The government has failed to build consensus with the opposition and keep the House occupied in law making A section of the media including the Kathmandu Post's editorial has complained that the Nepali Congress (NC) has been unduly critical of the Maoist functioning of the government and the allegation of totalitarian objective of the Maoists may be little harsh. They suggest that the criticisms need to be more nuanced and tempered. It would be useful to present some facts here.
It has been about three months since the Maoists have been in power and formed a coalition government, which command approximately two-third support in the Constituent Assembly. The opposition has been generally supportive in ensuring its smooth functioning. They have shown extra consideration in ensuring the passage of major government policies in record time. The government's annual policy and programme as presented in the Presidential Address was passed in a record three days. The budget debate including the discussions in the appropriation bills of various ministries which normally would take two to three months have been compressed into a week. The opposition also agreed to condense the discussions on appropriation of two dozen ministries to four days, making any meaningful discussion practically farce. In normal time each ministry received at least two to three days.
The House also has not seen the physical obstruction for days and weeks that happened in previous days. But what has the government done? They have failed to take advantage of the situation in listening to the opposition and be sensitive to their concerns. On the contrary, they have spent most of their time in provoking and inciting controversy, consolidating political power through unfair means and making a mockery of the rule of law.
Prime Minister Dahal pledged to return the seized property to rightful owners and vacate the illegally occupied public and private buildings within a month of coming to power. But so far no action has been taken to that end. Close on the heels of Matrika Yadav's open involvement in the land grab campaign in Siraha, a CA member from the Maoist party boasts that they have seized 1200 bighas of land in that district. Some 300 hutments were erected in eight VDCs from Sakraun to Prayagpur. The government has displayed total inaction after showing initial action in destroying the illegal hutments. The internally displaced families are running pillar to post seeking fair treatment and justice.
The Kantipur Publications has thrown a bombshell by reporting that Kali Bahadur Kham Magar alias Bibidh, the alleged killer of Ram Hari Shrestha in Shaktikhor Maoist camp, has been doing his normal functions in the camp. This man who has been under police search warrant for the last six month was seen recently in the company of the Defence Minister. The Maoists leadership had earlier pledged to handover Kham Magar to the police administration. The Maoist leadership's complicity in the murder has thus become public. This is also a telling commentary on the nature of activity that happens in the cantonment.
Despite bold posture by the Home Minister about enforcing law and order and punish the guilty, he seems hopelessly incapable of making any dent on the issue in the face of the Maoist conduct. His enthusiasm to curtail nightlife activities by banning night bars and restaurants after 11 PM may be well intentioned but highly controversial. But he stuck to his gun because the targets were the hapless hoteliers and small time entertainers. But he put his foot down when it came to providing security to the proposed Beauty Contest in the country's capital, because the opposition came from the Maoist's Women Wing which seems more interested in imposing its own version of Taliban-like moral and cultural values. He expressed his inability to protect the planned extravaganza.
The cabinet transferred 16 permanent secretaries and promoted 20 joint secretaries as acting secretaries without consulting the Public Service Commission. At a time when there have been glaring cases of redundant secretarial posts without well defined functions, they have created six such additional posts on an ad hoc basis without proper homework. In addition to adding financial burden on the exchequer, the new posts are certain to create more confusion, demoralization and personality clashes at the higher levels of the bureaucracy. Clearly, the new decision has devalued the senior level positions in the civil service. The government has also affected large scale transfer at the middle level creating instability and panic in the system. The government has openly violated the existing civil service regulation which requires a minimum of two years in a job before civil servants are transferred elsewhere -- a measure adopted in the past to avoid administrative instability caused by political considerations.
How justifiable is the government's move to withdraw the ambassadors close to the NC? These ambassadors were chosen based on their contribution to the April Uprising, following consultations with principal political parties and with their suitability confirmed in the process of parliamentary hearing. They represent the nation, not the parties in power. The argument that NC is no longer in the government does not hold water. Maoist nominees were given ambassadorial assignments when they were not part of the government. Apart from political, moral and fair play considerations, changing ambassadors frequently imposes a huge financial burden to the nation.
Normally, a session of the House would see dozens of bills presented by the government. But there are practically none in this session. The government has failed to keep the House occupied and engaged in law making which remains the principal task of a legislative body. The constitution drafting process is yet to start. The onus of responsibility may lie with both the ruling and opposition parties. But the leadership and initiative should naturally come from the majority group.
Facts like these are multiple and speak for themselves. Nepal is at the critical juncture of national life. The prospect of a totalitarian state may be far-fetched. The people will never accept it. But freedom loving people are seriously concerned about the way the Maoists' speak and act. The Prime Minister says many of the right things. One suspects this is for internal and external consumption. If he really means it, he has not shown the leadership required to act. His party stalwarts talk differently, and the government and party mechanism act differently. A leader is the one who can transcend and rise above partisan interest. B.P. Koirala did it after the national referendum of 1980. G.P. Koirala showed this quality in the peace process.
Koirala did not waver in his mission despite dissatisfaction in his own party. Many acts of omission and commission were tolerated. This appeasement was intended to bring the Maoists to the peace and electoral process. Now the Maoists themselves are running the government. But they have failed to implement the agreement they signed. They continue to break and violate the law. They have failed to show the leadership required for consensus building, an essential feature of the peace process so assiduously nurtured by the NC-led government in the past. The Nepali Congress, being the principal opposition and the party with the longest history of democratic credentials, will be failing in its moral and political duty, if it does not raise its voice at this critical phase of the nation's history.
By Ram S. Mahat
THIMPHU (Reuters) - He was supposed to look on regally from on high as warriors, monks and masked dancers celebrated his coronation, but Bhutan's new Dragon King instead showed royal star quality by descending to mingle with the crowds on Friday.
