Third time unsuccessful

It is quite unfortunate that our political parties have once again failed to break the deadlock and give the country a new prime minister to replace Madhav Kumar Nepal who has been acting as caretaker prime minister since June 30. With the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), which has 109 seats in the legislature-parliament, and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), a coalition of four parties that together command 82 seats, deciding to stay neutral in the election, neither Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal nor Nepali Congress’ (NC) Parliamentary Party Leader Ram Chandra Poudel were able to secure a simple majority that comes with the support of 300 parliamentarians in the current 599 -member House. UCPN (Maoist) has 237 seats while NC has 114.

The fourth round of elections that will be held in the next few days will also prove to be a futile exercise unless CPN-UML gives up its stand to stay neutral in the voting process if they are not assured that the new government will have the support of two-thirds majority or unless the UDMF participates in the voting process. While there is nothing wrong in CPN-UML’s stand for the formation of a consensus government because that would facilitate writing the statute since it has to be ultimately endorsed by a two-thirds majority, it cannot continue to be adamant on its stand if it is preventing the country from having a new government to replace a caretaker one. Similarly, UDMF also has to play its part if it can give a government to the country. There is no point in hankering for consensus if we cannot have one. Instead of focusing on having a government with the backing of two-thirds members of the parliament, the CPN-UML and the UDMF should give support to the party which assures them of facilitating the writing of the constitution in time and taking the peace process to its logical end. Moreover, the party which would ultimately form the government should also make sincere efforts to take all sides into confidence on constitution and peace process.

In the absence of a full-fledged government, the country has not been able to have a regular budget. We cannot keep on running a government with partial budgets. Rising above petty party interests, the parties must come together to give a new government in the next round of voting. Failing to do so will not only seriously undermine the constantly eroding image of our parties and politicians in the eyes of the general public but may also further hit hard the chances of completing the peace process and writing a new constitution. The CPN-UML and UDMF must not stay neutral in the fourth round.

Source: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=21781