IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

The Kathmandu Post

7 July 2016

IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

The necessity and formation of a consensus government may be the need of the hour considering the implementation of the new constitution successfully (“Maoist Centre ‘not to rush’ govt formation” 6 July, Page 3). Senior leaders of CPN (Maoist Centre) have been publicly talking about this for some time although their party is one of the major coalition partners in the Oli led government.

Is it necessary or even possible for the big three to forge consensus on this issue? If they agreed, it would be the most desirable form of the government at this juncture when the implementation of the new constitution has been a vital concern. It has definitely been necessary for the government and all the political parties to hold three tiers of elections within the next one and half year based on the provision made in the new constitution. Is it possible to do so under the current circumstances? Unless the Local Body Restructuring Commission (LBRC) submits its report by August, it does not seem possible to hold the local level election in December considering 120 days time to be needed by the Election Commission to do its job.

On the other hand, the big three hurriedly promulgated the constitution without taking the Madhesi, Janajati and disadvantaged groups into confidence. As a result, they have been staging protest for the last nine months. It is not possible to sort this out given the incumbent government’s style. How can it be possible to hold local polls without resolving these issues? Was the government not aware of it? If so, what was its intention behind making public the new constitution implementation plan a few days ago? Political and constitutional problems will continue to dog the nation if the government failed to implement the new constitution within the next one and half years.

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharajgunj.

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2016-07-08/voice-of-the-people-20160708111628.html