Prachanda prolongs Nepal crisis

He’s the most influential politician in Nepal now. But Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is yet to display the leadership needed to resolve the country’s crisis. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: Oct 20, 2012, 22:59:05 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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He’s the most influential politician in Nepal now. But Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is yet to display the leadership needed to resolve the country’s crisis.

His latest prescription to break the five-month-old political deadlock is holding of election for a new President along with polls to constitute a new Constituent Assembly.

The country’s interim constitution doesn’t allow for fresh presidential polls till the new constitution is promulgated.

Opposition parties demanding Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s ouster to make way for a unity government rejected Prachanda’s pill as another attempt at prolonging tenure of the present coalition.

This is the fifth panacea offered by the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman in as many months since dissolution of the CA in May after failing to draft a constitution within deadline.

Prachanda’s fresh proposal also shows the level of distrust between the Maoist-led government and the country’s first President Ram Baran Yadav, who assumed office four years ago.

“Opposition parties have been provoking the President to play an executive role. If elections are to be held, why not hold one for a new President as well?” Prachanda told Nepali Congress leaders on Thursday.

“The UCPN-M chairman’s proposal to hold election for President is nonsense,” Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala told The Himalayan Times on Friday.

Prachanda has been changing his stances — on whether to go for fresh polls or to revive the CA — with his latest proposal suggesting simultaneous polls.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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