Instead of blaming Baburam for all of Nepal’s woes, should everyone not be focusing instead on shortening the long political transition?  After all, Nepal’s peace process must reach a definite conclusion before CA polls are held. Nepal’s political future can only accommodate a smooth functioning national polity based on fresh representational mandate, nothing short of a CA poll. PM Bhattarai must deliver on it and no one should try to influence its outcome either.

After failing to agree on the UCPN-Maoist's ethnicity-based federal model for months on end and despite so-called “foreign interference" and "external advice",   the four major parties - UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and United Madhesi Democratic Front (UDMF)  - have finally decided to respect the people’s voting  rights.  The act, of course, brews fear and uncertainty in the hearts of many since they could fade away in the strong political currents of the Bagmati River. There is also insatiable desire among a few to find a permanent corridor to Singha Durbar without conducting elections -- that is by piggybacking a revived Constituent Assembly, which the Nepali people find distasteful.

Let past political coalitions be bygones.  But even Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, who in my belief,  is an honest and hard working politician despite appearing a Maoist ideologue at times, has recently been facing public  ire for supposedly orchestrating  a self-survival coup by letting the CA  die on its own,  as argued by Nepali Congress and UML leaders. They also state Bhattarai’s is only a coalition government in name. There is rampant administrative distrust, state corruption and cabinet infighting for appointing one’s closer aides to prominent government positions.  The selection of the new Chief Secretary Lila Mani Poudel and  new IGP  Kuber Sing Rana amidst international human rights furor  are just two examples of some of these abnormalities, as highlighted by Nepal's largely democratic media in recent days.   This government cannot hold a successful CA poll, state Bhattarai’s detractors.

But then instead of blaming Baburam for all of Nepal’s woes, should everyone not be focusing instead on shortening the long political transition?  After all, Nepal’s peace process must reach a definite conclusion before CA polls are held.  However, Dr. Bhattarai seems to have his hands and legs tied in every political manner, going by his own confession to Dil Bhusan  Pathak in a TV talk show recently.  In response to a question, he implicates the civil society and political leaders in creating unnecessary legal opposition to what he views as excellent development projects and governmental fast-track initiatives, including finding a more permanent shelter for the Sukumbasis.  In another interesting interview, finance expert and Nepal Rastra Bank’s first governor, Himalaya Shamshere Rana, laments in a Kantipur TV talk show, Fireside, that he saw lesser optimism on the national political front viewed from the civil society angle today than two years ago and the government seems to be doing less for the average Nepali amidst political uncertainty. Â

Ironically, one can give Bhattarai benefit of the doubt. When he opted for a unilateral decision in dissolving the CA on May 27 a bigger section of Nepali media rejoiced with him, which included some civil society leaders, some even thanking him for finally bringing ‘justice’ to an assembly portrayed by top Nepali media brass as 601 sitting ducks who had little understanding of the peace process, or the constitution-drafting process.

Where lies the answer then to Nepal’s democratic future? To me the answer to the aforementioned national dilemmas is that Nepal’s political future can only accommodate a smooth functioning national polity based on fresh representational mandate, nothing short of a CA poll. PM Bhattarai ji must deliver on it and no one should try to influence its outcome either. A CA poll is also a democratic must.  I find one coincidence puzzling though: Nepal’s political parties neither let ex-King Gyanendra to tour around the country freely nor PM Bhattarai set an election date, or hold elections on time.  Perhaps, this is why holding on to Baluwatar has become a big gamble for Nepal’s Maoists as much as for Bhattarai. History repeats itself.

One should also not forget the peace process and the positive role NA can play to shape a successful outcome. Nepal has now got a new Chief of Army Staff, Gaurav Shamshere Rana,  considered a smart reformer,  who in his first address to fellow army brethren, chose  to remind all about the peace process and its implications for the disciplined forces. In a future CA poll, the Nepal Army will have a more crucial role to play than just assisting in logistics support and transporting ballot boxes.  As another step forward in supporting the peace process, the Nepal Army has successfully conducted entrance tests for  1,485 ex-Maoist  combatants who  now have the potential to join it.  This is out of nearly 30,000 combatants who were initially positioned for an integration option under the Comprehensive Peace Accord of 2006. No doubt, the NA must always remain apolitical and in support of Nepali people’s democratic aspirations aiming for long term peace, stability and progress.

Similarly, in finding an internationally acceptable electoral outlet to the dead Constituent Assembly, the diplomats at the Foreign Ministry have a crucial role in explaining Nepal positively abroad.  Narayan Kaji Shrestha as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, has often had to play a defensive role against his party critics and those outside the South Asia region, namely, in courting a more transitional economic role for Nepali diplomacy between China and India. Not to be outdone, Nepal’s 61 years old strategic development partner and solid friend in international affairs, the United States, have also expressed their strong commitment to help Nepal in her economic and democratic awakening.

However, all foreign diplomats in Nepal do have legitimate concerns about the prolonged transitional peace process given the absence of political consensus in announcing a new date for the CA polls. It is not surprising that recently some diplomats wanted to meet President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and inquire on the poll situation, which Nepali Foreign Ministry officials had to politely turn down, since Babu Ram heads the government and they are routinely in touch with P.M’s secretariat besides the Foreign Ministry which has some excellent diplomats.

Meanwhile, many people are concerned about the number of seats in the would be CA. I think a figure of 101 would just be right.  Media reports also mentioned that PM Bhattarai too believes in a lean CA, possibly similar in structure and content to the previous one.  A small CA might be able to deliberate smoothly on a new national security or development policy suiting the country’s emerging federal democratic options.  For me, a big CA would also not be viewed favorably by India and China, both new economic superpowers with considerable military and strategic outreach over the Himalayan corridor, though neither will ever attack Nepal.  Besides, Prime Minister Bhattarai has said on several occasions that Nepalis are capable of  making their own internal decisions and deciding on an effective  political choice that suits Nepalis’ democratic aspirations, something best left to the Nepali people. Bhattarai has also explained recently that his first and foremost priority is to conduct an impartial CA poll in support of the aforementioned.

(Jacqueline Swarajya Prasai is currently an advanced placement Honors student in Broadcast Journalism at John F. Kennedy High School, Wheaton, Maryland. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .)

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