The row over the keys handover to the special committee does not seem to die down. After nationwide protest and partial strike in the valley, the hardliners within the UCPN (Maoist) have now refused to join the government. CP Gajurel was offered deputy PM and External Affairs which he declined, citing dissatisfaction over the key handover issue.
What is baffling is, the UCPN (M) central committee had earlier, unanimously passed the decision to complete the major works of peace process including rehabilitation and integration of the combatants under the Maoist headed government. There is widespread dissatisfaction in the UCPN (M) regarding the way hardliners, particularly Mohan Baidya has unilaterally denounced and called for public protest against the decision to which he was himself a party. Maoist central committee member Janardan Sharma termed Baidya’s behavior as “anarchist and unacceptable”.
Even as the new cabinet was expanded on Sunday, many are skeptic if Bhattarai will get enough support from within his party. His Madhesi allies seem to have so many differences among them that the alliance could break anytime over small issue, as it almost did last weekend over distribution of portfolios. While the Madhesis and the Maoists remain a major stakeholder of Nepali politics today and have every reason to cooperate, the alliance misses the crucial element of trust and mutual compromise that is necessary for a coalitions to work.
The power sharing issue is resolved for now but major issues of contention, namely the state restructuring and autonomy are yet to make it to the table. It is then, that the coalition will be put to its real test and given the limited time this government has in hand, it is going to be politically charged festival season in Nepal.
NC and UML have their roles cut out for now. After ranting about ethnic autonomy for over a decade, the Maoists seem to have realised its dangers and are desperately trying to convince the Madhesis to be open for negotiation on the issue of 'one Madhes'. The human rights bodies and the media are already after the the coalition partners on the infamous “mass amnesty’ clause of the 4-point deal.
As for the common folks, they couldn’t care less, not because it does not matter to them. The festival is already in the air and they have brighter things to look forward to than politics which has disappointed them on more than one occasion, at least for now. Women dressed colourfully during Teej this year, sang and danced to satirical notes: “constitution or no constitution, we will still sing, we will still dance and we will still live”.
Anurag Acharya