The Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the Maoists have failed to hammer out an agreement regarding formation of the interim government. The major sticking point is division of portfolios amongst the four major parties- NC, UML, NC (D) and Maoists. The difficulty in power sharing amongst various political parties is understandable. Not only do different parties have different claims about their strength; but each of them will also be competing in the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) elections.
This only adds to the complications of power sharing negotiations. None of these parties want to be seen as weaker or junior partner in the interim government. With one eye fixed at the CA Polls, the parties think the make up of the interim government will symbolically reflect their strength. That’s why the Maoists are claiming the post of deputy prime minister and the UML wants either the Home or the Finance ministry. But Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala wants to retain all three powerful ministries-Defense, Home and Finance-with the NC.
Bargains, bluffs and protracted negotiations are the realities of coalitions the world over. So, expecting a swift deal overnight would be asking too much from the parties. That said, we want to draw the attention of the seven-plus-one parties to the current fluid situation. Close to the first anniversary of the April Movement, we have achieved a lot. But it is also true that a lot remains to be done. The major task, which will go a long way in consolidating the gains of the April Movement, is holding the CA Polls. Election is a power making/power eroding process. Once election is held and people provide mandate to certain political forces, it legitimizes that political power. On the contrary, rejecting other political forces in the polls, people erode their legitimacy. We need elections not only to decide the future of monarchy in Nepal but also to establish through popular will who they want to see ruling the country. Once elections are held we will get rid of the problem of legitimacy that every political party is claiming now.
Unfortunately, the very power making/power eroding process is currently clouded in uncertainty. With every passing day, the CA Poll scheduled for mid-June looks more unlikely. The gory Gaur killing has only added to the reigning uncertainty and chaos of the transition. By quarreling too much over distribution of ministries, the major parties will not only discredit themselves in this critical hour but will also add to the fear and frustration of the common people. We, therefore, urge the parties to sort out things sooner than later. (editorial of the Kathmandu Post. Here is original.)
Update: Parties Close to Power Sharing Deal
KATHMANDU, March 25 – The ongoing one-on-one talks of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala with leaders of the ruling Seven Party Alliance and the Maoists are close to attaining consensus on division of influential ministries in the Maoist-included future coalition government. Positive signs in the power-sharing deal were seen on Sunday after three largest parties in the future coalition gave top priority to different ministries, averting the possibility of overlapping their claims over a particular ministry. “Major four ministries claimed by the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist) are Home, Defense, Finance and Communication but their top priority are not seen as overlapping,” said an SPA leader, indicating the possibility of parties reaching an understanding soon. According to the leader, NC has demonstrated willingness to give up claim over the Finance Ministry, enabling the UML to secure the finance ministry portfolio. Both the NC and UML have shown clear signs of giving up their claim over Information and Communication ministry that will go to the Maoists.
None of the parties have clearly staked their claim over the defense ministry, in a silent consent to allow prime minister to retain the ministry with him. Such types of indications surfaced during Prime Minister Koirala’s one-on-one with Maoist leader Prachanda, CPN-UML leader Madhav Nepal and NC (D) leader Sher Bahadur Deuba Sunday. (details)
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39 responses to “Interim Nepal Government: End The Bargain Soon”
Keep it up guys,
Its right to Shout for any ministry you like. Who the bastard can stop you ? Don’t stop, people can with you.
Interim this and that……… new nepal…. naulo janabad…………. yada yada yada
Why should this govenment end the bargain soon? Just like XYZ said, keep it up guys! we know that they were a bunch of incompetent, ill intentioned idiots, there are still so and they will always be so. There can never be a new nepal.
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They are fighting for bones!
Are they really responsible?
rajniti hos ta hamro desh ma jasto…..wah netajyuharu………janata maarkaat garoon ki aago ma homioon, tapainharule kunai chinta naliye hun6…tapainharu lai ta soon ko fool dine mantralaya rupi kukhura bhae pugihal6 ni….kina chahiyo ra jantaharu?? so damn care about peaople…and continue with your bargaining. Girija prasad le ta ajha artha, griha ta chhodai na6odnu…aba baanchnai kati po dinn chha ra…baachunjel ta moj garnu paryo ni, kaso budha??
I just read the news that Maoists will stop claiming any portfolios in the coming interim government.
The fact of the matter that they are bargaining for the portfolios is NOT at all bad. One can’t just hand everything to each other. As long as they come to an agreement and the portfolios are distributed without taking too much of a time, there is NO reason to squabble.
Whatever the case, the Congress is still in good position, with PM, and major portfolios and largest number of ministers (combined with Democratic), so there is a rare chance that the country will be pushed towards a Comunist rule.
The only problem lies with cooling of the Madhesi Forum and a free and fair CA election.
Lets see how it will be….
If the Communists take the finance, home and defence, which international countries will support nepal. Even India will not help. Without international help nepal is finished and civil war will start.
Why can’t the communists see sense.
It’s only a matter of interim govt. whose main objective is to hold the CA elections. I don’t understand why they have to haggle day and night for a week even to distribute ministries in the interim. They are taking so long as if it is going to be a permanent allocation. I don’t understand.
“Why can’t the communists see sense.”
Because they are communist. If they could see sense they wouldn’t be commuist to begin with would they?
I think it is over. Maoists are becoming weak and they cannot force the King out it seems. Once you start driving in Land-Cruzer, there is no going back to the forests again. Worst of all for some reason or the other, political parties are linking removal of the tyrant to the disarmament of Maoists. That should not be the case. Until and unless Gynendra remains in power, Nepal will never prosper or even move forward. I wonder why people like Deuba are still on the news when he sold Nepali people twice to Gyaney. All these peace deals/agreements are meaningless until Gyaney remains every singe day. Believe me there are no other politics but Gyaney’s parleys with poor Nepali leaders. Who would not be sold for 1 corers. 23 people died and their death becomes sadder every passing days as it appears that their death were in vain.
>>>>“Why can’t the communists see sense.”
>>>>Because they are communist. If they could see sense they wouldn’t be commuist to begin with would they?
It will be wrong to generalise all commnists that way, Bhudai!
Communist philosophers/thinkers are seldom senseless. But followers of them are “superstitious”….
Fair enough Vahsek. I don’t really even believe the Nepali Maoists are truely even adhere to communist ideology. I like to think of them more as cafateria communists/ thugs/ goons/ misguided lunatics. And once Prachanda gets a taste of Pajero all this communist ideology will fly out the window.
Nepali leaders have been through out the history have been selling Nepalis to dehli durbar and unless that stops we can never imagine a new nepal or even think that prosperity is possible.
Most of the communists, including maoists are more rich and their attitude is more capitalist than the congress. They just use the name communists, to misguide the people and grab power.
Just look at the various communists: Prachanda wears a watch costing 2-3 lakhs. Jal Nath Khanal wears a suit costing a lot of money. KP Oli is more capitalist than communists. and almost all comrades have a pajero or some short of four wheeler.
These leaders will not make it easy for the common people to buy a four wheeler, as the Govt. tax is 110%, and when in power they never even think about changing the tax structure, so that the common people could also buy a four wheeler.
If my prediction is correct, maoists will be localized at places like Rolpa and Rukkum within a year or so. They never realized that politics of violence is never long lasting because they lack vision.
With regard to their claim on ministry like finance, they are totally crack. They can’t even think that the western donar countries will stop giving aides to Nepal if their party is awarded Finance ministry. Do you maoists even know what you are talking about? Your party lacks intellectual people. Your party consists of all Khate (uneducated) type of people.
Prachande,
You are the son of a hali. I do not know what led you to believe that you may be the head of goverment of Nepal one day. That is called daydreaming. Has any hali ko son ever become prime minister of any country?
Maoists set Friday deadline for interim government: Report
Maoists have said that there will be Jana Andolan (People’s Movement) III if an interim government was not formed within a couple of days.
Maoist chairman Prachanda is said to have made clear his position to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala that they would not wait for joining the interim government if that was not formed by Friday, reports The Himalayan Times daily.
Maoist set the deadline of Friday as Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is leaving for India to participate in the 14th SAARC summit on Sunday.
Most of the central leaders of Maoists during the informal meeting of the central secretariat on Sunday suggested the party leadership that it would be meaningless to join the interim government, which would not be able to hold the constituent assembly election in mid-June, as decided by the eight political parties.
“We cannot wait for more than two to three days for the formation of the interim government. If the prime minister is not ready to form the interim government by then, there is no alternative to the third peaceful Jana Andolan, which will force the government to declare the date for assembly election,” the paper quoted Dev Gurung, a member of the Maoist Talks Team and deputy leader of the Maoist parliamentary party as saying.
The formation of an interim government was delayed due to dispute among ruling seven party alliance and the Maoists about division of key portfolios in the interim government.
Various rounds of talks between top leaders of eight political parties and four major parties of the eight party coalition remained inconclusive as they failed to make consensus on division of portfolios.
All the parties are demanding key portfolios in the interim government.
The meeting also discussed how to launch the third Jana Andolan to lead the country towards a republican order, as the government did not take any action against the king despite the instruction of the interim parliament on February 21 for his disrespect to the interim constitution on Democracy Day.
Suggestions have come that the Koirala-led government does not want to take action against the king despite the parliamentary order, Gurung said.
The summit meeting of the ruling seven party alliance and the Maoists on November 8, 2006 agreed to form the interim government inclusive of Maoists by December 1, 2006 to hold the elections of the constituent assembly by mid June this year. nepalnews.com pb Mar 27 07
I am truly convinced that no leaders or parties have good intention for the country. As a matter of fact we are being sold down the river, prodded by foreign powers, held hostaged by Maoist threats, and misguided & lost SPA who has no tail or heads componded by so called civil rights leaders who are one eyed blind, literally. All we have gotten is unnecessary suffering, hardships, and loss of security- a common benchmark of a government. Rather than for the people all is well by the people and from the people and thats just about it.
We should analyze why communist regime failed and how many died in the name of experiement for equal society whereas only that was evident was “some are more equal syndrome.”
The classic example is Bolshevik fiasco in Soviet Union in context of Nepal. What Maoist are trying to achieve is in similar theme and effort to rerun the same fiasco in Nepal all in the name of Communist brotherhood and “utopia” as blood and tears of all Nepali as scarificial lamb. Even “uselful idiots” were their to lend a helping hand. So let us not forget the past and not repeat the mistakes and horrendious killing field of Khmer Rouge in Nepal.
All Maoist can utlize is threats, extortion, and murder as their weapon and this inherent qualities will follow them in assembly and as a bargining tool in order to further their end goal. If you capitulate which SPA might then days of wild freedom will be limited to freedom in kind only. Just beware.
SPA+M cannot unite for longer. In future they fight eachother more than this until and unless India interfer directly.
Sud (02:28:03) :,
I am sad that you weren’t the 24th person to die in the Mob and Goon movement. I wouldn’t have wasted this time in reading your comment and responding to it.
Best wishes to 8 Parties for coalition Government. But still to do more…….after that……..
Thanks.
Reality Bites
Rasuwa
Before I misguide anyone like Wagle and Neil try to do with this blog. Let me make one thing clear, I am a Royalist because I hate the Maoist. According to the ideologies of the Maoist “comrades” as they like to call themselves, if you don’t believe in them or support them then you are a regressive force, or rather a royalist force that favors the old regime.
If you note on the funeral pictures of teh Gaur incident, the box were labelled “ka” stands for “comrade” My first question is:
1. should not the comrades be locked up in cantonements according to the agreement signed by the leader of comrades ?
2. secondly, why is there a misconception that people who were killed were civilians ? They were “comrades” maoist soldiers who are out giving justice when they deem right. They deserve this death, becasue that in itself is “gunda gardi” Not sure if you remember the times when there was some sort of thing called “Nepal Police” such activities would send individuals to jail.
The vision that Maoists have and the leaders of SPA have for this country is nil. Like a dog fighting over bone, these politicians are fighting over ministries. Finance vs Home vs Deputy PM. These are the people that came after the April revolution, after the call of the people, these individuals who are “dogs” are now again bickering about who gets what.
Someone please enlighten me how things have improved since the advent of democracy in this country ?
Infrastructure wise what has happened what major developmental projects are completed? new roads ? new hospitals ? hydro power projects ? water supply? electricity supply? public transport ? air transport ? what development has occured ?
Oh yes of course democracy takes time and results are not seen within decades, now lets see what country would be an example of that ? If no developments should not there be some implementation of plans, I am sure some plans were made after democracy.
Who do the politicians look to blame ? Palace/Maosists ?
The blame game goes on, and the bottom line is country is where it has been 15 years ago.
Is it worth it ? After so many deaths in civil war between Nepal Army and Maoist, now prachanda and company are arguing over portfolios ? Was it worth 13,000 lives ? The mothers who lost sons, wifes who lost husband and vice versa. Was it worth it ? Thats a question we all have to think about and answer.
There cannot be a better opportunity to institutionalize the power-grab by the self-proclaimed leaders and Maoists than now. Be it in the name of ‘interim’ which has become a political culture ever since we had the last election some 10 years ago. Almost a decade has passed since the time when people elected/selected their representatives. The young generation who is below the age of 27 hardly knows what the voting is all about. The only threat is the King, after whom they all are anyway. After the king there is no serious threat to these power claimants. Madhesis and janajatis have been ruled for ever and they would remain ruled and exploited for a long time to come. Their age-old under-previledged socio-economic status makes them a weak competitor right at the onset. Demeaning and disgracing their protests, no matter whatever form they have chosen so far or may choose in the future, are likely to face obvious resistance of all forms by the established power-grabbers as long as they can manage to maintain status quo.
‘Election’ is a distant dream which all the dictators have historicially sold to people in the name of perpetuating the power hold. They are horse-trading, once again, for the ministerial portfolios. It does not appear to be any different from what Nepalese have been seeing over the last 16 years. The worse is that the killers, looters, rapists, butchers, etc. may join the ‘proven and democratic’ leaders of the past.
We Nepalese are appreciably hopeful and patient and we still remain hopeful. May …. bless us all.
I have been reading that this new group called the NDA (Nepal Defence Army) has emerged. Apprently they want the restatment of Nepal as a Hindu State.
They have hurled bombs at Kantipur, some congress office etc.
Nepal’s future does look hopeless because I can just see more and more of these groups emerging. It was the MJF, today its the NDA, what is it going to be tomorrow.
The Gaur incident is occurred when the Maoists has already joined the interim parliament and they are about to join the interim government. Those killed in the incidents are young cadres of the Maoist Young Communist League (YCL) which is formed by the Maoists as a tool to confront other parties during the constituent assembly election.
It will be relevant to look back the formation and activities of YCL before we go in to the subject. The YCL is formed simultaneously with the management of Maoist combatants and arms. Most members of the YCL are either those combatants whom the Maoists didn’t want to confine in to the cantonments, or those child combatants who are not eligible to register as combatants. The Maoists also recruited large number of cadres during ceasefire period by giving assurances that they will ultimately be inducted in to the national army, which are also inducted as YCL member. They are claimed to be unarmed, however, they are given extensive training of unarmed combat, and large number of them with the background of militants can operate all kinds of small arms and improvised explosives. Most of the commanders carry unregistered small arms as well.
Over the last several months, these YCL cadres are employed to occupy the houses of various so called landlords and royalists who are blacklisted by the Maoists party, kidnapping the people, forcefully collecting the donations, extorting money, vandalizing the opponents and most importantly confronting with other political parties. Their main targets various Madhesi organizations that are raising their voice for Madheshi freedom.
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In essence, the Maoists party and their organization YCL and Maoist affiliated Front must take main responsibility of Gaur incident as they planned their mass meeting in Gaur to challenge and confront with the Forum. Had there been low turn out from Forum side the victims would have been other way round (in the Forum side). The second blame obviously goes to Forum as they killed and mutilated mass in inhumane manner which is certainly a crime against humanity. The local administration including police forces will also have to take some responsibility as they couldn’t take preventive actions to curve the violence. The present Home Minister and the Maoists leadership are the biggest culprits as their policy and action paved the way to happen incident like Gaur. The Home Minister is becoming so kind to Maoists party that he is acting like one of the aide to Maoist leader Prachanda and the Maoist Party is protecting him as their own cadre. The reason why terai uprising is escalating day by day is that the government has not been able to bring the Madhesi leaders on the table for dialogue.
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They could have imposed restrictions or curfew which they didn’t do for some reason. The ultimate result was such which was much unexpected. Those who are victims of Gaur incidents are newly recruited cadres of YCL and member of various labour organizations but all of them are affiliated to Maoist party.
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The local administration in Gaur virtually couldn’t do anything to prevent the confrontation between Madhesi fprum and Maoists front and YCL. In fact the Madhesi Forum planned a mass meeting in Gaur long ago and their leader Upendra Yadav was supposed to address the meeting. With a view to disrupt the Forum’s program, the Maoists also planned mass meeting in same venue by openly challenging the Forum. The Maoists mobilized large number of YCL cadres from Makwanpur, Bara, Parsa and Rautahat to show the muscles. Confrontation was imminent as both parties gathered with all sorts of arms. The weak part of local administration was that they couldn’t visualize the consequences thereby couldn’t impose preventive measures. Since the Maoists are getting all sorts of privilege and leverage from Home Minister the local administration couldn’t dare to challenge Maoists for stopping their mass meeting in the same venue.
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They are also involved in various social activities to give some positive gestures such as traffic control, cleaning cities and so on. The Maoists has also formed a front in Terai to wipe out various Madhesi organizations that are active in Terai. Most of the activities by the Maoists party in general and YCL in particular are above the rules of law and they are openly challenging the present government. The Maoists party and YCL are free to do anything due to kind courtesy of Home Minister. In many occasions Home Minister intervened while the security forces tried to control the wrong doing of Maoists.
One of the preconditions of Madhesis are they demand some one to take responsibility of killing of about 40 people (almost double the number of those killed in Jana-Andolan II) in Terai uprising. Madhesi people think that it is the Home Minister who should take responsibility of all the losses of life and properties due to excessive use force and he should resign on moral ground. But, the Maoist leadership is blocking Home Minister to resign even when the leaders from Nepali Congress itself are also demanding his resignation. This has hampered to build an environment conducive to initiate dialogue; as a result terai problem is worsening day by day. As a matter of fact the first fuel poured in terai uprising was by the Maoist in Lahan when they shot dead one of the activists of Madhesi forum. In Gaur also eyewitness claims that first bullet was fired by the Maoists.
The attitude of Maoists is not favouring to establish peaceful environment to hold election in near future. The terror of Maoist weapons has not stopped even after they joined interim parliament. The incomplete arms and combatants management by UNMIN is yet another key factor which has created score of problems even inside the parliament. Manhandling of politicians, businessmen and ordinary people are key indicators how the Maoists have transformed themselves during transition period. The main motive behind the formation of organizations like YCL, Morcha etc is faulty that they will create problems rather than solving any problem.
First of all, it is high time that the Home Minister should resign which will pave the way to initiate dialogue with Madhis organizations. Second of all if the eight parties (SPAM) are not serious for all inclusive democracy to accommodate all (including madhesis, janajati, indigenous people, Dalit, minorities and even royalist) then more violence and bloodshed is inevitable and peace in Nepal will not be achievable, at least not in faceable future. They all are Nepalese and they all deserve space in inclusive democracy.
the home minister is not going to resgin because
i) he is Prachanda’s natai-dar
ii) maoists are calling all the shots. the it is the spaM not SPAM.
Perhaps things will change a little bit for the Maoists, now that NDA is also here along with MPRF…..How long will Sitaula survive is the question.
Why you need his resignation when the whole government is goint to be changed and even Maoists are about to join the government? Maoibadi nai sarkar ma gaye pachi it really doesn’t matter if the home minister is their natedar or not. Or does it?
UWB: comment deleted
“Luccha Chudi of power” like foxes
The maoists must have realized that they don’t have a magic stick to turn nepal into switezerland. When they join the government they will be a failure, so they are avoiding joining the govt.
If CA elections are held maoists will be wiped out from the terai, by the Forum, NDA, Congress and the Sadbhavana. During the CA elections, guns will be freely used and their is a high probability that more maoists comrades will be eliminated like in Gaur.
The only alternative for the maoists is to avoid the CA elections, so they are not interested in joining the govt. Delay in formation of the govt. will delay the CA.
I don’t find there are many parties in our country, i think just one party that is KUKUR Party- BONES ARE GREAT.
Keep this in mind folks!
Once the maoists join the interim government, armed robbery in kathmandu will escalate to a great extent because the maoists ministers will give these looters protection.
Thinker, I don’t think so. I think Maoists induction in the interim government will help maintain the law and order situation in Nepal. Yes.