NEPAL: G.P.Koirala calls it a day: Update No. 163.

NEPAL: G.P.Koirala calls it a day: Update No. 163.

By Dr. S. Chandrasekharan

On 26 June 2006, Prime Minister G.P. Koirala announced his resignation to the constitutional assembly while tabling the resolution for the fifth amendment to the interim constitution. In his speech he called for consensus and unity of parties until a new constitution is in place.

He emphasised that the democratic system can be adopted in a way that will be admissible for all by ensuring a peaceful atmosphere, liberal political values and norms, rule of law, guarantee of human rights, press freedom and multiparty competition which will be possible after the healing of the wounds of the conflict.

A full text of the speech of G.P. Koirala is being given as an appendix to this update.

At the moment the values G.P. had called for are lacking partly due to lax administration and partly due to the Maoists having not fully resigned themselves to the rule of law and liberal values and norms. With the Maoists poised to take over the government the well wishers of Nepal are truly worried about the future that is in store for Nepal.

Dr. Lok Raj Beral, a well-known professor of political science, an ex ambassador to India and a person not given to exaggerations, feels that Nepal as of now has all the attributes to a dysfunctional and a failed state. To support his view he gave the following factors;

Increased violence in politics
Breakdown of norms and institutions
Failure of leadership
Spiralling cost of commodities.
Fuel scarcity.
Failure of Government to regulate Service Sector.

None of these can be denied. Instead of attending to these problems the leading parties are more interested in sharing power and positions.

A day prior to the CA meeting, the SPA signed an agreement among them on the details of the amendment to the interim constitution for electing a President and a Vice President by a simple majority. However no consensus could be reached on the membership of the National Defence Council where the Nepali Congress is still insisting that their representative should be included in the council.

In this, all the three Terain parties are also supportive of the demands of the Nepali Congress. The present interim constitution does not have a provision of opposition as every issue is supposed to be decided by a consensus or by a two third majority. It stands to reason therefore that the National Defence Council which will take important decisions on the country’s security cannot be left with the Maoists alone but will have to have other representatives to reach a consensus.

For the last three days, the motion on the fifth amendment could not be passed as the Madhesi parties together have physically stalled the proceedings. Their contention is that the fifth amendment should take into account the eight point agreement reached between the government and the Madhesi parties on February 28.

There are still differences between the Maoists and the UML over the choice of the President. While the UML is still pressing its case for their ex General Secretary Madhav Nepal, who incidentally was rejected by the voters in the assembly in both the constituencies of Kathmandu and Rautahat, the Maoists are insisting on a neutral person like Ram Rajya Prasad Singh. The UML leaders claim that the Maoists want a “rubber stamp” to be the President, but Ram Rajya Prasad Singh does not fit the bill on that count anyway!

It is good that G.P. finally decided to call it quits. Despite his health and intense pressure from all sides, he has managed to do a great service to the nation and the people of Nepal. Working under the shadow of his brother B.P. Koirala( it was total loyalty), he blossomed after the first ever multi party elections in 1990. He was without doubt a great organiser and a leader in his own right. Unfortunately in the first term as Prime minister after the elections, he was hobbled by internal dissensions led by senior leaders like Ganesh Man Singh and K.P. Bhattarai and he never had the freedom of action to implement an ambitious agenda he had in mind for Nepal. After 4 October 2002, he single handedly raised the flag of defiance to the action of the King and succeeded finally after Jana Andolan II. He was steadfast and courageous and never faltered in achieving his objectives. Towards the end, in the interim administration, in view of his deteriorating health, and with the bullying and brinkmanship tactics of the Maoists, he lost his grip on governance. But history will remember him as a great son of Nepal.

Appendix: Full text of Koirala’s speech in CA while announcing his resignation.

As a result of six-decade-long struggle, sacrifices of countless heroes and patriotic feeling of all Nepalis, and their great sacrifice and penance, our country now stands on the solid foundation of federal democratic republicanism and multi-party democracy. History has burdened all Nepalis with a new responsibility to transform the country into a new, peaceful, progressive and inclusive society by preserving the aforesaid achievements and enacting a new constitution based on those principles. We can fulfil this responsibility only by demonstrating unity, mutual cooperation, consensus, goodwill and mutual confidence.

Our sacrificial people's movement resulted in the restoration of democracy and paved the way for the political parties to move ahead with framing an interim constitution on the basis of consensus and cooperation. It is because of this constitution that we have been elected to a new Constituent Assembly and today an opportunity has been availed to us all to be present in this prestigious House. Now all sectors, casts, class and communities need to write a new constitution themselves for their own country by joining hands and take the country into a new, dynamic and democratic era.

Honourable Speaker,
The fourth amendment to the interim constitution has already adopted a provision to have the President and a Vice President with their rights and duties clearly defined. Today, the government has tabled a fifth amendment to the interim constitution. This amendment will make the provision for election of President and Vice President and soon elections to both the posts will take place.

I, in the course of tabling a proposal relating to the execution of republican order on May 29, had called upon the CPN-Maoist, which has emerged as the largest party in the CA, to form a new government on the basis of consensus as outlined in constitution. Reiterating my call, I hereby announce my resignation as per the provision of the constitution. We have come to an important stage by ending different kinds of conflicts and unrests though some problems and issues have not yet been resolved. By further strengthening mutual unity and confidence and the culture of mutual cooperation, we can take the country to a new height.

Today, both opportunities and challenges confront us. We should use the opportunity in the interest of people and the nation by appropriately identifying the challenges. The plights of those numerous sisters that were widowed, the orphans, displaced, the handicapped who are living difficult lives because of their injuries inspire us to painstakingly involve ourselves to solve the problem of disease, hunger, poverty and illiteracy. It will be a great contribution to the country's national integrity, national pride and sovereignty if we could avail constructive skills to hundreds of thousands of youths who are slugging away in foreign lands because of lack of enough opportunities back home. The democratic system can be adopted in a way that will be admissible for all of us by ensuring peaceful atmosphere, liberal political values and norms, rule of law, guarantee of human rights, press freedom and multi-party competition which will be possible after the healing of the wounds of conflict.

Honourable Speaker,
The new constitution will be established as a repository of the dreams and aspirations of our martyrs and all the people of the country. We need to spend all our energy and capacity in enacting a new constitution. I appeal to all to quickly frame a new constitution in order to end confusion and uncertainty and give the country a new and forward-looking dynamism.

Jaya Nepal,
June 26, 2008
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s statement delivered to the legislature
parliament