The Maoist Government will not last long - Govinda raj Joshi

Govinda Raj Joshi - Central Committee member, Nepali Congress
http://www.telegraphnepal.com/news_det.php?news_id=4003

Govinda Raj Joshi, a Nepali Congress Central Committee member was born in the year 1949 at Khalte in Rupakot Village Development Committee of Tanahun district.

Mr. Joshi holds a MA degree in the Political Science discipline.

His step into the field of politics dates back to the year 1964 when Joshi had just begun his student life. Joshi who regards late B.P Koirala as his ideal was the president of free students union (College of Education) and Gandaki Students Council.

Joshi was a member of Tarun Dal-the youth wing of Nepali Congress Party in the year 1969, secretary of Nepali Congress, Tanahun in 2033, secretary of multiparty campaign committee of the Nepali Congress Party in 1979, the vice- president of Nepali Congress Party, Tanahun district and eventually made it to the central committee member of the party in the year 1997.
Likewise, Mr. Joshi was elected as central committee member of the party in the year 2000. Twice a central committee member, Mr. Joshi has already held the post of a joint general secretary of the party. He actively worked as a coordinator while the construction of the Nepali Congress Party Building was underway at Sanepa, Lalitpur. (Courtesy: Wikipedia)
TGQ1: Mr. Joshi you have been leading the “dissatisfied faction” in the Nepali Congress Camp. Why you have been demanding the call for an early party general assembly?

Mr. Joshi: Our demand for the time being is only to declare fresh dates for the party general assembly. It is my firm belief that the existing problems within the party will be resolved and thus unity restored in the party after holding the general assembly.

We do recognize that the party is undergoing unprecedented crisis currently. Thus declaring fresh dates for the general assembly and democratically discussing issues in contention is the only way to restore party’s lost glories and democratic credentials. Thus I along with majority of my party colleagues in the central committee have been demanding immediately calling the party’s General Assembly.

But the CC so far seems to have ignored your demand?

I have always said that the Nepali Congress as the country’s single Democratic Party should break all its relations with the Maoists. I have also been saying that the Nepali Congress should play the role of an active opposition in the Constituent Assembly. I always believed that the Nepali Congress being the only Democratic Party and also a party of the liberals with its glorious past should not have joined the government with the extreme Left Party such as the Maoists. Look what has happened now. We have stopped working with the Maoists and now we are in the opposition. If we would have continued the alliance with the Maoists, the Nepali Congress would have disappeared from the political scene altogether.

B.P. Koirala never ever tried to establish any relations with the Communists. He even rejected the proposals of liberal communist leaders of the likes of Pushpalal Pradhan and Manmohan Adhikari to work together. Because he knew that if Nepali Congress works with the Communists, the NC will loose its identity once and for all.

This is what we have been saying in public and also within the party itself---which has come to true in the recent past. More specifically, in the last two years what I and my friends have said have become cent per cent true. Visualizing the past and our predictions becoming true, I firmly believe that the Nepali Congress leadership does not have the moral to ignore our demands. Our demand has become the voice of two hundred thousand Nepali Congress cadres. The party high command must understand our mood for the GA properly and declare fresh dates.

TGQ2: The Nepali Congress in its entire political history has never been so weak as it is now, say some political analysts. In you opinion, Mr. Joshi, Change in the party leadership or even looking for an alternative to Girija Prasad Koirala, what may bring good results for the Nepali Congress?

Mr. Joshi: I slightly differ with you in that the party itself is still and will remain very strong in the future but I accept that the party management has been the weakest at the moment in its entire history. Nevertheless, Nepali Congress is the oldest and the biggest party. Undermining Nepali Congress’s political influence in the country could be a big mistake for the critics.

The fact is that the party president Girija Babu has become very old and is weak as well. The NC management under his command could not perform its tasks well as was demanded. And it is this management that brought the party to this weakened state. But Girija Babu is still adamant. It seems he is yet to learn lessons from the blunders and the follies he has committed. He still believes that the Nepali Congress can still run under his whims. Koirala and his ilk do not want to hold the party general assembly at the earliest instead they want it delayed further.

Nevertheless, we have been strongly forwarding the idea of holding the GA as soon as possible which would ultimately ensure that the party command will go to a group leadership but not any more the party’s affairs can become the exclusive prerogative of a person as such. I have time and again told the party leadership that the group leadership is the only viable option to regain the lost grounds of the party in Nepali politics. How to proceed with the agenda of a group leadership and to outline the role of the group leadership shall be discussed within the party in the days ahead. If we do not move in this direction the Nepali Congress could face further challenges in the national level politics.

Regarding the question on changing the leadership—the issue will be dealt within the General Assembly. It is the exclusive right of the Nepali Congress cadres to choose the central leadership. The group leadership thus takes over the personal leadership and the smaller factions within the Nepali Congress will automatically cease to exist.

But tell you very frankly Koirala is still our supreme leader but the party affairs can no longer run at the helms of his leadership. It is his self decision whether he wants to take a rest after the General Assembly meeting or continue serving the party. After the GA, the party will chose a different leadership as there is also the provision that a single person cannot continue third time in office as the president of the party.

Koirala is a complete failure for the party, is this you want to say precisely?

Not at all. In his leadership the party has traversed a comfortable distance. He is already 85 years old. We have no one to lead the party after him. This is the problem. Be it the Peoples’ Uprising or the CA elections, such historical events did take place under his leadership. We cannot call him a failed politician.

TGQ3: How you assessed the unthought-of CA election defeat for the Nepali Congress?
Mr. Joshi: The Nepali Congress Central Committee is solely responsible for the CA election defeat. To a large extent it is due to some selfish leaders who were in the government and also very close to the Maoists-they ensured that the party did not win the election. It is because of their ill intention the party had to face the unexpected result. They gave the impression that the two communists, the UML and the Maoists, will fight for their seats in the election which will bode positive results for the NC party. No efforts were put in place to take control over the deteriorating security situation.

What prospect is there for the NC in the opposition?

Look we are actually the government in the waiting. The Maoists government in all likelihood will not see the light of the day. This Maoist led government can not steer the nation properly. This is the time we should be very active and regain out lost grounds by rebuilding our grass root contacts. The role in opposition should be taken as an opportunity gained not opportunity lost.

TGQ4: You said that the government cannot continue for long. Is it that the Nepali Congress will do everything possible in order not to let the government function?

Mr. Joshi: Everybody has noticed that the political wrangling is already troubling the common men. Some of the alliance partners are busy raising protocol issue and some time they are not satisfied with the ministry they are awarded with. These are petty issues yet could impact the country heavily. The point here is that the alliance that is leading the nation currently if remains heavily involved in political skirmishes how it can perform the job of the nation and the people?
To your second question, let me make you clear that it is not our job to make or break a government. Our role as the opposition this time around will be a very positive one. Our response depends on the government’s performances.

Is there a threat the country falling into the complete Communist grip?

I do not think that it will happen. The communists have accepted the democratic polity. To tell you frankly the UML is not at all a Communist Party. When we talk of the Leftists, we now refer to the extreme left. You will see that the Maoists, time permitting will become very similar to the UML.

Take it for granted, the country will rather fall into the fold of the real democratic forces very soon.

The current government is, say experts, tiled more to China, what say you?

You are right. The government till the day before seemed to have acquired the China tilt. You will see few weeks later it will be India tilted. In reality it cannot stand tall…this government. The problem with this government is that it is not built on a strong foundation. Thus it keeps on vibrating form one point to the other.

TGQ5: You took differing views on several matters in the Nepali Congress and also led the “dissatisfied faction” in the party. What say you now?

Mr. Joshi: Do not get entangled with the dissatisfaction we have from the party leadership to that of leading the non-existent dissatisfied faction in the party. We are firm on what we speak and on our ideology thus we are called the dissatisfied because our stature is rigid.

Our point is only that the NC should not join the government at the moment. It is the time that the NC takes to the path of internal reforms, regaining our lost grounds should be the top priority and also we should fight for the complete democracy. We must fulfill the promises we have made to our people. In reality, there is no other party that speaks in favor of the people other than the Nepali Congress. It is only natural that some time we face some ideological ups and downs and also face problems in managing the party affairs and thus we take it as a high time to correct our mistakes, we stay out of the government and sort out our internal problems.(Courtesy: Janbhawana Weekly, Nepal)