Ensure stability

As some politicians begin discussing in public the theme of changing political leader in the Prime Ministerial Chair, senior parliamentarians remind leading parties of their duty to ensure stability as per people’s mandate of last general election. The issue of making CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Madhav Nepal next PM has now been planted in public talk; mass media, social media, civil society and others interested in public affairs, have picked up the topic for comments in their own ways. The earlier understanding among three leaders – PM Dahal, NC leader Deuba and Nepal- appears to have served as a backgrounder for the matter. Although the understanding does not enjoy any officially declared status, it seems to have served as an oral assurance for constituting the current ruling alliance. The arrangement for offering all three leaders opportunity to be PM in the five years for satisfying their political ego cannot be challenged. Top leaders could do so for ensuring political stability until the next general election. Such act should, however, be duly approved by political parties and the parliament. Nepali voters, it might be recalled, honoured the trio with individual win, but did not offer their parties decisive victory in polls. Because of the same, the current parliament is in a hung state. Voters, the leaders should understand, warned that the leaders and their parties would not be trusted next time if they could not do things to earn their confidence by the political act in government or in parliament. That is why the leaders should handle the issue of changing PM in certain interval with high political care. They cannot afford to do so at the cost of political instability. The point should not be taken lightly. The opposition party CPN UML has already termed the theme as motivated by self interest of a leader whose party has not been able to have national status in the parliament. It has indicated that such a move would be against the spirit of the constitution. Keeping in view the current strength scenario of the parliament and the leading parties, the ruling alliance should take political steps in a fair and wise manner. In absence of this, political stability at the centre would be a problem. Prime Minister Dahal has assured all about the political stability and government stability in various public forums throughout the country. He is planning carefully to get certain bills of high importance passed through the winter session of parliament. PM Dahal has also assured Nepal is that his second year in the high office would be different and certain positive outcome would be produced during the period. The same might render the theme of changing PM redundant.