KATHMANDU, April 25 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Thursday said the Nepali Congress would take a decision about formation of the next cabinet only after further assessing the political situation.
Koirala said this while addressing the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held for the first time since the party’s unification seven months ago.
Addressing the meeting, PM Koirala asked the CWC members—who met in the capital to assess the party’s “shameful†defeat in the recently concluded Constituent Assembly election—not to worry about the party’s future, according to a CWC member.
Some CWC members argued that the country has entered a debate on a non-issue, misinterpreting the mandate of the election and ridiculing constitutional provisions.
They said the CA poll was for electing representatives to a constitution drafting body and not for changing the government.
“We are debating a non-issue since there is no question whether we should join the government or not,†said Gobinda Raj Joshi, former joint general secretary of the party. “A party needs to show a two-thirds majority to change the government leadership if one is to go by the constitutional provisions,†he claimed.
CWC member Man Bahadur Bishwakarma was another leader urging the party not to enter a debate on whether to join a Maoist-led government.
“First the Maoists must show their two-thirds majority and remove PM Koirala before staking their claim to form a new government,†said Bishwakarma. “Those who are talking about formation of a new government under Maoist leadership must read the constitutional provisions and study the philosophy behind those provisions.â€
He claimed that the provision on two-thirds majority was envisioned to stop petty politics inside the legislature for capturing power.
Joshi and Bishwakarma not only opposed debate on government formation but also urged the party not to collaborate with the Maoists in future. “This is because the Maoists did not demonstrate a politics of morality during the polls,†said Bishwakarma. Another CWC member, Jiban Bahadur Shahi, also spoke in a similar tone.
The NC leaders’ arguments came as some others including Binay Dhwoj Chand urged the party not to take any decision on joining a new government. Chand claimed that the people want the Nepali Congress to stay outside the government and provide its constructive cooperation to the government to be formed in future.
Seven CWC members, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Acting President Sushil Koirala spoke at the meeting but none of them except oldest CWC
member Bal Bahadur Rai suggested the party join a Maoist-led government in future.
Rai said NC’s participation in the government would help control Maoist authoritarian rule and do something in favor of the people.
All the leaders named Maoist intimidation as the major cause behind the party’s defeat but CWC members Pradip Giri and Purna Bahadur Khadka said party mismanagement was also equally to blame.
“Selection of candidates was not fair, with the candidates imposed from the center,†said Giri, pointing out the cause behind the poll defeat. “Those who were elected in the past but failed to reach out to the people for years were sent with party nominations.†He claimed that the parallel party structure that existed after the unification proved ineffective for mobilizing the cadres in full strength.
According to party Vice-President Gopal Man Shrestha the party has received reports from about 60 districts and will study the reports before setting the party’s future course. “But we believe it is too early to talk about formation of a new government,†he said. Shrestha claimed that Koirala’s is a consensus government and can remain in power until a two-thirds majority of the legislature passes a resolution against it. “How can a party that obtained less than 40 percent of seats start homework on forming a government?â€
Shrestha said Koirala, as a head of state, will call on CA members to start working on a new government once the CA is fully constituted. He also said the party would seek full implementation of past Maoist commitments and dissolution of their armed forces and paramilitary. “How can a man who is head of his PLA become commander of the national army at the same time?†Shrestha questioned.
