Prime Minister's Address to the Nation on May 2nd 2003

May 06, 2003

Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, in an address to the nation, said that peace and democracy must not be held hostage in the fight to grab the top executive post.

Premier Chand said that he would quit his chair immediately if the Nepalese people are not happy with his efforts to restore peace in the country; if his understanding that the people's only wish for peace proves wrong; if the people do not have faith in his efforts to provide good governance; and if the people do not agree to his conviction that disrupting the current peace efforts will be detrimental to the country's interests. He said that if quitting his post fulfills the people's wishes, preserves democracy and meets the country's needs, he was always ready to step down.

But the effort that has begun to establish peace must not be disrupted, the improved situation of peace and security must not backtrack, and the malady of auctioning important and plum posts, which has stopped, must not resume." The Prime Minister said that it was not important whether he remained in the prime minister's post or not. What is important is that the peace talks become a success. "What is also important is whether my leaving the post can sustain the confidence that has been built with such difficulty for the peace efforts."

Referring to those who "take becoming the prime minister as their only aim", Premier Chand said that he was ready to resign if they can establish peace in the country according to the wishes of the people and save the country from the mire of destruction.

The Prime Minister said in clear terms that the country must not be pushed to the brink of despair. The people must not fall into a cycle of violence, murder and terror; and the disease of bad governance must not repeat itself.

The basis of politics must be the service of the country and the people, and politics is for those who can rise above personal and partisan interests. "Some leaders have failed to follow these democratic norms and values," he said. The Prime Minister said that he had been calling on the leaders of the political parties to reach a point of agreement.

He said that the hopes of ending the frightful situation where one Nepali killed another, destruction of the development infrastructure that were built with so much difficulty, and the making of daughters into widows and children into orphans during the past seven years were high.

"The people for the first time in the last seven years have begun to feel themselves safe and are looking towards the future with hope, and a convincing effort to protecting the country from falling into despair has started," said the Prime Minister. After the start of formal talks with the CPN-Maoist, the hope of establishing a permanent peace has become strong.

He said that when the people and country have taken peace and security as their first priority and our friendly countries also wanted to see Nepal as a safe and peaceful haven, peace and security are the national agenda. The present government is committed to carrying this out successfully and in a mature way.

The Prime Minister said that we have already learnt the lesson that if peace is disturbed, the democratic process is also disrupted, and the Nepalese people have understood that talking of democracy by obstructing the democratic process is meaningless. Therefore, the Prime Minister said, the existing cease-fire must be converted into permanent peace if the democratic process is to be reactivated.

Talking about the recent past, the Prime Minister said the country was in chaos until six months ago, the country's national unity and security were endangered by murder, violence and terror, and the economic problem had pressed the country down. "There was that real fear that the country would be labelled a 'failed state'," said Prime Minister Chand.

In such a situation, the House of Representatives and the local governments were dissolved. No political party went against the decision. "Instead, they went against holding the general election in more than one phase and suggested the then prime minister to put off the election so that they could remain in power indefinitely.

As a result, the then prime minister recommended to His Majesty the King to take the decision according to Article 127 of the constitution. When the then government failed to hold the election in the stipulated time, the House of Representatives was dissolved. But in such a sensitive stage also, the leaders who are fighting to become prime minister failed to suggest the names of persons with a clean image and those who would not contest the election.

"That is how the council of ministers was formed under my chairmanship and advice," he said. The present government has directed the country towards a creative atmosphere of peace and understanding by correcting the past weaknesses and has taken several strong decisions to give an honest administration.

It is this present government which made the cease-fire possible to end the cycle of murder and destruction through talks. He said the formal process of converting the cease-fire into permanent peace has already started. Prime Minister Chand said that taking into consideration the importance of the political parties to enliven the political culture, he, as Prime Minister, had tried its best to involve the political parties in all the major decisions he took. I have also repeatedly written and called them over the telephone to involve them in the talks with the Maoists and in the peace process.

"But the major political parties were busy making complaints," the Prime Minister said. Moreover, they got involved in disrupting the peace talks and pushing the country back into the cycle of terror and killings. The present government is busy giving peace permanency and in bringing the Maoists into mainstream politics. But the prime minister said there were conspiracies to lead the country into further difficulties, and questioned who is to blame. The prime minister emphasised that there was no truth whatsoever in the rumour that the government was making attempts at regression and that it had no executive powers.

The prime minister categorically asked those who see the need for another movement to safeguard the achievements of the popular movement of 1990, who is responsible for creating the present situation? Who created the people's disenchantment with democracy through bad governance? Who made democracy synonymous with political instability by not allowing the House of Representatives complete its full term three times? Who pushed the Nepalese, who are known for their peace and tolerance, into the quagmire of civil war? Who has become untrustworthy before the international community? Who has disrupted the democratic process, and who is responsible for disrupting the public lives by calling bandhs, which they used to criticise when they were in power, by climbing on the shoulders of naïve students?

He also asked the students to be careful not only about their rights but also about their career and ability to say that democracy would strengthen by their talent and leadership ability. The Prime Minister said that experience has shown that elections could not be held due to absence of peace and this has, in turn, disrupted the democratic process. The Prime Minister said we have also experienced the pains of democracy weakening in the fight for power and positions. "Therefore," the Prime Minister said, "I have repeatedly my pledge to hand over power to the elected people's representatives by holding elections by establishing peace as soon as possible."

He said he was totally committed to the monarchy, the symbol of national unity, and also that he believed in democracy. He said he had started the peace talks with conviction and that he was willing to retire from the post after establishing peace in the country and by starting the democratic process by holding the elections. The Prime Minister said that he has found His Majesty the King always concerned about peace and democracy. "His Majesty wants the country to reach the pinnacle of prosperity through constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy."