Last time when Prachanda backed down from the post of the Prime Minister after President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav reinstated Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katuwal against the government’s decision, Nepali Congress (NC) and Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) raised their eyebrows. India, which had been dealing with the protests of the Indian hegemony of more than 60,000 hectare land in 21 bordering districts, became alarmed. The man who hadn’t even won from his constituencies in the April 2008 CA elections surfaced as the new PM with the support of 22 parties, including the NC. One whole month has gone by and it seems all our “MAKUNE” has done is form a cabinet number of times, trying to accommodate all parties. Still, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Sadbhavna Party (SP) seem disgruntled.Maoists then took off to the streets and added “Indian hegemony along the border” to their list of agendas along with the issue of Maoists combatants among others. The House proceedings that were boycotted by other parties in the Maoist government are now disturbed by Maoists themselves. Their main concern- address Dr. Yadav’s unconstitutional move of May 3rd. The house session hasn’t resumed for almost three months now. MAKUNE doesn’t make any bold move to resume the house session or order his ministers to start working immediately to stop violence, bandas, beef up security along the Indian border, work on other important issues, but just criticizes Maoists of trying to topple the new government. Constitution writing along with other important programs and policies, including the new budget are being delayed. The constitutional assembly chairman that was occupied by MAKUNE himself before his prime ministership is vacant at the moment. Maoist senior leader Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai seems a good choice for this post, but still NC wants to seize the seat.
UML and NC now have a challenge to coax the Maoists to join the government. The Indian pressure to the government to coax the Maoists can’t be ignored. What did you expect Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told MAKUNE in his recent visit? New Delhi doesn’t want Maoists to go violent as they could coalesce with the Indian Maoists, that India just declared terrorists, and create another havoc. But the issue of Indian hegemony along Susta and other parts of Terai that has been voiced by the Maoists poses a great challenge to India. India wants something right off the bat. Menon also agreed to help Nepal to import power by setting up transmission lines. What a timing?
No matter how our MAKUNE speaks, he is timid to go along with the Maoists’ demands. What if he irks NC? NC doesn’t want the issue of CoAS to be discussed anymore. Most of the ministerial positions have been allocated and oaths have been taken. However, question remains if MAKUNE can’t move forward without amalgamating the Maoists in the mainstream, what ministerial portfolios would have to be given to the Maoists? Then there are demands of the Madhesi parties over “One Madhes, One Province.” The Madhesi parties joined the current government under the condition that the agreement of the United Democratic Madhesi Front in February of 2008 would be implemented. MAKUNE would definitely have a hard time just as he said in a recent impromptu speech in his hometown, “I am keeping my butt on the PM seat, which is no less severe than thorns.”
Frequent strikes, blockades, transportation strikes in different parts of the nation declared by different factions, including the Maoists themselves, are creating mayhem for the general public. Entrepreneurs and businessmen are peeved by these haunting obstructions. Effective measures to end impunity, control inflation and growing incidences of killings, abductions and extortion are expected from the new government. No doubt, former King Gyanendra wants to address the nation taking stock of the current situation on his upcoming birthday. Nepal’s and MAKUNE’s crisis is more severe than any time before. I can’t say the country is plunged into crisis again, well it always was. It’s that the crisis just got deeper.
