After weeks of political uncertainties, Nepal supposes to get its Prime Minister elected today (August 15) in the Constituent Assembly. The Himalayan nation, though it had general election on April 10, was running without a legitimate government at Kathmandu due to the failure of its major political parties to reach a consensus. The country has already emerged as a secular federal democratic republic on May 28 after the constituent assembly decided to abolish the 240 years old monarchy. Later the assembly had elected the first President and vice President of Nepal last month.
Now it is turn for the constituent assembly to elect the first Prime Minister of the world's newest democratic regime. The President Dr Ram Baran Yadav had asked the assembly to elect the PM, as the rebellion Communists failed to form a consensus government. The President had invited the leader of the largest political party of Nepal to form the government in the last week of July. Later the President had to extend the dateline for two times, but even then, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist failed to convince the other major parties to go for a consensus in power sharing.
Finally, the CPN-Maoist had gone for an understanding with the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (third largest party in the assembly) and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (fourth largest party), where it was reportedly resolved to support the Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, 53 for the post of prime minister. The Maoist leader, more popularly known as Prachanda had filed his nomination on August 14. The second largest party in the house, the Nepali Congress has nominated Sher Bahadur Deuba as its candidate for the executive post. A former PM, Deuba had also filed his nomination on Thursday.
In the 601-member constituent assembly, the Maoists have 220 lawmakers, where as the CPN-UML has 103 and MJF has 52 members. So the victory of Prachanda is almost certain, unless any last minute changes of political equation in the house. His opponent has to depend primarily on 110 members of Nepali Congress. Moreover, some smaller parties had also extended their support to Prachanda paving way for achieving a simple majority in the house to get him elected as the next prime minister if Nepal.
Earlier, Prachanda had however a bitter experience in the presidential and vice-presidential race in the constituent assembly. An unexpected last moment alliance among three political parties had turned the prospects of both the Maoist supported candidates sour. During the July 19 polls in the assembly, the Maoists faced the first defeat when their candidate Shanta Shrestha lost to Paramananda Jha, a Madhesi Janadhikar Forum candidate for the post of Vice-President. Jha, 73, bagged 305 votes in the house to get elected for the ceremonial post.
The election for the President could not be completed on that day as no one gained the required minimum number (301) of votes. The final round of the polls held on July 21, where Dr Ram Baran Yadav, 61, was declared elected as the first President of Nepal. Yadav, also a Madhesi (who are culturally and linguistically closer to India) candidate won the support from 308 members in the assembly. With the support from the Nepali Congress and the CPN - UML, the medical practitioner turned politician, defeated the Maoists backed candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh, 74 convincingly.
Facing the critical situation, the Maoists initially decided not to join the government and preferred to sit in the opposition. Prachanda disclosed their decision on July 22 that they would 'not go to form the government.' Earlier he termed the alliance (Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and MJF as unholy. He later offered a way out to go for the government and put three conditions in front of the other political parties. First, he wanted the unholy alliance (of three parties) to be disbanded. Secondly, the Maoists' agenda should get priority in preparing a common minimum programme for the government. Thirdly, they demanded a written commitment from other parties that their government would continue at least for two years.
The opposition parties, of course, called the conditions absurd and said their alliance would continue. The fundamental job of the political parties, government and the Constituent Assembly together was to write a new constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority of the assembly and that was not possible unless the three main political forces the Maoists, the Nepali Congress, and the CPN – UML come together. And finally, the Maoists, CPN – UML and MJF have come forward for the cause and hence Nepal can expect a government soon.
But what is ensured, the would be Prime Minister Prachanda will have to face some major challenges to maintain his government and also initiate for uplifting the lives of hundred thousand poverty stricken Nepalis, who are living with very little or no education and health care facilities in the remote pats of the country. Moreover, there is every possibility that sitting in the opposition, the Nepali Congress, which continues raising voices against Prachanda for not resigning as the head of Maoist guerrilla army (People's Liberation Army) till date, would try their best to destabilise the government, as and when its leaders get the chances.
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