According to all accounts‚ accord still unlikely

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Four major political forces — the Unified CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the United Democratic Madhesi Front — in past two days have promised as many times that they would find a solution to current political crisis by mid-October. Can they? Going by the current scenario, it’s unlikely.

First, the parties are backtracking and are not discussing the real issues — amending the Interim Constitution, fixing the date for fresh CA polls and strength of the assembly and a national unity government. Parties have not held talks on basic issues for the last three months, and have gone further apart on constitutional issues. Meanwhile, the NC has also backtracked from its earlier position on mixed-form of government in the new constitution. “Now, the NC is all for a parliamentary model, and nobody wants to take ownership of the mixed-form of government,” says NC leader Gagan Thapa.

“Parties are at odds over whether to move ahead by agreeing on election alone, or by forging consensus after forming a

new government,” says UML leader and former minister Ghanashyam Bhusal. Second, the parties are not taking the President seriously even though he has been repeatedly prodding them into acting seriously to find a way out. They seem to have gone immune to persuasion. Political science Associate Prof Vijay Kant Karna says nobody is feeling the pressure. “If the parties are feeling the pressure, if any, it is because of the President’s public posturing,” says Karna. “The parties’ decision to shelve protest plans for the time being was not because of the President’s pressure.”

Third, the parties are focused on leading the government. “The ruling coalition partners are claiming that they will not quit the government without ‘some agreement’ on constitutional issues,” says Karna. “But the priority is under whose government to hold the elections.” UML leader Rabindra Adhikari says with the (parties’) focus on the government, the issue of the constitution is being disowned. “Without some sort of understanding on constitutional issues, it will be difficult to find an outlet,” he says. UCPN-M leader Hem Raj Bhandari points out at the lack of statesmanship. “All top leaders have failed to demonstrate statesmanship. There is no way out until the parties reach a consensus on the basis of the 12-point agreement,” says Adhikari.

The four major forces

today held an all-party meeting at the International

Convention Centre, inviting all 33 parties that represented in the dissolved CA. But the outcome was nothing new — differences and

disagreements.