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A people's victory

The announcement by King Gyanendra restoring Nepal's Parliament that was dissolved in 2002 is a historic victory for the country's pro-democracy movement. It is a true measure of what a genuine people-based movement can achieve in the face of the most repressive brutality. In the last few days, the movement led by the Seven Party Alliance grew spontaneously into a mass agitation that refused to be cowed down by shoot-at-sight orders, curfew and other strong-arm tactics of the Palace. Such was the strength of the movement that the King — after a proclamation on April 21 that pretended to restore democracy but was recognised as a ploy to hang on to power — had no option but to announce a full retreat three days later. The revival of the dissolved House of Representatives was the main demand of the SPA. Its quick nomination — without the unseemly bickering that had characterised similar exercises in the past — of Girija Prasad Koirala as the consensus choice for Prime Minister speaks of the maturity it has gained during the anti-King struggle. The Alliance has also done well to assert at once that the reinstated Parliament will immediately pass resolutions for negotiations with the Maoists and for holding Constituent Assembly elections. With this, the SPA has reiterated its commitment to the agreement it reached with Maoists in November 2005 and March 2006 for the formation of a Constituent Assembly. For sure, the demand for a Constituent Assembly is no longer restricted to the Maoists, who are committed to the abolition of the monarchy and establishing a republic. As the full-throated slogans during the 18-day agitation indicated, there is now a widespread demand for re-examining the role of the monarchy. The SPA knows it must act in the spirit of that struggle.

While the Maoist rejection of the reinstatement of the House takes some fizz out of the victory celebrations in the SPA camp, it was not unexpected. From the time the democratic alliance and the Maoists reached their agreement, both sides differed on the route to a Constituent Assembly. The Maoists were emphatic about immediate elections to a Constituent Assembly; the SPA wanted this after the revival of the parliament. The Maoist attack on an army camp within hours of the April 24 royal proclamation was a violent reminder that the main challenge now is to bring the insurgents on board the democratic process. But if the difference is only over the timing, it can be surmounted by the SPA calling for Constituent Assembly elections at once. The resolution that the democratic parties intend to pass in Parliament could even provide a definite time frame for holding the elections. The last thing the SPA can afford now is to get lulled into complacency by its triumph. The people of Nepal have won an important battle. They must guard against the dangers that still lurk on the road to a stable democracy, peace, and prosperity.

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