English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...
English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...
English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...
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Contradiction and dualityIt is believed that the dynamic <strong>in</strong>terplay of unified opposites results <strong>in</strong>ongo<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>evitable change for relationship partners. Maoists, s<strong>in</strong>ceseveral years, have been able <strong>to</strong> play with contradictions among thema<strong>in</strong>stream parliamentary parties (ma<strong>in</strong>ly <strong>Nepal</strong>i Congress and UML) byrespond<strong>in</strong>g positively <strong>to</strong> one at the cost of negat<strong>in</strong>g the other temporarilyand vice versa. Play<strong>in</strong>g dual role, the parties were successful <strong>in</strong> negat<strong>in</strong>gone at the cost of the other and switch<strong>in</strong>g back and forth at other times.This resulted <strong>in</strong> changed relations among powerful parties <strong>in</strong> a dramaticway with ups and downs lead<strong>in</strong>g ultimately <strong>to</strong> the government changesat several occasions dur<strong>in</strong>g the decade long armed conflict <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nepal</strong>.Maoists were even us<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tra-party contradictions <strong>to</strong> replace one leaderby another with<strong>in</strong> the govern<strong>in</strong>g party (example of the formation ofDeuba-led government by replac<strong>in</strong>g his own party leader- G.P. Koirala)as party leaders were try<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> use Maoists as a <strong>to</strong>ol <strong>to</strong> change powerstructure with<strong>in</strong> the party. Maoists were able <strong>to</strong> use such moments andchanges <strong>in</strong> their favour as well as negotiate with the parties. However,they were not effective <strong>in</strong> try<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> persuade parties for radical changesdue <strong>to</strong> powerful presence and ownership of the Monarchy over the statemach<strong>in</strong>ery (particularly the army) and overall decision mak<strong>in</strong>g (exampleof three failed peace talks over the issue of election <strong>to</strong> the CA). At somepo<strong>in</strong>ts, play<strong>in</strong>g with such contradictions was useful <strong>to</strong> br<strong>in</strong>g changes <strong>in</strong> therelationships lead<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> peaceful negotiation (results of the Twelve Po<strong>in</strong>tUnderstand<strong>in</strong>g between the Seven Party Alliance and Maoists <strong>in</strong> 2005).This game of play<strong>in</strong>g with contradictions and consensus based politicalnegotiations <strong>in</strong> deal<strong>in</strong>g with contradictions ended after the results ofelection <strong>to</strong> the CA <strong>in</strong> April 2008 <strong>in</strong> general (where the Maoists emerged asthe largest party with 40% seats <strong>in</strong> the CA) and election of the President(Maoists los<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ed opposition candidate) by the CA <strong>in</strong> particular.The <strong>Nepal</strong>i Congress and CPN (UML) were badly defeated with theirsenior leaders los<strong>in</strong>g the election. Follow<strong>in</strong>g the defeat <strong>in</strong> the election <strong>to</strong>the CA, the <strong>Nepal</strong>i Congress government led by G.P. Koirala reluctantlyhanded over the power <strong>to</strong> the Maoists after four months (<strong>in</strong> July 2008)of political maneuver<strong>in</strong>g and only after Maoists agree<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> amend theInterim <strong>Constitution</strong> <strong>to</strong> replace consensus politics (2/3 majority) by simplemajority government provision. This was a turn<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Nepal</strong>ipeace process where the parties f<strong>in</strong>ally ended the consensus-basedpolitical culture developed after Twelve Po<strong>in</strong>t Understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 2005.Despite general consideration that contradictions <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nepal</strong>i society orpolitical front have been transform<strong>in</strong>g, it does not happen au<strong>to</strong>matically.In some cases, contradictions also result <strong>in</strong> disabl<strong>in</strong>g progress <strong>to</strong>wards294