Nepal, yet to recover from the bloody Maoist insurgency that had gripped the Himalayan kingdom since 1996, killing thousands of people and countless unaccounted for, is heading for a fresh round of potential instability. The peace accord signed by the government and the Maoists in april,2006, to bring a lasting peace in the region by gradually decreasing the unpopular monarch King Gyanendra’s influence on the country, looks shaky.
The Seven Party Alliance(SPA), of which the Maoists are a part, is heading for a split due to a major point of difference between two of the major parties. The largest party of the SPA, the Nepali Congress(NC) is set to challenge the Maoist call to declare Nepal a republic through Parliament, thus ending the country’s 238-year old status as a monarchy. The Maoists are also calling for a voting on the basis of proportional representation which is being vociferously opposed by the NC.
The main reason for the Maoists to call for a proportional representation voting system in the country is to get a stranglehold of the political situation legitimately. With the existence of a proportional voting system, where every political party can represent its candidate in the constituent area, there is every chance that the Maoists, enjoying considerable support among the rural poor, will have the opportunity to control Nepal in their own way.
The NC believe that there should be some room for the king in the country and this is where they are going head-on with the Maoists. The western world, including the US, and ofcourse India believe that a Chinese role, supporting the Maoists, is gathering pace in the kingdom and that is why they firmly opposed the 12-point understanding reached by the SPA while signing the peace pact.
Whatever happens in the near future, its the Nepali people, more than anybody else, who will be keeping there fingers crossed regarding peace in the country and hoping that common sense will prevail among the negotiating parties.
link: the hindu
image link: the voyagers
