Thursday, April 17, 2008

Victory for Republican Democracy - Editorial in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 15 April 2008 issue

Victory for Republican Democracy

The curtain is almost down on the historic Constituent Assembly elections 2064 B.S. in Nepal and by all indications it is the cause of socialist republican democracy that ultimately triumphed there. Belying all adverse psephological prognoses the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) led by Prachanda and Bhattarai has registered a resounding victory and would have even gained comfortable majority in the CA but for its own earlier insistence (a correct and proper one though) for proportional representation system. However, a point for exultation is that the combined vote of the different communist parties and groups, undoubtedly the more progressive sections among the populace, exceeds even 55% of the total. Viewed in the light of the general pragmatism and flexibility displayed by the communist movement in Nepal which at one time rallied unitedly around the late Comrade Manmohan Adhikari, the Bhisma Pitamaha of Nepal politics, in the wake of the 1990 Jana Andolan that spelt the doom of absolute monarchy and brought the beginning of constitutional democracy, it may not be unrealistic to expect similar statesmanship now from the tested leader Prachanda, who is talking and acting sensibly and we hope his commitment to mutiparty democracy and people’s welfare would get better over any narrow sectional (rigid party) interests. The need of the hour is to work for the immediate abolition of the monarchy, to wage a concerted war on poverty, health afflictions and illiteracy to overcome the acute backwardness, guard against the usurpations of the LPG economy, establish friendly relations with neighbouring countries while continuing the special relationship with India, and catapult the country into the comity of fast developing nations in the world §§§

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