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The presidents pleasure

Yubaraj Ghimire Posted online: Mon Dec 17 2012, 01:49 hrs

With no constitution, Nepal is running on the wishes of its parties and Ram Baran Yadav Nepal showed a further slide on the corruption index as the annual report of Transparency International placed it 139th out of 176 countries. It was listed the second most corrupt country in South Asia after Afghanistan. Prolonged transition and instability is the readymade excuse advanced by Nepals political parties for this humiliation. A week after the report was published, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai appointed his sister-in-law chairperson of the ambitious but corruption-ridden Melamchi drinking water project. We are a very educated and qualified family, was the statement Bhattarais wife, Hisila Yami, gave in response to various charges of corruption against her. While the party leadership is being criticised for rampant corruption by its own cadre, the country is suffering from the flight of capital in substantial amounts a half-billion dollars on average every year. The auditor generals office and donors have objected to the plunder of about 40 billion rupees allocated for local development, which has been spent on the recommendation of the leaders of the four big parties as there has been no local elections for the last 16 years. The recent revelation of the Swiss authorities that late King Birendra and his family members had no account in any Swiss bank perhaps came at the wrong time as the Maoists and other parties had been holding the royals responsible for plunder. In fact, those currently in power have become the target of public anger. Disgruntled Maoist cadres are fuelling such anger by raising charges of corruption against their own leaders. The anti-corruption constitutional body the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has been without a head and commissioners for five years, meaning those in power enjoy total immunity in corruption cases. On December 13, President Ram Baran Yadav gave five more days to the big four parties to form a consensus government. But these parties are still divided as to who should head the government. The ongoing tussle between Maoist chief Prachanda and PM Bhattarai has also greatly impacted the search for a PM. Prachanda is certain to retain the party leadership. Retaining the post and his clout is now more necessary to ensure his political role beyond the transition. Bhattarai understands Prachanda is too powerful. But as a deal, the PM with no substantial following in the party, wants Prachanda to not accept anyone as prime ministerial candidate, even though the president has set the process of finding Bhattarais replacement in motion. So far, Prachanda hasnt done anything openly to annoy Bhattarai. He perhaps understands that a vindictive PM can always ruin his politics. That explains why Prachanda put forth a new condition before other parties, ostensibly to give Bhattarai a dignified exit: Let him amend the constitution and allow him to appoint members in the constitutional bodies. That means picking a pliant person for the CIAA and other constitutional bodies. But other parties wont agree with it. Naturally, the lack of political consensus continues to benefit Bhattarai, ensuring his continuation as PM. Meanwhile, the smaller parties have increased their attack on the president for involving only the four big parties, which have failed to find that consensus. With the interim constitution having failed, the country runs more on the wishes of the president and the ruling groups wherever they concur rather than by the norms of constitutionalism. But the president has now indicated he will withdraw his pleasure and not agree to an indefinite extension of the deadline for a new PM. Yet, any action that he takes will not be without a reaction. That the parties and their leaders are tarnished by corruption may be something the president is banking on.

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http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/1046257/

yubaraj.ghimire@expressindia.com

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19-12-2012 14:09