Coalition to continue until polls

By TNW correspondent

Top leaders appear determined not to break the current ruling coalition until the general elections in mid-November. Senior leaders – Madhav Nepal, Prachanda, PM Deuba, Upendra Yadav and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai are reported to have expressed the point in varying – direct or indirect – ways.

The differences between Bhattarai and Yadav will also be tackled through some negotiating points, said a senior leader. “Actually the continuity of the coalition will also embrace among other things freedom for individual parties to work out constituency-specific understanding and poll partnership with their favourites.”

There will be a grand poll partnership programme with coalition forces and under the same will be worked out constituency-specific and leader specific schemes for gaining maximum number of seats in the parliamentary and assembly polls, said an insider. “That ensures the best of transactions and their consequences for their leaders and parties. After all the leaders and political parties are currently focusing on what brings in most benefit for them.”

Because of such transactional politics in full swing, a media analysts observed the likelihood of political parties pressing for the agenda for the country and the people and the ideological basis of the parties is remote. “Manifestoes of political parties will of course be printed and distributed but the same will move into oblivion like in the past in post poll-times.”

The independent candidates’ move will be there in an intensive manner. Some will work out poll partnership on the basis of give and take of cooperation. Small parties are also considering some sort of coalition among themselves for making their presence felt in either the parliament or the assemblies of provinces. The whole scenario of poll partnership will be clear after the session of the parliament, said a former member of parliament. Because leaders and parties are busy in the parliamentary and assembly engagements, they have not been able to add to the structure of poll partnership.