Madhav Kumar Nepal: Tyranny of the Defeated!

Nepal: Tyranny of the Defeated!

N.P.Upadhyaya

Kathmandu: Democracy has a set of universal rules and the system as such runs under certain established norms and values. The countries practicing democratic order are bound by those set of standards and can in no way exceed the stipulated limits set by the system. However, Nepal is a different case altogether.

In Nepal, the system called democracy is not only bendy but has been made elastic to the extent that the system’s suppleness itself is about to break any time soon.

Democracy demands elections. One of the beauties of the democratic system is that it guarantees timely elections and the elected ones, called the people’s representatives, form the government of their choice. However, while going in for the choice, democracy or the system based on it primarily allows the party that has bagged greater number of seats in the parliament to form the government and thus at an appropriate time the party that enjoys “majority” in the parliament forms the administration at the center.

Political scientists at times describe the formation of a government by the party in majority as the “tyranny of the majority” but yet that has remained almost a universal practice.

Thus election constitutes one of the strong pillars of this system.

Obviously, those who don’t believe in elections or get defeated while contesting parliamentary polls are thus no more than “political duffers or buffoons”.

However, Nepali democracy appears to be somewhat different and exclusive than what has been practiced elsewhere for centuries.

In Nepal, the election defeated ones too could rule the roost. This added advantage to the badly defeated ones are only available in Nepal because it is Nepal and thus one is free to define the word democracy in a manner that suits to one’s political interests and whims. The tragedy in Nepalhas been that the people, the political scientists and theoreticians, the elected leaders and the democratic world present in Kathmandu too provide adequate recognition to the defeated candidates which was evident May 25, 2009, when an election defeated political figure was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal. Really sad event.

To come to the point, Nepal’s new Prime Minister not only lost the Constituent Assembly polls from two different constituencies but yet managed to get reverence from those who got elected. He was “nominated” by Prachanda and brought to the CA body. But this man cheated the one who brought him into political limelight. Strikingly, the one who cheated and the one who got cheated are both Brahmins.

Mr. Nepal, the new Prime Minister, must have collected the courage to declare that “since I am a defeated candidate and thus my selection/election as the next Prime Minister of Nepal will not be logical and may send wrong signals across the globe and thus I be not be made the Prime Minister ”.

However, the greed for power of this poor Brahmin did not allow him that much courage but instead presented himself as the Prime Ministerial candidate under the encouragement of the second largest party, the Nepali Congress, and some twenty two different non-entity like satellite brains supported his candidature.

As the luck would have it, Mr. Nepal is now the country’s Prime Minister. He has already been sworn in by the country’s President in the presence of practically those who had just nine months back observed Prachanda being sworn as Nepal PM.

Thus his assumption of the post of the Nepal’s Prime Minister and that too providing a legitimate garb will in all likelihood set a dangerous precedence wherein any “election defeated” candidate could claim his or her right for this post in the future. Bumper opportunity for the defeated ones lay ahead.

Analysts here have no grumbling as such in accepting Mr. Nepal as the country’s Prime Minister but the analysts are afraid of the fact that democratic system and its set values and norms are being disfigured and deformed to suit some one’s political gains or for that matter benefits. How it could be that?

Now let’s take up some points that need to be clarified for the convenience of the august readers.

First, the moot question is why the largest party in the CA body, the Nepali Congress, was generous enough to propose the name of Mr. Nepal whose party, the UML, is the third largest party in parliament?

Logically, the NC being the second largest party in the current CA body should have taken the initiatives for the formation of the new government. But the NC refrained from doing so. But why?

Understandably, the NC wanted to defame the UML communists primarily for the party already has concluded that since Mr. Nepal is not only a very week and meek political personality but also lacked firm political determination which is demanded of him at this critical juncture and thus could not work which ultimately cause immense damage to him and his party in the eyes of the people. Appears pretty logical backed by wisdom.

Secondly, the NC may have thought to fire the guns here and there by putting the butt of the guns into the shoulders of the new Prime Minister. Poor Madhav. The worst he will have to suffer in the immediate days.

Thirdly, the NC basically wants the two communists to fight with each other. That is the Congress wants to see a fierce fight in between the Maoists and the UML communists and bag political gains from such a fight which is round the corner.

Fourthly, the NC stalwarts may have sensed the mood of the New Delhi mentors which apparently, the NC concluded or were told, and found that New Delhi wanted a fresh Arabian horse. MadhavNepal now is New Delhi’s Arabian horse.

Arabian horses are talked to be very smart in serving their masters and thus an intelligent buyer would always want to buy such a horse. Price is not a problem.

Now let’s look how and why New Delhi wanted Mr. Nepal as Nepal’s new Prime Minister.

Firstly, Mr. Nepal entered into the good book of New Delhi regime when at the fag end of 2005, Mr.Nepal scolded the Chinese regime by being right in New Delhi. This was no less an achievement forNew Delhi as Mr. Nepal threatened China not to make any efforts that aided and came as a support to the then Royal regime.

Thus Madhav fired on China having New Delhi made guns in his shoulders. Clever New Delhi.

From this day, Mr. Nepal is a New Delhi man. Take it for granted. The Chinese must gulp this biter pill.

Secondly, Mr. Nepal got further obliged when the New Delhi authorities offered free medical scholarship for his daughter who by now is already a Medical doctor.

Thirdly, New Delhi’s real, trusted and many a times tested, man in Nepal is basically Khadga Prasad Oli-one of the senior UML leaders.

Since Oli enjoys “my dear” relations with the Indian South Block and thus this time around Oli convinced the Indian regime that in order to cut down the China’s increased penetration in Nepal affairs through the kind courtesies of the Maoists, Mr. Nepal would be the best candidate who could keep China at a comfortable distance.

By the way, the UML leader Oli enjoys comfortable majority in the CC of the party. Oli’s rival, Mr. J. N. Khanal who is yet close to the Maoists is considered to be closer to China. But China is now no where in Nepal’s political scene. Even if it wanted or dared, it will be blocked by the new regime.

Fourthly, India wants such a trusted man in Nepal who could put his or her signature on any document with eyes closed that favored India’s political interests.

If the Indian regime during Mr. Nepal’s tenure as Nepal PM, gets the official approval from the Nepal government as regards the Extradition Treaty then it would be no wonder. In effect, claim some high placed sources in Kathmandu, Mr. Nepal’s choice has been deliberately made by Delhi keeping the Extradition Treaty in mind. With so many obligations over head, Mr. Nepal, if approached by the Indian regime, in all likelihood put his signature unconditionally.

It is here that the neighboring countries and some other countries must begin tightening their belts.

The Indian draft of the said treaty will first target the Pakistanis, the Chinese then and later the Europeans and the Americans.

The Indian draft treaty demands primarily the deportation of any third country nationals from Nepalwhom India considers dangerous for her security.

But the million dollar question is that whether the Maoists-tentatively the wounded lions-will in such an eventuality provide Mr. Nepal a free ride at least on maters related with the Indian regime?

The Maoists have point blank stated and demanded that Nepal-India relations be “redefined”.

In the recorded political history of Nepal, none of the political parties here have had the courage so far to demand the redefining of the bilateral ties. This must have added to the Indian annoyance.

The Maoists remain undeterred. They know that India will spare no efforts in maligning the Maoists credentials through the use of all the means and the cards that are under its sleeves. The Maoists too have begun devising schemes on how to expose India and the new Nepal PM as and when the latter exhibited his sympathies towards the Southern neighbor.

But is not there a fair chance that the Indian establishment and the Maoists patch differences? This is very much possible. In politics it so happens.

Still, the real war is now in between the Maoists and India but not  in between Madhav Nepal and Prachanda.

Clever Congress leader has already told that Mr. Nepal is just “acting Prime Minister- NIMITTA NAYAK”. This is loaded with meaning. This does clearly speak that Koirala wants to kill several birds by handing over the guns to Mr. Defeated Nepal.

The other question is that how the Maoists will chase Mr. Nepal in the days ahead?

Sources close to the Maoists say that the Maoists have already told their local level cadres to chase the activists and workers of other political parties. The process of such a chase is already in progress. The political cadres of parties other than those of the Maoists have already begun fleeing from their respective places.

Secondly, the Maoists will remain at the center and create problems to the “acting premier” under one pretext or the other.

Since the Maoists are in the opposition now with considerable numerical strength which allows the party of the former rebels to “play” the number games comfortably. Understandably, the ethic lessNepal’s parliamentary parties or for that mater the politicians may shift their political allegiance overnight in favor of the Maoists albeit in lieu of some hefty financial transactions.

This has been already a practice in Nepal and thus no wonder that the Maoists bring about a collapse of this government which is close to the structure of a Hydra that has in total twenty two tentacles spread in all possible directions. Twenty two parties have extended their support to Mr.Nepal.

After all what is in a number? Numbers could be increased and decreased. All that one needed is how to play the numerical game?

Questions also come to the minds of the analysts as to how the lame duck Nepal new prime Minister will satisfy the twenty two different political brains? What if they catapult the politics by pulling out their official support if and when denied their desired portfolios in cabinet? The possibility of this eventuality remains intact.

The daddy of them all will be how Mr. Nepal will satisfy the increasing penetration of Ambassador Rakesh Sood.

Hardly had Mr. Nepal’s own family members congratulated him, the Indian Ambassador went to see Mr. Nepal in his bed room in Koteshwar Sunday early morning, May 24, 2009. The interference through seduction has already begun. This is inauspicious for Mr. Nepal and Nepal both.

Finally, Congratulations Mr. Prime Minister! We wish all the best to you and your government.

2009-05-27 06:16:48

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