Nepal In Political, Constitutional Crisis
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Nepal Sunday (May 3) plunged into constitutional and political crisis with Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda firing the army chief Rookmangud Katawal and the General refusing to budge saying that ‘only the President can remove him’. On his part, the President Ram Baran Yadav has advised the Prime Minister to resolve the issue on the floor of Parliament, where the Maoists are on a weak wicket. Their key ally, CPN (UML) has withdrawn from the ruling coalition plunging the government into a minority. The unfolding events may end with the Maoists losing their sheen.
The decision to remove Katawal was in the air for a long while but its timing does come as a surprise. The ruling coalition was never united on the issue. So no eye brows were raised when the Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara was telling reporters about sack orders, the Deputy Prime Minister Bamdev Gautam, who represents the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), announced his party's decision to quit the coalition in protest. Like his party, several other parties like the Communist Party of Nepal (United), Sadbhawana Party and Madhesi People's Rights Forum are opposed to the action against the 61 -year-old Army Chief, who is due to retire in another three months.
Lt Gen Kul Bahadur Khadka, the number two in the army and a confidant of Prachanda has been named the acting chief of army. It is unclear immediately how the army commanders would react to his appointment.
Katawal, who became army chief in 2006 after King Gyanendra’s military-backed government fell, is known to enjoy the backing of the officer cadre in his confrontation with the Maoist rulers.
The Maoist hawks are eager to see quick integration of the Maoist ‘Army’ with the regular army. Katawal is opposed to this move and also to the pressure to show the door to 'reinstated' eight brigadier-generals retired by the defence ministry. The Supreme Court seconded his stand in a manner of speaking when it directed the Defence Ministry on March 25 to put the decision on hold.
Another flash point was recruitment the army was carrying out to fill what it called regular and mid-level vacancies. And when Katawal decided to keep the Army off the 5th National Games to register his protest, the Maoists decided to hit back.
'The cabinet decided to retire the army chief since he could not provide satisfactory explanations (to the show cause notice)', Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a Maoist himself, told reporters at PM's residence after a meeting of the cabinet on Sunday. Before the cabinet session, Prime Minister met the Army chief and his second-in-command to formally tell them of his decision.
Simultaneously, the Maoists started contacting smaller parties for their support in Parliament. And they need the support of as many as 20 parties to have their way on the floor. Because the interim parliament decrees that any decision regarding the army has to be endorsed by not just the ruling parties but 20 other parliamentary parties as well
It is a tall order. Because the Maoists don’t have majority on the floor. Parliament reflects the spit verdict delivered by the electorate in an election held to setup the Constituent Assembly...
So, if the President sends the Prime Minister’s sack order to Parliament, as he is widely expected to do, Prachanda is bound to have egg on his face. And it may herald return of good old bad days for Nepal.
The decision to remove Katawal was in the air for a long while but its timing does come as a surprise. The ruling coalition was never united on the issue. So no eye brows were raised when the Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara was telling reporters about sack orders, the Deputy Prime Minister Bamdev Gautam, who represents the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), announced his party's decision to quit the coalition in protest. Like his party, several other parties like the Communist Party of Nepal (United), Sadbhawana Party and Madhesi People's Rights Forum are opposed to the action against the 61 -year-old Army Chief, who is due to retire in another three months.
Lt Gen Kul Bahadur Khadka, the number two in the army and a confidant of Prachanda has been named the acting chief of army. It is unclear immediately how the army commanders would react to his appointment.
Katawal, who became army chief in 2006 after King Gyanendra’s military-backed government fell, is known to enjoy the backing of the officer cadre in his confrontation with the Maoist rulers.
The Maoist hawks are eager to see quick integration of the Maoist ‘Army’ with the regular army. Katawal is opposed to this move and also to the pressure to show the door to 'reinstated' eight brigadier-generals retired by the defence ministry. The Supreme Court seconded his stand in a manner of speaking when it directed the Defence Ministry on March 25 to put the decision on hold.
Another flash point was recruitment the army was carrying out to fill what it called regular and mid-level vacancies. And when Katawal decided to keep the Army off the 5th National Games to register his protest, the Maoists decided to hit back.
'The cabinet decided to retire the army chief since he could not provide satisfactory explanations (to the show cause notice)', Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a Maoist himself, told reporters at PM's residence after a meeting of the cabinet on Sunday. Before the cabinet session, Prime Minister met the Army chief and his second-in-command to formally tell them of his decision.
Simultaneously, the Maoists started contacting smaller parties for their support in Parliament. And they need the support of as many as 20 parties to have their way on the floor. Because the interim parliament decrees that any decision regarding the army has to be endorsed by not just the ruling parties but 20 other parliamentary parties as well
It is a tall order. Because the Maoists don’t have majority on the floor. Parliament reflects the spit verdict delivered by the electorate in an election held to setup the Constituent Assembly...
So, if the President sends the Prime Minister’s sack order to Parliament, as he is widely expected to do, Prachanda is bound to have egg on his face. And it may herald return of good old bad days for Nepal.
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