The Maoists in Nepal on Tuesday refused to form the government following their candidate’s defeat in the recent concluded presidential elections and this has certainly sent a signal towards the future political uncertainty. It is now imminent that Maoists who have the edge in the assembly elections will go on opposition but their involvement in the mainstream politics is crucial for the prolongation of peace process.
Since the abolishment of century-old monarchy in May, Nepal’s Constituent Assembly elected Ram Baran Yadav as the President of modern Nepal. Yadav, an ethnic Madheshi from Nepali Congress secured 308 votes against the 282 of Ramraja Prasad Singh, backed by the Maoists. Yadav (61-year-old), a physician by profession received majority in the 594-seat assembly. His victory somehow denounce emergence of Maoists at all, who have shortly gained the mandate of Nepal people by winning most of the recently concluded assembly elections in April.
Though the President office is largely a ceremonial one, but the elections have certainly brought the pro-democratic forces together against the Maoists. The Prachanda led Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (CPN-M) on Tuesday announced their stand to stay in opposition. After winning most of the seats in assembly elections, his party had avowed their control on both the posts of President and Prime Minister but that was out rightly rejected by others.
With this, there is doubt over the possible continuation of Nepal peace process and also whether there will be any new alliance to fill the political vacuum. The alliance of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum had already chronicled their point in objection to Maoist backed candidate both in Vice-Presidential and Presidential race. Even Prachanda himself had come out terming the alliance of NC-UML-MPRF as 'unholy'.
It is to mention here that Nepal’s Maoists won most of the seats in the historic elections but fell short of a majority in the parliament. They took part in the elections under the 2006 peace deal ending a decade long civil war. Maoists were even successful to organise a special assembly session by which they trounced the age-old monarchy to bring out the Himalayan nation as the youngest democracy. However, the present presidential poll showed that some parties are against the authoritarian approach of Maoists.
"After the presidential election, it is certain that we do not have a majority. So we do not have any basis to form the next government," said Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara. Another Maoists representative quoted as saying that the Maoists will go into opposition and make its effort in drafting the constitution to avoid dealing with the ‘unholy’ alliance of NC-UML-MPRF.
However, it is still not clear whether other parties will come together to form a government or not. Anyway, it would be highly volatile without Maoists keeping the current circumstances in count, where there is absence of political consensus among the parties at large.
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