Hopes from south

By PR Pradhan CPN Maoist Center supremo Pushpakamal Dahal is the Prime Minister for nine months. It is clear that Dahal can do nothing within the given nine months. Even after three weeks, Dahal was unable to give complete shape to his cabinet. There is serious dispute within the NC as Ramchandra Poudel faction was performing non-cooperation to NC supremo Sher Bahadur Deuba. Deuba was waiting for names recommended by the Poudel camp until 21 August. It was said that Deuba will wait till Tuesday 23rd August for receiving names to be included in the cabinet from the Poudel camp. When it was asked to a NC leader that whether Poudel will recommend names by Tuesday, the reply this scribe had received was that it is up to the south. The Deuba camp was confident that by Tuesday he would receive names after the pressure to the leaders in the Poudel camp. Dahal had sent his special envoy with a four-point agenda to Delhi. They included, amendment of the constitution; responding the demands of the Madheshi community including the provision of electoral constituencies on the basis of population; giving rights to the naturalized citizens; re-demarcation of the provincial boundaries, among others. Dahal knows that without two thirds majority, the constitution cannot be amended. Dahal also knows that it is difficult to amend the constitution without approval of the UML. When it was asked to a Maoist Center leader that whether Dahal can fulfill these commitments, the leader had replied, it is up to the south. Dahal is even confident that the Madheshi Front leaders will also join the government. Therefore, Dahal and Deuba had decided to keep the foreign ministry portfolio for Upendra Yadav reserved. Until now, there is no sign of amendment of the constitution by addressing the Madheshi demands and also there is no sign of the Madheshi Front joining the government. Nevertheless, it won’t be odd if the UML will support the process of amendment of the constitution and if the Madheshi Front will join the government as south is holding the keys of all the political leaders here! The present political scenario of the country is that the government is totally depended upon south. The Madheshi Front’s demands can be fulfilled, the constitution can be amended elections can be held and finally the constitution will be fully implemented by 21 January, 2018, but it is up to the south. Nevertheless, our political leaders never feel ashamed when telling themselves a sovereign leader. Dahal’s priority agendas: As Dahal knows that he can do nothing within the given nine months, first of all Dahal wants to secure his political future by pleasing the bosses in south. Therefore, he will try to follow all the instructions from the south. Dahal, to please south, is going to handover the Kathmandu-Nijgadh fast track road and construction of the airport in Nijgadh. One of the agenda of Dahal in sending DPM Bimilendra Nidhi to Delhi was to arrange Dahal’s first abroad visit to Delhi at the capacity of a PM. When he had become the PM for the first time, by breaking the tradition, he had visited China to attend the concluding ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. During his departure, he had given a big talk that he had broken the tradition. When he was in Beijing, he came to know that his bosses in south were unhappy from Dahal’s visit to north as his first step abroad, upon his return, Dahal had clarified that his visit to Beijing was not an official one and he would pay his first official visit to India. Later, he visited India by maintaining the tradition. This time, Dahal has not wish to commit another blunder, therefore, he had sent an application to the Indian leaders by requesting for his visit. Earlier, before promulgation of the constitution, he had visited India at the capacity of the chairman of the UCPN Maoist. According to sources in Lainchour Durwar, Dahal had put strong pressure to the envoy here to arrange his official visit to India. That was also an effort to please the Indian leaders. Dahal had learnt to have said to the Indian leaders that although he had committed blunders, in future, he would not repeat such mistakes. In the past Dahal had assured the Indian leaders only by words, however, this is the time to please the Indians by serving their interests. The previous KP Sharma Oli led government had taken nationalistic stance and to please India, Dahal has to take pro-Indian stance and Dahal is preparing to do so.