By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Protests began in Nepal with demands rising for the ouster of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s multi-party government after the alliance called off a much-awaited election to appease the Maoist guerrillas.
Soon after the Election Commission announced Friday that it was ending all poll-related exercises on the orders of the government, the third largest party in parliament, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), held a demonstration in the capital, calling it a conspiracy.
“Expose the conspiracy to sabotage the constituent assembly election,” banners carried by party activists said.
Though the UML and two other left parties, who are partners in the six-party ruling alliance, opposed the decision to defer the Nov 22 election, regarded as a crucial step for restoring peace and stability in Nepal, the objections were overridden by Koirala and another senior leader of his Nepali Congress party, former premier Sher Bahadur Deuba.
In the past, Deuba was sacked twice for failing to hold elections.
The UML’s student organisation also marched in a protest rally in the capital with reports coming in about more demonstrations outside Kathmandu valley.
Other parties, rights organisations and lawyers, who had helped Koirala come to power two years ago by opposing King Gyanendra’s government, minced no words to express their condemnation.
Pashupati Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, chief of the main opposition party, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, said a new government should be formed since the Koirala government had lost its legitimacy by failing to execute its mandate of holding polls.
Subodh Pyakurel, chairman of Nepal’s largest human rights organisation, Informal Sector Service Centre, said by opposing the election, the Maoists had lost the rationale to remain in parliament while the government had lost its legitimacy and should recall all ministers.
The Nepal Bar Association, one of the strongest critics of King Gyanendra’s 15-month absolute reign, came down heavily on the government it had helped come to power.
“This government has lost people’s faith and should change its leadership,” said association chief Bishwakanta Mainali.
Nepal’s media also flayed Koirala and his cohorts for the poll debacle.
“Another coup against people’s movement and people’s war – this time by the parties,” said the Naya Aastha daily.
It was referring to the first “coup” five years ago.
On the same date in October 2002, King Gyanendra had sacked the Deuba government and begun ruling the country through a series of nominated prime ministers, which unleashed strife, bloodshed and the worst human rights violations.
The Samay weekly called Koirala the symbol of failure and lawlessness.
“People have reached the point of not being able to forgive him,” the weekly said in a hard-hitting editorial, accusing the prime minister of trying to be the king of Nepal.
There was growing speculation if the double failure would result in Koirala’s exit.
After the election had been postponed to November from June, he had pledged to quit if he failed yet again.
The prime minister’s nephew Shekhar Koirala, who rose meteorically in the party ranks by virtue of belonging to the Koirala clan, was reported by a daily as saying that he wouldn’t be surprised if the octogenarian leader quit.
“Holding (the) election has been the prime minister’s key agenda … and (he) is feeling it (disappointment) deeply,” the Himalayan Times daily quoted the leader’s kin as saying.