Kathmandu: Things are shaping up. Sooner or later the consensus is that elections must take place. Whether or not it is declared, elections even for parliament will take place with a section advocating constitutional change. In this sense, elections will directly or indirectly for a Constituent Assembly. The current constitution gives sole responsibility for any change in the constitution to the parliament.
This election reality gives impetus to organizational moves in the country. Reality is that the Maoists will impact the elections whether or not they agree to it. The Maoists thus must sustain their organizational presence and so the increased violence. If the States’ response is adequate enough to make such violence costly, the alternative is the talks.
Organizational lines must thus be drawn. The four party movements against the current government has thus announced the revival of their street presence. The slogan for a changed constitution and a republic having been usurped by the Maoists, this quarter must pressure for change in government to retain their organizational effect. The Nepali congress, it may be recalled, has never contested elections or acceded to poll results without participation in the government.
Having cornered itself in the context of interpreting article 127 as merely the revival of the now dissolved parliament, elections without participation of the congress in government will most likely result in a vacuum. The race is on to fill this organizational vacuum.. It is here that former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa has stepped in. Drawing his credibility from his latest audience with the Monarch, Thapa’s new party gambit has met with lukewarm response. Girija babu is most unlikely to allow Thapa this initiative and so his broadside against Thapa. Of course, the RPP opposition is clear. Whatever the numbers, Thapa’s initial workers are from the RPP>
Nevertheless, the organizational vacuum remains. Given that there are limits to the numbers of political workers and given that existing leadership have exhausted credibility, it is only that organization that provides a more convincing and credible leadership option that will attract the remaining political workers and galvanize currently dormant ones that will fill the vacuum.
Whatever, the race is on.