Ghost of failed election haunts Nepal

On the day that Nepal would have taken a major step towards lasting peace and progress by holding a historic election to write a people's constitution -- Nov 22 -- the peace process has become a mockery with the poll reduced to a mirage and the Maoists waging a fresh war on the government.

If the distrust between the ruling parties and the guerrillas had not exacerbated with each side accusing the other of trying to sabotage the peace accord, Nepal would have held its first constituent assembly election on Nov 22, when its people would have for the first time voted to decide if they wanted to keep King Gyanendra or opt for a republic.

However, after the Maoists walked out of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's coalition government in September and announced free and fair polls would not be possible as long as monarchy remained in Nepal, their opposition to the same elections they were fighting for a decade forced the government to put off the polls indefinitely.

It was the second time that the politicians had failed the people. The election was earlier scheduled to be held in June.

However, that had to be postponed to November after the Koirala government dragged its feet on enacting the laws necessary for the election and failed to stop the escalating violence in the Terai plains.

As a result, a year after the signing of the peace accord that ended the Maoist insurgency responsible for killing over 13,000 people, Nepal has begun to feel increasingly bitter towards the parties and the rebels.

The repeated failure to hold the election has also affected the parties' and the guerrillas' image in the eyes of the international community.

Former US president Jimmy Carter, who arrived in Kathmandu Wednesday on a four-day visit in a bid to push the peace process forward, has expressed his disappointment at the deferral of the election.

Carter, who met Koirala Thursday, urged him to hold the exercise at the earliest.

Though Nepal's prime minister is reported to have said he would hold the election by the end of the current Nepali year -- which ends on April 12 -- it is doubtful if he will keep his promise.

The Maoists have dealt another blow to the government, now publicly threatening to unseat Koirala with a communist alternative if he fails to heed their demands to abolish the royal throne immediately and adopt a fully proportional electoral system.

They forced the government last month to call a special session of parliament when they tabled the two demands.

Subsequently, the house passed the two proposals with a simple majority after the rebels managed to win over the second largest party in Koirala's ruling coalition, the Communist party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML).

Now the Maoists are threatening that they will topple Koirala and choose his successor from the UML.

Maoist supremo Prachanda, who went to tourist city Pokhara Wednesday for a media interaction, told a group of pro-Maoist journalists that if Koirala failed to implement the proposals passed by parliament, his party would seek a new government led by the UML.

The winter session of parliament, which resumes on Nov 29, is expected to see a decisive battle between the Maoists and Koirala.

While technically Koirala can block the demands since they have to be passed by a two-third majority, the victory will bring him no joy since the Maoists have warned that if defeated, they will start a street protest.

Though they say the new revolt will be peaceful, it is bound to paralyse the nation, like the 19-day protests did King Gyanendra's government in April 2006, finally leading to its fall.

While the parties continue to squabble, there is escalating violence in the Terai, mounting corruption nationwide and a growing consensus that the parties have yet again failed Nepal.

(IANS)

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