It's a matter of congratulations that finally a new Prime Minister was sworn in after 7 months of political deadlock in Nepal. Mr.J.N.Khanal is the Chairman of the CPN-UML, the third party in the Parliament, and is supported by the Maoists, the largest party, headed by Mr.Prachanda. The new cabinet, on the verge of being formed now, will be a coalition of these two leftist parties. Their names themselves suggest a complicated political situation. But there is no reason to believe that they are not going to see eye to eye. The new PM says that 'the new government will have a mission to accomplish the tasks of peace and constitution'. The peace means the integration of the ex-Maoist combatants, and the constitution means finishing the writing of the new constitution. Nepal is under the Interim Constitution now.
Back in November 2006, this writer was attending a symposium in India. Among those present was a couple of political scientists from Nepal, who were more or less involved in the political negotiations going on in their country at that time. They were anxious to know what was taking place, and hurried back home before the symposium was over. On 31 December, there came an email message from one of them, which said 'an Interim Constitution has been agreed by Seven Party Alliance and the CPN Maoist. We are waiting for its promulgation...The UN team has arrived and is about to start the monitoring. Things are slow but on track. Hope that New Year will mark peace and democratic progress in Nepal'.
Actually the Interim Constitution was signed on 16 December, and was promulgated on 15 January 2007. It makes no mention of the monarchy, and Nepal is a Federal Republic. But the formalities of constitution making are not yet over although the Parliament was duly elected. The new PM is the third under the interim arrangement. There will have been 4 years or so of delay in the constitution-making. But now things seem to be 'on track'.
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