Democratic maturity is a goal for many Asian nations with evolving systems of representation and governance. The presence of multiple parties and open channels of dialogue are considered to be vital for the integrity of this system.
In this week’s reports news items from Nepal depict a continued struggle to achieve a workable coalition government. A media dialogue in Azerbaijan regarding the instigation of dialogue hints at promising progress; also in Kyrgyzstan though the signs of reciprocation from the leadership have not yet surfaced, the opposition’s willingness to come to the table is being lauded.
NEPAL- Political Deadlock
Nepali politics is facing a serious deadlock in the wake of the election of Constituent Assembly (CA) which produced a fractured mandate. Neither CPN (Maoist) nor the rest of the parties have either absolute majority of 301 seats to form a one-party government.
The CPN (Maoist) has scored 220 seats out of 575 seats in the 601-member CA and has become the largest party in the country. However Nepali Congress, CPN-UML
and Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum have set several pre-conditions for their support to a Maoist led government. These include changing the interim constitution seeking only a simple majority for impeachment proceedings, a ceremonial president with the power to declare emergency and have the control of the army, demilitarizing and disbanding the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League etc.
The CPN (Maoist) has opposed these demands proclaiming conspiracy guided by foreign forces, hence the ensuing deadlock.
However all parties have expressed their desire to work towards a solution. Despite ongoing street protests, a continued series of talks and negotiations have paved a way towards a credible cooperative process.
In a latest development a crucial meeting of the ruling CPN-UML-led alliance and the Nepal Maoists in Katmandu on 13th Oct. failed to break the political impasse. The reinstatement of a deposed army chief under the previous executive, in what the opposition claims is an issue of ‘civilian supremacy’ is at the crux of the present stalemate. However despite the disrupted functioning of the parliament and stalled peace process, the commitment towards dialogue still holds strong and a nation wide awakened political consciousness demonstrates robust strides towards democratic maturity.
AZERBAIJAN- Invitation for Dialogue:
Over the past years, Azerbaijan's various fractious opposition parties have failed time and again to join forces to pose a strong, united, and cohesive alternative to the ruling Yeni Azerbaycan Party. The opposition suffered successive crushing defeats in the parliamentary elections of
1995, 2000, 2005 and 2008.
The last time, a political dialogue between the authorities and the opposition was organized through the mediation of the OSCE in the run-up to parliamentary elections in 2005. After the 2008 presidential election, its continuation was deemed necessary.
Where the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) repeatedly claims it is ready for dialogue with the opposition on national issues, the opposition has so far considered its efforts as marginal. Where an MP from the Ruling party proclaims that, “Unfortunately, our counterparts understand a dialogue only as a seating face to face. A dialogue is a culture of listening to one-another and recognition of a right openly to publicize one-another’s positions,”; the Chairman of the opposition Great Establishment Party (GEP) countered that “Currently, realization of the government-opposition dialogue is not convincing in Azerbaijan. There is not any obstacle in the opposition to hold a dialogue. However, the current government is not interested in civil development of these relations,”.
Where critics term it as mere hedging on part of the ruling party, still the very existence of this dialogue in the public arena depicts the potential for credible engagement on the political front.
KYRGYZ opposition ready to negotiate with President
Kyrgyz opposition has voiced its consent to sit down at negotiating table with the president of the country, shared Azimbek Beknazarov, one of the leaders of the Kyrgyzstan’s Joint People’s Movement. Kyrgyz Opposition party has expressed its readiness to hold negoti
ations with the ruling regime after the release of its detained members. The Government however has denied receiving any written or oral suggestion by the Joint People’s Movement in that line.
“There will be no bargains with the authorities. We are for equitable negotiations and if the White House is really ready to listen to rational demands of the opposition, the meeting will take place,” the member of the movement said.
A nation widely believed to depict negative trends in democracy and political freedoms as well as endemic corruption, instigation of a credible political discussion is a vital step towards democratic integrity. Though the process of negotiation has not yet been installed, the opposition’s willingness to come to the table could be considered as a first step.
Discussion Questions:
· Are the attempts at dialogue amidst street protests and frequent walkouts just feeble attempts in chaotic nascent democracies, the failure of which perpetuates greater turmoil?
In this week’s reports news items from Nepal depict a continued struggle to achieve a workable coalition government. A media dialogue in Azerbaijan regarding the instigation of dialogue hints at promising progress; also in Kyrgyzstan though the signs of reciprocation from the leadership have not yet surfaced, the opposition’s willingness to come to the table is being lauded.
NEPAL- Political Deadlock
Nepali politics is facing a serious deadlock in the wake of the election of Constituent Assembly (CA) which produced a fractured mandate. Neither CPN (Maoist) nor the rest of the parties have either absolute majority of 301 seats to form a one-party government.
The CPN (Maoist) has scored 220 seats out of 575 seats in the 601-member CA and has become the largest party in the country. However Nepali Congress, CPN-UML
and Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum have set several pre-conditions for their support to a Maoist led government. These include changing the interim constitution seeking only a simple majority for impeachment proceedings, a ceremonial president with the power to declare emergency and have the control of the army, demilitarizing and disbanding the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League etc.
The CPN (Maoist) has opposed these demands proclaiming conspiracy guided by foreign forces, hence the ensuing deadlock.
However all parties have expressed their desire to work towards a solution. Despite ongoing street protests, a continued series of talks and negotiations have paved a way towards a credible cooperative process.
In a latest development a crucial meeting of the ruling CPN-UML-led alliance and the Nepal Maoists in Katmandu on 13th Oct. failed to break the political impasse. The reinstatement of a deposed army chief under the previous executive, in what the opposition claims is an issue of ‘civilian supremacy’ is at the crux of the present stalemate. However despite the disrupted functioning of the parliament and stalled peace process, the commitment towards dialogue still holds strong and a nation wide awakened political consciousness demonstrates robust strides towards democratic maturity.
AZERBAIJAN- Invitation for Dialogue:
Over the past years, Azerbaijan's various fractious opposition parties have failed time and again to join forces to pose a strong, united, and cohesive alternative to the ruling Yeni Azerbaycan Party. The opposition suffered successive crushing defeats in the parliamentary elections of
1995, 2000, 2005 and 2008.
The last time, a political dialogue between the authorities and the opposition was organized through the mediation of the OSCE in the run-up to parliamentary elections in 2005. After the 2008 presidential election, its continuation was deemed necessary.
Where the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) repeatedly claims it is ready for dialogue with the opposition on national issues, the opposition has so far considered its efforts as marginal. Where an MP from the Ruling party proclaims that, “Unfortunately, our counterparts understand a dialogue only as a seating face to face. A dialogue is a culture of listening to one-another and recognition of a right openly to publicize one-another’s positions,”; the Chairman of the opposition Great Establishment Party (GEP) countered that “Currently, realization of the government-opposition dialogue is not convincing in Azerbaijan. There is not any obstacle in the opposition to hold a dialogue. However, the current government is not interested in civil development of these relations,”.
Where critics term it as mere hedging on part of the ruling party, still the very existence of this dialogue in the public arena depicts the potential for credible engagement on the political front.
KYRGYZ opposition ready to negotiate with President
Kyrgyz opposition has voiced its consent to sit down at negotiating table with the president of the country, shared Azimbek Beknazarov, one of the leaders of the Kyrgyzstan’s Joint People’s Movement. Kyrgyz Opposition party has expressed its readiness to hold negoti
ations with the ruling regime after the release of its detained members. The Government however has denied receiving any written or oral suggestion by the Joint People’s Movement in that line.
“There will be no bargains with the authorities. We are for equitable negotiations and if the White House is really ready to listen to rational demands of the opposition, the meeting will take place,” the member of the movement said.
A nation widely believed to depict negative trends in democracy and political freedoms as well as endemic corruption, instigation of a credible political discussion is a vital step towards democratic integrity. Though the process of negotiation has not yet been installed, the opposition’s willingness to come to the table could be considered as a first step.
Discussion Questions:
· Are the attempts at dialogue amidst street protests and frequent walkouts just feeble attempts in chaotic nascent democracies, the failure of which perpetuates greater turmoil?
· In an environment where democracy is esteemed as an international benchmark, to what degree could the trends in domestic politics depict:
A) International pressures in an integrated world with higher stakes in the world community, or
B) A strategic shift in respective strategies of the involved participants for the sake of optimizing their political interests?
Related links/ Bibliography
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/127389
http://telegraphnepal.com/news_det.php?news_id=3476
http://avciya.az/eng/news/referendum/3043-topics-for-azerbaijani-government.html
http://avciya.az/eng/analitiks/1849-azerbaijani-ruling-and-opposition.html
http://avciya.az/eng/news/inthecountry/2761-no-problem-to-begin-discussions-with.html
http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1073561.html https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kg.html
________________________________________________________
Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and jointly developed by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
nice posting for this site...
ReplyDeleteBathmate