The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : Uniting politically against the King

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 12, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

Uniting politically against the King

Nepal's political parties have taken a big step that could mark a breakthrough in the fight for the restoration of democracy. The seven political parties that have arrived at an understanding for a "common agreement and commitment" include the three biggest in the country, namely, the two factions of the Nepali Congress, one led by Girija Prasad Koirala and the other by Sher Bahadur Deuba, and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist). Their primary demand is the reinstatement of the Parliament dissolved in 2002. That single act of the King set in motion a chain of events that culminated in the February 1 reactionary coup. This saw him seize executive power, shelve the hard-won 1990 Constitution that prescribes no more than a symbolic role for him, and shut out elected politicians. It is a well-established axiom in modern Nepali politics that the King can only rule by dividing; when the various mass-based political parties unite on the question of democracy, an absolute monarchy becomes untenable. In 2004, a five party-alliance against the King, with assistance from the Maoists, was able to paralyse the functioning of the puppet royalist government with a six-month-long agitation. Just when the alliance seemed poised for success, it unravelled because the parties were unsure about how to proceed.

Sensibly, the new seven-party alliance has worked out a road map that should ensure a single-minded focus on the restoration of parliamentary democracy and related freedoms. Last time, the King made the offer of a multi-party government to end the agitation and the leaders squabbled over the prime ministership. Mr. Deuba eventually formed the government only to see it dismissed within a year. The new alliance aims to form a multi-party government and hold elections after restoring the dissolved Parliament. It has also expressed willingness to explore the possibility of a Constituent Assembly election, a key Maoist demand. Is this the beginning of a broad-based political realisation that absolute monarchy represents a greater threat to democracy than the Maoists? King Gyanendra has shown himself to be viciously autocratic as well as thoroughly undependable. He has gone back on various promises, particularly the one that he would restore the Constitution. Nepal seems headed for the bad old days of monarchical rule through the agency of a `panchayati raj' system; Mr. Deuba and other key political leaders continue to be under arrest; and the movement of pro-democracy activists remains severely restricted. It is condemnable that under the circumstances, the United Progressive Alliance Government has decided to resume arms supplies to the Royal Nepali Army. It has done this against well-considered and principled advice from the Foreign Office. New Delhi must correct this damaging policy urgently and come out firmly on the side of the forces of democracy in the Himalayan kingdom.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

News Update

Stories in this Section