Prominent Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that India’s ‘micromanagement’ of Nepali politics will not stop Kathmandu from completing its decade-long democratic transformation. Mr. Shrestha added that holding early local elections is a necessity and that it cannot be delayed over pending amendments to the Constitution.
“I am hopeful that the dates of the local level election in May would be declared within a week,” said Mr. Shrestha who is one of the original negotiators who brought Nepal’s civil war to an end in 2005 with the 12-point agreement.
The Hindu had earlier reported that Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat too favoured an early declaration of the election dateswhich would take at least eight months to complete. However, it is not clear how the elections, especially at the provincial levels, will be conducted without having properly demarcated boundaries, one of the key demands of the Madhesi agitators
Madhesis have been threatening a new round of agitation if the amendments, including provincial reorganisation, are not completed.
But Mr. Shrestha said that the government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ would go ahead with the elections first and attempts are on to convince the Madhesi leaders for the date of election.
“The amendments have been tabled in the parliament and discussion. In the meanwhile we can go ahead with the announcement of the election dates. We can complete the amendments as the election process gets underway,” he said arguing that India’s “unnecessary support” for the Madhesis has been dragging Nepali politics.
“Madhesis need to be flexible as we can not jeopardise the constitution beyond a point,” said Mr. Shrestha. Mr Shrestha paid a four-day visit to the capital to inform leading interlocutors about Nepal’s plans about going ahead with the election that would be the first democratic exercise under the new democratic set up.
