Presidential Poll Dominates National Politics

The country is awaiting a new president as the five-year term of the incumbent President Bidya Devi Bhandari ends by the second week of March and the election for the next president being slated for March 9. Nepali politics hinges on the question who would be the next president especially from which party, the CPN-UML or the Nepali Congress (NC)? It is believed that the CPN-Maoist Centre agreed to give the president and speaker of the House of Representatives to CPN-UML while keeping the post of prime minister with itself as per a power-sharing deal among the seven parties including the newly emerged Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), RPP and other smaller parties forged on December 25, 2022. 

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' had chosen a new alliance with CPN-UML and six other smaller parties after NC denied him the premiership in the first chance in the old five-party alliance which had fought the election together. However, the political course took a new twist after the NC which was destined to become the main opposition, instead of leading the government, also gave the vote of confidence to the government of Prime Minister Prachanda, which startled CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli. 

Lack of alertness 

This situation of Nepali Congress was the consequence of its own lack of alertness of the situation. It tried to bargain both the posts of president and prime minister with the CPN- Maoist Centre, that too, for first chance to lead the government in an equal sharing of the five-year term. Astonished by the giving of vote to the government, UML Chairman Oli had jested whether this action of Nepali Congress was like setting up a dhoksa (fish trap in Nepali) eyeing the post of president.

Nepali Congress, however, continued to back its voting in favor of the government, but still claimed the post of leader of the main opposition party. Its leaders more often than not said it claimed for the post of president as it has given the confidence vote, and that it was necessary for a consensus politics. In the meantime, PM Prachanda also started to say that situation had changed after the confidence vote, and a consensus president was the need of the day. As war of words continue among Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre on who should be the president, Nepali media have got a good issue for discussion. Speculations are rife on one or the other possible candidates for the president, which is but only a ceremonial post. 

Although CPN-Maoist Centre's position of consensus has alarmed UML, latest meeting of PM Prachanda and Oli in Balkot has pacified UML that the present alliance will not break on the issue of the president. Political advisor to PM Prachanda, Haribol Gajurel has also ruled out breaking of the present alliance, and that his party was in favour of continuing with this alliance. However, Nepali Congress is pushing for its own president and says that it can't agree to a president proposed by CPN-UML as he/she would act on partisan line when Oli will be the next PM after two and half years, if the seven-party alliance is to continue. Nepali Congress wants a consensus president but is projecting leaders like Ramchandra Poudel, and Krishna Prasad Sitaula for the post from the party. 

UML is likely to choose between Subash Chandra Nembang, Ishwor Pokhrel and some even like to talk about woman candidate Astalaxmi Shakya. Independent people want to see people like Devendra Raj Pandey as president but it is very unlikely that the next president could be from other than the political background. 

Some people are even showing the possibility of NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba himself becoming the new president and others even take the name of some senior leaders such as CPN-Unified Socialist chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party leader Mahantha Thakur. But chances for president from other than Nepali Congress and UML are nominal. 

Volatile politics 

However, due to the unpredictable nature of Nepali politics, one can't predict who would be the next president. As the votes of CPN-Maoist Centre are crucial for anyone to be elected to president, it will be uncertain until the party decides on this. Some observers say geopolitical factor can also make a difference and blame India or China for the same. 

Recent visit by Indian Foreign Secretary Vinaya Mohan Kwatra and his meeting with flurry of Nepali leaders is also suspected to make some difference on electing the next president. 

But we can suppose that Kwatra who came for a foreign secretary level official meeting, met the leaders as he knows them well while serving as the ambassador of India to Nepal prior to becoming foreign secretary of India. Otherwise, to put pressure by foreign forces, and to act on one or the other kind of foreign pressure is detrimental to our democracy and national interest. 

But, let's hope our leaders and representatives would decide rationally without kneeling to foreign pressure if any, on who should be the next president especially at a time when stability is urgent for the speedy development of the country. 

(Bhattarai is former Chief Reporter of RSS.)