The endorsement of a republican election agenda by the central working committee (CWC) of the Nepali Congress has had the effect of removing almost all doubts existing in certain quarters about the party’s lack of a clear stand on the republic v monarchy debate. On Wednesday, the CWC approved the republican proposal of the party’s 12-member election committee, fixing the meeting of the 615-member Mahasamiti, a higher and larger body, for September 23-24, for a final decision. The pro-republican sentiment in the country, the increasing pressure from the party ranks on the leadership to opt for a republic, and the CWC’s current decision with the active support of party president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala — all these factors combine to provide strong reasons for believing that the Mahasamiti will ratify the CWC decision. The NC’s switchover to republicanism would probably assure the CPN-Maoist, other alliance partners, as well as sections of the public, who had been crossing their fingers as to what line the Congress would take on the monarchy. In the light of the ideas Koirala floated in the recent past, such as space for the king, ceremonial monarchy and baby king, the CWC decision gives a clear idea of the present political reality.

The 11th NC general convention, by striking the party’s traditional commitment to monarchy off its statute and emerging non-committal, cleared the way for the CWC to make the present decision. The new Mahasamiti will contain the Mahasamiti members of both the parties, according to the agreed unification formula of NC and NC-D. If, as is expected, the Mahasamiti endorses the CWC decision, the eight political parties (seven after the imminent NC-D merger into NC) in the political alliance will be united on this issue, and they can jointly make a public commitment to their common election slogans such as republicanism and federalism. Whatever they decide will form the mainstream opinion in the country. Indeed, it was the eight parties that received unprecedented mandate from the people with the success of Jana Andolan II. Implicit in the slogans of the streets in April last year were the strong echoes of republicanism and federalism.

At the same time, if any party wants to go to the people with the royalist agenda, it should be free to do so. But the political winds in the country appear to be blowing in the other direction. There is a possibility, as many people fear, that the disgruntled elements of the old order may try to create disturbances aimed against the CA polls. To be on the safe side, the government and the eight parties need to take that into account while going to the polls, which are only 75 days away. Besides, as the various agitating groups are pushing their demands, the government should consider whether its piecemeal approach to talks will bring about desired results before the elections, and if not, what impact it will have on the CA elections. As for the Maoists’ 22 demands for “creating the right conditions for the CA polls”, clear Congress commitment to republicanism could go a long way towards sorting out the remaining differences with them.