Chaudhari of Terai Madhes Loktantrick Party is heading Constitutional Bodies Structure Committee and MJF leader Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav is leading Enhancing Efficiency and Resource Management Committee.
Out of Fourteen committees, CPN-Maoist got five, CPN-UML and Nepali Congress got three each and Terai Mahesh Loktantrik Party and Madheshi Janadhikar Forum secured one each.
Besides, out of these committees the government is led by Maoist leader Prachanda and CPN-UML leader Subhas Chandra leader is chairman of Constituent Assembly and CPN-Maoist CA member is vice chairman of CA.
"Despite its claim to produce the democratic constitution, Nepali Congress is now in a no position to dictate in the CA. When the previous parliament was revived, Nepali Congress had majority and speaker and deputy speakers were Nepali Congress leaders and prime minister was Girija Prasad Koirala," said a political analyst.
The equation has changed. First, it turned from majority to minority party in the interim legislative parliament and now Nepali Congress is just second largest party and it does not have any strength to influence the democratic constitution.
"The CA must produce a democratic constitution. We need to have bottom line and that bottom line is universal declaration of democracy," said NC vice president and CA member Ram Chandra Poudel. Although there are many strong advocates of democracy and freedom in the NC, all of them were sidelined in the selection process.
Whatever NC leader Poudel said, there is no reason to believe that the CA which is under complete domination of communist ideologues will draft a constitution which will guarantee the liberal values and liberal democratic system.
"Since there are many models of democracy, we have to decide which system suits us. Every country has its own geographical situation and social and cultural values," said Lokendra Bista of CPN-Maoist.
When Nepali Congress scrapped a constitution which guaranteed all principles and fundamentals of liberal democracy it had hoped that CA will bring more liberal constitution, but the recent results indicate otherwise.
