Putting The MJF Fire Out
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Paramendra
Jun 10, 2009, 2:23:38 PM6/10/09
to Madhesi
Putting The MJF Fire Out
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2009/06/putting-mjf-fire-out.html
The most important thing for the MJF right now is to make sure the
party does not split. And the way to resolve all outstanding issues is
through dialogue and open voting. Bijay Gachhedar showing majority
support in both the central committee and the parliamentary party is a
turning point, if he has done that.
The physical attack on some of the women lawmakers of the MJF in
Birgunj is shameful.
Majority vote gets to make the decisions. If that means that the party
president's line of thinking ends up in the minority then he simply
has to accept that.
How to prevent a vertical split?
1. Upendra Yadav and Bijay Gachhedar should meet in person, one on
one.
2. They should go back to square one.
3. I think it is fair to say Gachhedar has to resign from the
cabinet. Or Upendra Yadav could exhibit some magnanimity and let it
be.
4. The two need to realize that there will be elections in less
than a year. If the party splits now, both factions will lose. People
who are MPs now will not come back to the parliament. They must stay
united if they are to have a shot next year.
It is ridiculous that Madhav Nepal and Girija Koirala connived to
bring about this split. The MJF had already decided to join the Madhav
Nepal government. And it had already been decided that Bijay Gachhedar
was going to get a powerful ministry. But that was not enough. The
Nepal-Koirala duo went ahead and appointed Gachhedar the Deputy Prime
Minister.
It is not easy to wake up an oppressed people like the Madhesis are.
It is not easy to unite leaders of an oppressed community. Infighting
happens very easily. That is but a symptom of powerlessness.
Upendra Yadav's Mistakes
* Why did he not get himself elected parliamentary party leader
after the April 2008 election last year?
* His leadership style has had its weak points. As the party
leader he should constantly be seeking out all his MPs and all members
of his central committee one on one. What do you think of this? What
do you think of that? He has become aloof since getting into power
last year.
* He misread the mood inside his party and inside the country
regarding the Maoists. Many people felt it was a choice between Maoist
autocracy and a new government in Madhav Nepal's leadership. For him
to try to push the line to support the government from the outside was
a wrong one.
* When a large number of his MPs came out openly supporting
Gachhedar, he should have made an extra effort to reach out to them.
Bijay Gachhedar's Mistakes
* The number one thing Bijay Gachhedar has to realize right now is
that if the party splits, he is not going to come back to the
parliament next year. He is going to lose the election next year.
* That is going to be extra true of many of the other MPs.
* Bijay Gachhedar has to realize that Prachanda, Madhav Nepal and
Girija Koirala all want the MJF to split. Prachanda offered the Prime
Ministership to Upendra Yadav without meaning to. Now Koirala and
Nepal have put Gachhedar in the Deputy Prime Minister's chair with the
sole intention of splitting the MJF. There is no other purpose.
* If Gachhedar is no longer a MP next year, he is going to be out
of the political scene for the next four years.
* And the way things are looking, the Madhav Nepal led government
might not last six months. Then what? Will he split the party just to
be Deputy Prime Minister for a few short months? That is not worth
it.
How To Seek Middle Ground?
* The number one thing for the two leaders to do is to meet in
person. Stop talking through the media. Stop talking through
supporters.
* Agree to seek middle ground.
* Upendra Yadav should come out fully wanting to participate in
the Madhav Nepal government. A lot of his MPs are unhappy that he
wants to stay out of the government.
* Upendra Yadav should even be willing to accept Bijay Gachhedar
as Deputy Prime Minister for a few months. Strike out a compromise
formula. Both Bijay Gachhedar and Upendra Yadav get powerful
ministries. Bijay Gachhedar stays DPM for six months, then Upendra
Yadav becomes DPM for the final six months.
* Bring back all the expelled leaders into the party fold.
* Claim unity.
* If they can do that, this will have been political jujutsu. You
win over Nepal and Koirala at their own game. You fooled them into
thinking you were fighting. And look what happened? The MJF got the
Deputy Prime Ministership without being the second largest party.
Starting Point
The starting point for all further negotiations has to be that
splitting the party is not an option. That will be political harakiri.
If they split, both factions will end up being irrelevant in about a
year. People will say, there used to be a Terai Congress, there also
used to be a MJF.
I think Jay Prakash Gupta and Sharad Singh Bhandari could play
important conciliatory roles right now.
Stay united now, and the MJF has a shot at the Prime Ministership next
year. Split now and Yadav and Gachhedar are not even going to be MPs
in a year.
--
http://technbiz.blogspot.com
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2009/06/putting-mjf-fire-out.html
The most important thing for the MJF right now is to make sure the
party does not split. And the way to resolve all outstanding issues is
through dialogue and open voting. Bijay Gachhedar showing majority
support in both the central committee and the parliamentary party is a
turning point, if he has done that.
The physical attack on some of the women lawmakers of the MJF in
Birgunj is shameful.
Majority vote gets to make the decisions. If that means that the party
president's line of thinking ends up in the minority then he simply
has to accept that.
How to prevent a vertical split?
1. Upendra Yadav and Bijay Gachhedar should meet in person, one on
one.
2. They should go back to square one.
3. I think it is fair to say Gachhedar has to resign from the
cabinet. Or Upendra Yadav could exhibit some magnanimity and let it
be.
4. The two need to realize that there will be elections in less
than a year. If the party splits now, both factions will lose. People
who are MPs now will not come back to the parliament. They must stay
united if they are to have a shot next year.
It is ridiculous that Madhav Nepal and Girija Koirala connived to
bring about this split. The MJF had already decided to join the Madhav
Nepal government. And it had already been decided that Bijay Gachhedar
was going to get a powerful ministry. But that was not enough. The
Nepal-Koirala duo went ahead and appointed Gachhedar the Deputy Prime
Minister.
It is not easy to wake up an oppressed people like the Madhesis are.
It is not easy to unite leaders of an oppressed community. Infighting
happens very easily. That is but a symptom of powerlessness.
Upendra Yadav's Mistakes
* Why did he not get himself elected parliamentary party leader
after the April 2008 election last year?
* His leadership style has had its weak points. As the party
leader he should constantly be seeking out all his MPs and all members
of his central committee one on one. What do you think of this? What
do you think of that? He has become aloof since getting into power
last year.
* He misread the mood inside his party and inside the country
regarding the Maoists. Many people felt it was a choice between Maoist
autocracy and a new government in Madhav Nepal's leadership. For him
to try to push the line to support the government from the outside was
a wrong one.
* When a large number of his MPs came out openly supporting
Gachhedar, he should have made an extra effort to reach out to them.
Bijay Gachhedar's Mistakes
* The number one thing Bijay Gachhedar has to realize right now is
that if the party splits, he is not going to come back to the
parliament next year. He is going to lose the election next year.
* That is going to be extra true of many of the other MPs.
* Bijay Gachhedar has to realize that Prachanda, Madhav Nepal and
Girija Koirala all want the MJF to split. Prachanda offered the Prime
Ministership to Upendra Yadav without meaning to. Now Koirala and
Nepal have put Gachhedar in the Deputy Prime Minister's chair with the
sole intention of splitting the MJF. There is no other purpose.
* If Gachhedar is no longer a MP next year, he is going to be out
of the political scene for the next four years.
* And the way things are looking, the Madhav Nepal led government
might not last six months. Then what? Will he split the party just to
be Deputy Prime Minister for a few short months? That is not worth
it.
How To Seek Middle Ground?
* The number one thing for the two leaders to do is to meet in
person. Stop talking through the media. Stop talking through
supporters.
* Agree to seek middle ground.
* Upendra Yadav should come out fully wanting to participate in
the Madhav Nepal government. A lot of his MPs are unhappy that he
wants to stay out of the government.
* Upendra Yadav should even be willing to accept Bijay Gachhedar
as Deputy Prime Minister for a few months. Strike out a compromise
formula. Both Bijay Gachhedar and Upendra Yadav get powerful
ministries. Bijay Gachhedar stays DPM for six months, then Upendra
Yadav becomes DPM for the final six months.
* Bring back all the expelled leaders into the party fold.
* Claim unity.
* If they can do that, this will have been political jujutsu. You
win over Nepal and Koirala at their own game. You fooled them into
thinking you were fighting. And look what happened? The MJF got the
Deputy Prime Ministership without being the second largest party.
Starting Point
The starting point for all further negotiations has to be that
splitting the party is not an option. That will be political harakiri.
If they split, both factions will end up being irrelevant in about a
year. People will say, there used to be a Terai Congress, there also
used to be a MJF.
I think Jay Prakash Gupta and Sharad Singh Bhandari could play
important conciliatory roles right now.
Stay united now, and the MJF has a shot at the Prime Ministership next
year. Split now and Yadav and Gachhedar are not even going to be MPs
in a year.
--
http://technbiz.blogspot.com
paramendra
Jun 10, 2009, 3:02:53 PM6/10/09
to Madhesi
The MJF Must Stay Intact
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2009/06/mjf-must-stay-intact.html
The MJF Must Stay Intact
Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, NepalImage via Wikipedia
The most important thing for now is to make sure the MJF does not
split. If joining the Madhav Nepal government keeps the MJF intact,
the party should join the government. If staying outside the
government keeps the MJF intact, the party should stay outside the
government. If keeping Bijay Gachhedar Deputy Prime Minister keeps the
MJF intact, Gachhedar should stay on as Deputy Prime Minister. If
making Upendra Yadav Deputy Prime Minister keeps the MJF intact, Yadav
should be made Deputy Prime Minister.
The MJF was a party born out of identity politics. That identity
politics has gone one step further. The Yadavs, Tharus, and the
Muslims are three equally numerous, proud groups in the Terai. The
Yadavs have to remember that. If the MJF central committee has too
many Yadavs, the parliamentary party has a better balance of Yadavs
and non-Yadavs.
gonarpuraImage by paramendra via Flickr
It is a good thing if the party has several strong personalities at
the central level. Upendra Yadav is a Yadav. Gachhedar is a Tharu.
Gupta is a non-Yadav. Karima Begam is a Muslim. Sharad Singh Bhandari
is a Pahadi origin Teraiwasi whose family has lived in the Terai a few
generations. Those are all important constituent groups in the Terai.
It is important to strike the right power balances and keep the party
intact.
* Upendra Yadav and Bijay Gachhedar, meet in person, one on one.
* Jay Prakash Gupta, Sharad Singh Bhandari, make that happen.
(Bhandari won by a margin of a hundred votes last year. If the party
splits, he is not coming back to the parliament, that part is
guaranteed.)
* Seek a compromise formula.
* Let Bijay Gachhedar keep the DPM chair for six months, and
Upendra Yadav for the other six months. This government is going to
last but a year max.
* Seek a powerful ministry for Upendra Yadav.
* Bargain for the maximum number of berths for the MJF in the
cabinet.
* Bring back all the expelled leaders.
* Keep the party intact.
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2009/06/mjf-must-stay-intact.html
The MJF Must Stay Intact
Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, NepalImage via Wikipedia
The most important thing for now is to make sure the MJF does not
split. If joining the Madhav Nepal government keeps the MJF intact,
the party should join the government. If staying outside the
government keeps the MJF intact, the party should stay outside the
government. If keeping Bijay Gachhedar Deputy Prime Minister keeps the
MJF intact, Gachhedar should stay on as Deputy Prime Minister. If
making Upendra Yadav Deputy Prime Minister keeps the MJF intact, Yadav
should be made Deputy Prime Minister.
The MJF was a party born out of identity politics. That identity
politics has gone one step further. The Yadavs, Tharus, and the
Muslims are three equally numerous, proud groups in the Terai. The
Yadavs have to remember that. If the MJF central committee has too
many Yadavs, the parliamentary party has a better balance of Yadavs
and non-Yadavs.
gonarpuraImage by paramendra via Flickr
It is a good thing if the party has several strong personalities at
the central level. Upendra Yadav is a Yadav. Gachhedar is a Tharu.
Gupta is a non-Yadav. Karima Begam is a Muslim. Sharad Singh Bhandari
is a Pahadi origin Teraiwasi whose family has lived in the Terai a few
generations. Those are all important constituent groups in the Terai.
It is important to strike the right power balances and keep the party
intact.
* Upendra Yadav and Bijay Gachhedar, meet in person, one on one.
* Jay Prakash Gupta, Sharad Singh Bhandari, make that happen.
(Bhandari won by a margin of a hundred votes last year. If the party
splits, he is not coming back to the parliament, that part is
guaranteed.)
* Seek a compromise formula.
* Let Bijay Gachhedar keep the DPM chair for six months, and
Upendra Yadav for the other six months. This government is going to
last but a year max.
* Seek a powerful ministry for Upendra Yadav.
* Bargain for the maximum number of berths for the MJF in the
cabinet.
* Bring back all the expelled leaders.
* Keep the party intact.
paramendra
Jun 10, 2009, 9:16:52 PM6/10/09
to Madhesi
Koirala Has To Be Beat At His Own Game
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2009/06/koirala-has-to-be-beat-at-his-own-game.html
Girija Koirala has to be beat at his own game for his recent foul play
with the MJF. The need of the hour is to bring the party back from the
brink of a vertical split and reunify it.
Upendra Yadav has to face the fact that him becoming Prime Minister
was never an option this past month. Prachanda was never serious about
the offer. The way for a MJF person to become Prime Minister is by
winning big in the election next year. And you can't even win if you
split the party, let alone win big.
A sane revival plan for the Nepali Congress would be to usher in a new
era of internal democracy, to say good bye to the culture of nepotism.
A sane revival plan would be to try and meet the aspirations of the
Madhesi people who until recently were the base of that party. But
instead the Nepali Congress is worse today on internal democracy and
nepotism than it was last year. It stands clueless on federalism and
security sector reform. Those who talk of the five development regions
are not talking about federalism.
The Nepali Congress will see a bigger defeat next year than it did
last year. The MJF decimated the Nepali Congress last year in the
Terai. Next year the MJF has to wipe out the Nepali Congress from the
Terai. For that the MJF has to stay united.
Splitting the party makes absolutely no sense.
Internal democracy means Upendra Yadav might no longer be leading the
party down the line. At the next convention the party might elect
someone else. That is the democratic way. If all the Madhesi parties
unite, as I hope they do before the elections next year, then that
unified party would hold a new convention. That convention would elect
a new leader to the party. That new leader could be anybody. Could be
Upendra Yadav, could be Bijay Gachhedar, could be Hridayesh Tripathy,
could be Rajendra Mahto, could be Sarita Giri, could be Jay Prakash
Gupta. It is for the democratic process to decide who. And once
decided there has to be a post election reconciliation among all the
contenders for the top job.
Critiquing Upendra Yadav's Leadership Style
His primary downside has been that he does not consult enough. Someone
in his position needs to constantly be consulting with all his MPs,
all members of his central committee, as many district leaders as
possible. Keep alive as many bilateral channels of communication as
possible. Seek out a wide range of people to ask for their opinions
before making decisions small and big. Make people feel included in
all decision making processes. Have robust discussions among the top
leaders on a wide variety of topics on a regular basis. This is
something he needs to work on.
http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2009/06/koirala-has-to-be-beat-at-his-own-game.html
Girija Koirala has to be beat at his own game for his recent foul play
with the MJF. The need of the hour is to bring the party back from the
brink of a vertical split and reunify it.
Upendra Yadav has to face the fact that him becoming Prime Minister
was never an option this past month. Prachanda was never serious about
the offer. The way for a MJF person to become Prime Minister is by
winning big in the election next year. And you can't even win if you
split the party, let alone win big.
A sane revival plan for the Nepali Congress would be to usher in a new
era of internal democracy, to say good bye to the culture of nepotism.
A sane revival plan would be to try and meet the aspirations of the
Madhesi people who until recently were the base of that party. But
instead the Nepali Congress is worse today on internal democracy and
nepotism than it was last year. It stands clueless on federalism and
security sector reform. Those who talk of the five development regions
are not talking about federalism.
The Nepali Congress will see a bigger defeat next year than it did
last year. The MJF decimated the Nepali Congress last year in the
Terai. Next year the MJF has to wipe out the Nepali Congress from the
Terai. For that the MJF has to stay united.
Splitting the party makes absolutely no sense.
Internal democracy means Upendra Yadav might no longer be leading the
party down the line. At the next convention the party might elect
someone else. That is the democratic way. If all the Madhesi parties
unite, as I hope they do before the elections next year, then that
unified party would hold a new convention. That convention would elect
a new leader to the party. That new leader could be anybody. Could be
Upendra Yadav, could be Bijay Gachhedar, could be Hridayesh Tripathy,
could be Rajendra Mahto, could be Sarita Giri, could be Jay Prakash
Gupta. It is for the democratic process to decide who. And once
decided there has to be a post election reconciliation among all the
contenders for the top job.
Critiquing Upendra Yadav's Leadership Style
His primary downside has been that he does not consult enough. Someone
in his position needs to constantly be consulting with all his MPs,
all members of his central committee, as many district leaders as
possible. Keep alive as many bilateral channels of communication as
possible. Seek out a wide range of people to ask for their opinions
before making decisions small and big. Make people feel included in
all decision making processes. Have robust discussions among the top
leaders on a wide variety of topics on a regular basis. This is
something he needs to work on.
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