Press statement by Nepal Communist Party (Mashal)

We have firm conviction that the existing feudal and centralized type of unitary system is reactionary and should be replaced by unitary system based upon democratic decentralization and local self-rule. To maintain that unitary system is wholly a feudal and reactionary is not correct. There are more than 170 countries in the world having unitary system. Many of those are countries having bourgeoisie democratic system while most of the former socialist countries except USSR and including China had adopted unitary system. Thus unitary system is not wrong in itself. It's feudal, centralized and autocratic structure which makes that wrong and our party emphasizes on to abolish such a structure.

Our party holds the view that the government system having constitutional president and executive prime minister elected by parliament is less evil. We suppose that in a country like ours where the democratic tradition and level of political culture of leaders of major political parties are very low the presidential system is certain to lead the country to the path of dictatorship. It is in this context that we prefer the prime minister system in spite many defects it contains.

It is worth mention here that the presidential system is main agenda of UMaoist. At the time of the election of the first CA, UMaoist had campaigned country-wide to make Prachanda as the first president of the republic. Now while putting forth content paper on constitution they have put forth the proposal of presidential system. Such a proposal is mainly guided by his ambition to become president. In the context of president of the country he has often been expressing the view that he would not like to become president without executive power. It means that he has longing to take become president of the country with executive power. It is obvious that it is manly to become the president of the country that his organization has put forth the proposal of the president system.

On the question of election system our party supports the mixed election system consisting of direct and proportional election. Our country has gone through mixed election system for two times and we emphasizes this system to be continued. Both UML and NC have proposed the proportional election system fully abolished in the election of house of representative we strong oppose such a view of them.

The question of formation of Pradeshes have been a major controversial issue in connection with the writing the constitution. The Madhesbads have taken firm stand that whole of the Tarai region should be made one or two Pradeshes fully keeping out of the hill region and such a Pradeshes of Tarai should have right of self-determination. Such view of theirs is very dangerous, is guided by the long term strategy of separate Tarai from Nepal and is a part of Indian expansionist policy towards Nepal. Such a line of theirs is  backed by UMaoist.

The UMaoist in its election Manifesto had written that they would try their best to write the constitution by consensus. If such an attempt could not succeed they would make the constitution through the process of majority. But after their Alliance was reduced to minority, they have change their stand and have been pushing the view that the constitution should be made by consensus. They have gone to the extent of declaring that they would adopt all possible means to foil the attempt to make constitution by process of majority or by two-third majority and would organize struggle within CA or in the whole country against that. Now they have started countrywide strike and Prachand has alerted his party men to be ready for bloody action.

In spite of our fundamental difference on the question of federalism with UML and NC, we agree with their opinion of opposing the line of formation of Pradeshes on ethnic basis. We firmly support the policy to support republic, secularism and mixed election system composed of direct and propositional election system proposed by UMaoists and the alliance of racist and regionalist order their leadership.

The citizen question has been very serious question in Nepal. The crux of the problem is that taking benefit of the open border between Nepal and India large number of Indian citizens come to Nepal and become citizens of Nepal in one or another way. Due to pressure of Indian government various governments of Nepal loosen the laws of Nepal to facilitate them to become citizens of Nepal. Thus the danger of Nepal becoming Fiji is increasing more and more.

In this context UMaoists and the Alliance under their leadership of UMaoist has put forth the proposal to let all children whose either father or mother is citizen of Nepal become citizens of Nepal. Many NGOs and INGOs and women's organizations supported by them have been raising the same demand for many years. It means that even if any of the parents is not citizen of Nepal or is foreign citizen, citizenship should be provided to the children born of them. If such a rule is followed, children born of foreign mother or father also will be citizen of Nepal. Generally many Nepali girls are married to Indian citizens. If the proposal mentioned above is adopted the door will be open for Indians to make their children citizens of Nepal by marrying Nepali girls. Needless to mention, that will endanger the nationality of the country extremely.

In the Election Manifesto the UMaoists had declared that in case the process of consensus failed to make the constitution they would adopt the process of majority. But they were reduced to third position they have changed their position. Now they have declared that they would vehemently oppose the method of making the constitution by majority. They have gone to the extent of going to the organize struggle within CA or outside to foil the attempt to promulgate the constitution by majority. Such a line of action is very objectionable. What was the need of the election of CA if the system of majority was to be opposed? What was the need of launching election campaign for two-third majority by Umaoist itself? Would they had opposed the process adopting constitution by majority if they had achieved majority or two-third majority?

As mentioned above The UMaoists and the Alliance formed under their leadership is demanding that the constitution should not be promulgated on the basis of majority, but on the basis of consensus. They have only one meaning of consensus: the government and all other parties of the CA should fully follow their racist and regionalist line while making the constitution. The people have given clear cut verdict against regionalism and racism. After they have been reduced to minority, they have taken the policy of opposing the process of making the constitution by majority. It is obvious; such a way of theirs is undemocratic and dictatorial.

If the programm of UCPN (Maoist) and its alliance to obstruct the promulgation of statute succeeds it, it will not only hinder the promulgation of statute at present, but it will also harm the work of institutionalizing democracy and republic as a whole. Such policy of theirs will create a situation of racial and regional conflict, national disintegration and damaged seriously the nationality, sovereignty and integrity of the country too.

At present attempts are being made by various political forces to repulse republic and secularism. The royalists have are organizing countrywide movement to prepare public opinion to restore monarchy and make Nepal a Hindu Nation. Even a section of Nepali Congress also has openly come against secularism. It is not hidden fact that the country has suffered a lot due to rule of the monarchy in the history of Nepal. The reinstatement of monarchy, will not only lead the country to the regression, but, also will deteriorate the country economically, socially and culturally too.

Nepal is a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and multi-religious country. If such a country was made a Hindu state, it would seriously shake the racial cordiality, national unity, peace of the country and even nationality will be endangered Royalists are increasing their activities for the reinstatement of Hindu-state after the Hindu fundamentalists have come to power in India. The former king also is making frequent tour in the various part of country under to flag of Hindu religion to create public opinion to restore monarchy and the Hindu nation. The royalist have gone to the extent of declaring that they world start a "third people's movement" if constitution was not promulgated to make Nepal a Hindu nation. By the card of Hindu nation they want to restore monarch. They have neither power, nor the mass basis to make third people's movement a success. But we should not lose sight of the fact that retrogressive and royalist forces can be benefited by the wrong policies of the forces supporting the republic and their failure to make democratic constitution. Their continual failure to make the constitution for last seven year has helped much the royalist to strengthen and widen them ground. They had only four seats in the former CA. But in the election of second CA the number of their seats has reached to 24–six times more than in the last election. The strength of the retrogression would be many times more if the present CA also fails to make the constitution.

CPN (Maoist) led by Baidya Kiran had opposed the election of the CA in the past. They has been opposing the promulgation of democratic statute and institutionalization of democratic republic. Baidya has gone to the extent of express the view that a revolutionary never or in any circumstance can accept democratic constitution or democratic republic. Now both the UMaoist, Maoist and CPN-Maoists with all the organizations led by them have decided to launch countrywide movement to foil the making of the constitution. On tomorrow, on 20 Jan. both the UMaoist, Maoist, regionalist, racist and all the organization lad by them have call countrywide strike to oppose any part on the part of CA to make the constitution. The Maoist group led by Biplab also has more or less the same policy of opposing the task of making the democratic constitution and institutionalizing the republic. But they have not at joint hands with bot of the Maoists groups. On the questions of racism they have openly come against both groups of Maoists.

While we are finalizing this statement, there is hot new that the leadership of the four parties are meeting to make the consensus of the subject matter of the constitution and promulgate the constitution till Jan. 22 or to reach on and understanding to write the constitution. But in the same time there is news that the ruling parties are making preparation to finalize the list of questions for voting. On the other side the opposition led by UMaoist is preparing to foil the attempt to adopt the constitution by majority. Now it is 8 PM. But the meeting of the CA is still to start. Now it is very difficult to anticipate what will be result of the meeting of the CA tonight or within next 3 days.   

We have firm opinion that in the present historical condition of the country in spite of the bourgeois character of the April movement 2006 and its achievements, constitution assembly, democratic constitution and republic of the country those have progressive and historical character. So it should be duty of all the participants of the April movement 2006, forces supporting the CA, democratic constitution and republic to struggle to achieve and consolidate those objective and we appeal to all of them come to the forefront for that.

Date : 19 Jan., 2015