A man of principle

Does the politics of principle have a direct bearing on the efficiency of a government? Nepalis were hoping that the...

Does the politics of principle have a direct bearing on the efficiency of a government? Nepalis were hoping that the country would have a government based on certain core values, one that would deliver long-awaited peace, consolidate democracy and steer the country out of economic crisis. But political parties, especially the main seven that were part of the ruling coalition for over two years, failed to agree even on a common minimum programme. And 16 weeks after the election to the constituent assembly, Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists CPN-M has been elected prime minister.

But this became possible only after the two major parties8212;Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist CPN-UML and the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum MJF defected from a three party alliance formed barely three weeks ago under the leadership of the Nepali Congress, and supported Prachanda8217;s candidature. Prachanda won with a comfortable margin of 351, securing 464 votes against Sher Bahadur Deuba, a Nepali Congress candidate, as 577 members cast their votes in the House. But doubts have already been raised, about whether the brute majority that Prachanda secured in the House is any guarantee of continuity.

In fact, his leadership may be susceptible to constant bargaining, threat of withdrawal and blackmail, as it does not have not principle-based support.

The major parties simply took the stand that Maoists, as the single largest party in the House, must be given a chance to head the government, but it should not hope to control power disproportionate to the size of its mandate. Moreover, it banks on the support of the MJF and UML, who have contradictory approaches on issues like right to property and land, nature of federalism and independence of judiciary and freedom of the press as well as the integration of Maoist combatants in the Nepal army. MJF leader Upendra Yadav has been insisting that absorption of the armed combatants in the national army would open the floodgates for any armed group in future to make similar claim. The Nepali Congress insisted that the Maoist party should not hold the defence portfolio that will have the national army under it, as long as the 31,000-strong People8217;s Liberation Army, a sort of private army, was not managed.

When the Maoists refused, it chose to sit in the opposition. But with any differences among the three ruling parties likely to endanger the government, it is too early to write off Nepali Congress as a serious contender.

Although Prachanda declined to part with the defence ministry, he announced that he would cease to be the supreme commander of the PLA. He apparently took this decision to address the perceived fear that any attempt by the PM to promote PLA at par with the national army might trigger an institutional defiance, if not revolt. That is why, even before he took the oath of office, the government decided to deploy only the Nepal army for the PM8217;s security. No PLA man will be allowed to be part of the security system, in a clear departure from the past two years. Of course, the international community has reached out to Prachanda. Dr Manmohan Singh has invited him to India at his 8216;earliest convenience8217; and solicited his support to fight hunger, poverty and disease in South Asia. He deliberately omitted 8216;terrorism8217; in the list of 8216;enemies8217; that the region has pledged to eradicate in the past. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao also expressed similar sentiments and said he was looking forward to working with Prachanda to further the exemplary relationship Nepal and China have been able to build in the past half a century. The US and European Union are as enthusiastic. So the problems that Prachanda will face are likely to come mainly from inside Nepal.

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