Destroying democracy and institutions from within is far easier than from without. But the PM miscalculated and what could have been a decisive move suffered a major setback with the president coming in the way. So, it would be a mistake to consider the PM-president row as mainly a constitutional issue. Given the context, the face-off should really be viewed as a political issue.

Many people, and perhaps the international community, questioning the president’s right to veto a prime minister’s decision, may feel the need to review their position. After all, Prachanda and the CPN (Maoist) had come to join the peace process and democratic fold after they admitted publicly that they were nowhere near capturing power through the force of arms, and that now they would seek the people’s support through ballots to get there, and that the politics of bullets was over for ever. But by his actions, and according to these videotapes, it is reasonable to claim that Prachanda is playing a clever game to gain the ultimate prize — and that lying to the president and supporting political parties, to that end, might well be acceptable. Nepal’s peace process and democracy are no doubt fragile, and could collapse soon if the Maoists withdraw from it. Prachanda’s commitment to continue supporting them when he resigned is a positive gesture, but can it be accepted at its face value? The constituent assembly and Nepal’s political parties have a responsibility to finish writing the constitution by the May 2010 deadline, and the jurisdiction as well as the residual powers of the president could be clearly defined in that, taking into account what happened in the army chief’s case; but accepting Prachanda’s plea that his government was a victim of conspiracy is not enough, as it is only one part of a complex truth. The challenge, to consolidate and institutionalise democracy, is much bigger and demands transparency, truthfulness, commitment and the absence of duality in what the actors, mainly the rulers of the day, say and do. It cannot be simplified.

... contd.