New Delhi, Sep 11 One would have expected that there would be an interim government in place in Nepal at the earliest. The nation descended into chaos following a massive uprising which led to the ouster of the Prime Minister and several other ministers who have been accused of large scale corruption.
Swearing in an interim Prime Minister faces a constitutional hurdle as it allows only for a sitting member of Parliament to become one.
While the experts are trying find ways to abide by the Constitution and have an interim government in place, fears have set in about the country being run by an army backed caretaker regime. The army is completely on the side of Gen Z. It has made it clear that the GenZ which carried out the protests will have a say in any future dispensation.
While they were united during the protest some divisions have been found when it comes to finding a leader who would lead the negotiations. While one section is in favour of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, the others are backing Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah.
This has led to a delay in the negotiations, which has raised fears about a possible army-backed caretaker government. What Nepal cannot afford at this moment is a prolonged political vacuum.
If an interim government is formed, several other parties such as the Communist UML and the Nepali Congress would want some space in the same. The problem, however, is that the Gen Z would reject this, which would again prolong the negotiations.
Like many, even the army wants radical change in the country and has made it clear that those who fought for it must have the major say in any future dispensation.
Even those who were backing the return of the monarchy are in the mix today. However, a return of the monarchy is highly unlikely, Nepal watchers would say as this would require amendments to the Constitution.
Intelligence agencies say that for now the protests are limited to Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Pokhara, which are urban areas. There is a danger of the protests spilling into the rural areas as well and if this takes place, it would hard to control. In the midst of all, the economy of Nepal cannot afford a crisis and if shops and establishments are shut for a prolonged time, it would take a toll on the common man.
While in Bangladesh, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, a caretaker government was put in place, the scenario in Nepal is slightly more complex than that. One option is to declare an Emergency Rule under Article 273 when Parliament is dissolved.
Further, the President can appoint anyone under articles 76 and 77. This appointment of a neutral figure can take place only if no party is able to form a majority government.
While the army backs the Gen Z, it has, however, made it clear that it is not interested in a military takeover.
It wants a quick resolution so that law and order can be restored. The Nepal Army, currently, does have enough power to force the political parties to reach a deal and find a suitable candidate to be the interim chief.
While this is a possibility, there is also the risk of other political parties moving the court challenging this decision.
At this moment, to overcome these challenges, a Constitutional amendment, too, is not a possibility as for it to be enforced, a two-third majority in Parliament would be needed.
Under the current circumstances, that is impossible. Declaring an Emergency would have other repercussions and the situation could get worse.
Currently, the only option available is to have a consensus candidate as the interim chief and for this all parties need to be on the same page.
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