Nepal has bade a good bye to the year 2068. With the new hope and energy all Nepalese have welcomed the New Year 2069. During a whole year with many ups and downs Nepal finally achieved some portion of success building a hope of new constitution in the next year.
Analyzing the year 2068, it was one of the significant year of disorder. The whole year witnessed many hurdles and dissatisfaction leaving some of the praiseworthy attempt for peace and constitution. Alike the New Year 2069, the year 2068 was also welcomed by all the Nepalese with a hope of ending the peace the peace process and drafting the constitution. But in the year neither the constitution was amended nor did the peace process get expected end. As a result the year became unsuccessful in the eye of Nepalese.
Most of the time party became busy in changing the government as they had done earlier in the previous years. Parties seemed irresponsible in the twin task of constitution and peace process due to the dispute in power sharing and partisan interests. Due to intra party dispute the then Prime Minister Jhalnath Dhakal resigned from the post on 14th August 2011(29 Shrawan 2068). He failed to achieve support neither from his own party CPN/UML not from the oppositions, so he was compelled to resign. Later on 28th August 2011(11 Bhadra 2068) Dr.Baburam Bhattari, vice chairman of Unified CPN Maoist was elected as 35th Prime Minister of Nepal. At present as well PM Bhattarai is existing minister but the voice for his resignation has been rising since long.
However the glimpse of hope in the peace process was visualized after Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai decided to hand over the keys to the arms containers to the Special Committee on September 1,2011(Bhadra 25,2068) despite opposition from hardliner faction of his own party. The decision paved away the path to forward the peace and statute drafting process. Moving ahead, major political parties on November 1 signed a seven point deal to set up a general directorate to integrate Maoist combatants to Nepal army. Then on November 19 2011(Mangsir 3,2068), the integration process of former Maoist Combatants was started form all the seven cantonments.
Likewise on November 22(Mangsir 6,2068) State Restructuring Commission was established with no chairman. Later Madan Pariyar was nominated as a chairman and the commission was handover with a responsibility to suggest CA in the issue of federalism. But the Commission after three months submitted two reports suggesting eleven and seven model of federal states to the government.
Moving ahead Supreme Court on November 25(Mangsir 9,2068) gave verdict to CA to extend the tenure of CA for last six months. Court clarified that the present CA would immediately dissolve if it fails to draft the constitution in the stipulated deadline. However CA and government on December 26(Paush 11, 2068) filed a review petition to review the verdict of final six months cap on CA. But court denied registering the petition. Later again on March 28, 2012(Chaitra 15 2068) government filed review petition for second time challenging the SC and within a week CA also filed review petition supporting the government. And this time SC entertained the petition but denied to review its earlier decision, which closed the every possible door for extending the tenure. No way out was left for the parties despite being active to draft the constitution and end the peace process.
The denial of SC became more effective to all political parties by which their speed and concentration on peace and constitution drafting became rapid. Moving rapidly political parties on March 30(Chaitra 17, 2068) agreed to form the long awaited commissions as such truth and reconciliation and enforced disappearance commissions. Likewise ending the long dispute on rank determination of former Maoist combatants, they were handed over to Nepal army on April 10(Chaitra 28, 2068) along with the armed containers.
Despite of these achievements the year failed to decide the final model of federal state, end the whole peace process and fulfill the hope and expectations of Nepalese.
However the new year 2069 B.S again has hold new hope for the Nepali people who at one time had almost lost the hope of writing new constitution in stipulated deadline and bringing the peace process to its logical conclusion.
That's why it is to be noted that New Year does not mean only to hang a new on the wall but it also means to learn and improve the mistakes done in the previous year.So let's hope learning from the past this year peace and constitution would knock the door of Nepal.
