Big 3 set to ink consensus politics deal

KATHMANDU, DEC 12 -
In the first meeting of the High Level Political Committee (HLPC) held after the November 19 election, the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and the UCPN (Maoist) have agreed in principle to sign a new political agreement to ensure politics of consensus and not go for constitutional amendment for the same as demanded by the Maoist party.

Leaders said Wednesday’s meeting of the mechanism was able to “ease” the mistrust among the major parties that cropped up after the election.

On the Maoist party’s demand for an independent probe into alleged election irregularities, the NC and the UML said that though they are firmly against investigating all the 240 constituencies, looking into the matter in areas where the alleged vote rigging took place could be possible. “A probe panel can investigate particular cases where the UCPN (Maoist) and other parties have alleged fraud,” said a leader, requesting anonymity. Sources said Maoist leaders responded positively to this idea.

“The discussions were fruitful in that we have found some meeting points in some issues we have raised,” a Maoist leader who attended the meeting said.

“We have not completely ruled out the possibility of addressing the Maoist demands, but formation of a probe panel through a political decision to review the overall poll process is not possible,” said UML leader Pradeep Gyawali.

Non-Maoist leaders fear that the demand to investigate the overall election process will raise serious questions on the legitimacy of the polls and the integrity of the Election Commission.

In other demands, the UCPN (Maoist) wants a ‘constitutional guarantee’ for consensus politics, as it fears that it could be isolated in the constitution drafting process at a time when the NC and the UML command almost a two-thirds majority in the new CA. The Maoist party fears that in the absence of any constitutional compulsion to follow consensus politics, the two major parties could endorse contentious issues of the constitution through the voting process.

The NC and the UML, however, argue that if consensus politics is inducted as a mandatory provision in the constitution, some parties that are against federalism and republicanism could create hurdles. The parties are apprehensive of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal led by Kamal Thapa, which has emerged the fourth largest party. RPP-N has been advocating for reinstating the monarchy and declaring Nepal a Hindu state again.

The two major parties have also agreed not to incorporate the RPP-N into the HLPC. They, have, however, agreed to try to take in the CPN-Maoist.

Another meeting of the HLPC is scheduled to be held on Friday. NC General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula said the UCPN (M) need not worry as the parties are committed to move ahead as per political consensus . Though some UML leaders are demanding the mechanism be dissolved, the three main parties agreed to carry on. “The HLPC can serve as a platform to discuss contentious issues by bringing in more parties in it,” said UML leader Gyawali.

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