Mao or never

President Rambaran Yadav8217;s deadline for the Maoists to form the government passed on August 5.

President Rambaran Yadav8217;s deadline for the Maoists to form the government passed on August 5. The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists CPN-M, the single largest party in the constituent assembly, staked its claim to form the government, but made no effort to muster the simple majority required. They always thought it was their right, and supporting them the duty of other parties.

All it did was to unilaterally produce a 50-point priority agenda. The CPN-M asserted that either it should head a consensus government, failing which it would not only sit in the opposition, but would also spearhead a 8216;revolt8217; against 8216;international conspirators and their local puppets8217;. The Maoists have perhaps realised that they can not muster enough support from outside to form and run their government without compromising their radical programmes. The y stated the 50-point programme, a message to their cadre as well as the masses, two days before the president8217;s deadline.

Besides radical land reform policy guaranteeing land to the tillers, it sets a 6-month deadline for integrating the Peoples Liberation Army PLA in the Nepal army. The party wants to amend international treaties 8212; including the 1950 treaty of peace and friendship with India 8212; though it stresses the need for special neighbourly relationships.

Clearly neither the Nepali Congress nor the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist CPN-UML will be supporting these policies without which forming the government is impossible for the Maoists. The president8217;s office has indicated that he is not going to invite Prachanda to form the government without some proof of 8216;majority support8217;.

But more than the number game, Maoists have been lately worried about G.P Koirala8217;s intense hostility. Koirala8217;s has immense destructive potential. As long as it was directed against King Gyanendra, the Maoists and Koirala struck a perfect accord, but now they have become sworn enemies. Prachanda let Koirala, a caretaker PM, participate in the SAARC summit in Colombo only after he publicly apologised for not having 8216;consulted8217; the Maoists. But once in Colombo, and in Delhi, Koirala said Nepal still needs a national government based on consensus, implying that Prachanda will not be an acceptable Prime Minister. He said that the Maoists must first withdraw the 50-point programme, and then formulate a 8216;common minimum programme8217;.

Withdrawing the policy within two days of its announcement will mean loss of face for the Maoists and Prachanda. Koirala8217;s next condition will be 8216;any one but Prachanda8217; for prime minister. It8217;s already been more than three months since election results were declared. The failure to formulate a common minimum programme and choose a leader has delayed the formation of the government. Only Koirala stands to gain, as he will continue as PM. Even after the new legislature was formed, political parties including the Maoists allowed Koirala to lead the government and transact House business, a dangerous precedent that Koirala may exploit.

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