To sceptics, even as the date for the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections approaches, the possibility of polls seems distant. The divergent views expressed recently by Maoist leaders regarding CA polls have created further political confusion. It is commonly believed that the Maoists, due to unfavourable conditions or their covert strategic stands, do not want CA election to be held on the stipulated date.

However, the Communist Party of Nepal-UML (CPN-UML) has already initiated its campaigns for the polls, while the Nepali congress (NC) has just kick-started its preparation. The NC has set up a 12-member election manifesto drafting committee that has already started its work. As reported, on September 5 the party’s central committee approved the republican agenda suggested by the drafting committee. It has to be endorsed on September 23-24 by the party Mahasamiti, the competent body to do so. Interestingly, though the party president Girija Prasad Koirala has approved the agenda of republic, his daughter Sujata Koirala, also a central committee member, has opposed it publicly.

After Jana Andolan II, the crucial issue of a republic has come to the forefront. Every political party has to clarify its stand on the republican issue before going to the people to ask for the votes. The Maoists wants republican status for the country before CA polls. The CPN-UML, NC, NC(D) and other left parties want a republican order decided by the elected CA as the Interim Constitution has provided for abolition of monarchy through simple majority of the first sitting of the elected CA.

Prime Minister Koirala has been shifting his stand on monarchy time and again, especially during the last one and a half years by using all kinds of terminology. In the beginning, the NC was supportive of constitutional monarchy. After some time, it expressed its preference for a ceremonial king. Again, it shifted its stance, advocating a baby king. Interestingly, whenever a new terminology has been used, the Prime Minister has announced it from his hometown Biratnagar.

At times he has even advised the king to abdicate for good or make room for a baby king. PM’s shifting stance is an indirect advice for the king to be prepared for any eventuality. In fact, pressure has come down upon the monarch from different quarters to abdicate the throne gracefully so that he might save himself from the ignominy of being forced to vacate the throne by any act of the Legislature-Parliament or by the first meeting of the elected CA.

To some, the stance of Koirala is clear enough from the very beginning, as he has been hinting of deciding on the monarchy at an appropriate time. Since that time has come, he has approved the proposal of the drafting committee for a federal republican state. The Nepali Congress can now ask for people’s votes on the ground that it has gone along with people’s choice yet again. Since the republican agenda is now common to all parties, the traditional commitment of the NC to the democratic norms and values will be a plus point.

To some, the NC leaders, especially the Koiralas, were never pro-monarchy. The relationship between NC leaders, right from Matrika Prasad Koirala to Girija Prasad Koirala, and the monarchs has been fraught with enmity. MP Koirala worked with King Tribhuvan, but he was never on good terms with the king. BP Koirala had a very short working relationship with King Tribhuvan as his home minister.

He was also elected the Prime Minister for 18 months during King Mahendra’s regime but was soon dismissed and put behind the bars. He did not get a chance of working with King Birendra, but he suddenly found his neck tied to monarchy at the time of referendum as he was, to a certain extent, apprehensive about the Communists getting an upper hand in Nepali politics.

Before that, BP Koirala retuned to Nepal along with Ganesh Man Singh from their self-imposed exile in India in 1976 with the slogan of national reconciliation. Actually, they did not return only seeking reconciliation with the king. Since the NC leaders were actively involved in Jayaprakash Narayan’s people’s movement against Indira Gandhi to dislodge her from power in 1974-5, their activities were closely watched and restricted in India. It is because of these difficulties that they were forced to return to Nepal.

Perhaps, Nepalis are still under the false impression that the ruler has kept the kingdom united in spite of the fact that a large number of people were discriminated against and marginalised. It was believed that the palace and the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) could suppress any rebellion inside the country on the false pretext of serving national interest. Ironically, this wrong notion still prevails amongst some people as well as some political leaders. The credit for breaking this myth goes to the Maoists.

Prof Mishra is ex-election commissioner