By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Although on the verge of a constitutional disaster with just 24 hours left for the legitimacy of the government, Nepal’s major parties continued to squabble over power, heedlessly raising the spectre of anarchy.
The coalition government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala government will be plunged into its gravest crisis if it fails to amend the constitution by Saturday.
The amendment is required as the government failed to hold a critical election by Dec 15, after which the constitution was to have been dissolved with the chosen constituent assembly beginning to draft a new statute.
Legal and constitution experts have warned of disaster saying that it takes at least 72 hours to amend the constitution.
According to them, even if the government tables an amendment proposal in parliament Saturday, the process will not be completed the same day and subsequently, the government will lose its legitimacy and the constitution will become null.
But despite the dire spectre looming closer, the ruling parties as well as the Maoist guerrillas have so far failed to strike a compromise. A meeting of the top leaders, including Maoist supremo Prachanda and the prime minister, ended acrimoniously Friday night, reportedly due to disagreement over power-sharing.
Koirala, whose opposition to the Maoist demand to sack King Gyanendra and adopt a fully proportional electoral system has created a three-month impasse and cast a shadow over peace negotiations, is now ready to jettison the king.
However, he is still opposed to the rebels’ demand that a fully proportional system be used for the twice-deferred election.
Koirala and his Nepali Congress party favour a mixed election system in which half the seats will be filled on a first past the post basis and the rest according to the proportional system.
But it now emerges that the real obstacle is the feud over power sharing.
Koirala’s party men currently hold three key ministries in the coalition government – defence, home and finance.
The Maoists, who left the government in September, are now demanding one of the three as a pre-condition for returning to the cabinet, a demand rejected by the autocratic PM.
A fresh round of talks is scheduled Saturday ahead of the crucial session of parliament.
Due to the continued squabbling, the dominant trait of Nepal’s parties, the caretaker government has failed to maintain law and order, implement the pledges it made while signing a peace accord last year that ended the decade-old Maoist insurgency, and ensure good governance.
In its two years in power, the Koirala government has also seen an escalation in violence and ethnic tension in the Terai plains in the south where a movement for autonomy is gathering momentum.
The weekend is going to be a tension-filled one for the plains with the Maoists and their new rival in the Terai, the newly formed Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, flexing their muscles.
Earlier this week, violence, looting and arson erupted in Gaur town in Rautahat district as the two parties fought, resulting in the death of at least 27, mostly Maoist supporters.
Now with the two foes again gearing up to hold public rallies in the same town during the weekend, there is growing fear among residents despite the amassing of security forces.
While the government ignored the scare, the UN raised its voice in concern.
“Given the risks of violence, protective measures should be taken,” said Richard Bennett, chief of the UN High Commissioner’s Office in Nepal.
“Political goals must be achieved through peaceful means,” he added.