Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have been putting up a united front in the central level politics against UCPN-Maoist and its front, terming the Maoist design a tyranny. However, this does not explain the elections of Nepal Bar Association, where all communist parties have put up a common front against the Nepali Congress-led democratic alliance.

It seems that nothing is impossible in Nepal. There is no left or right or no center so far as making alliances is concerned. Led by advocate Congress loyalist Sher Bahadur KC, the Nepali Congress-led front is now contesting the Nepal Bar Association elections with the united communist front led by advocate and CPN-UML loyalist Hari Krishna Karki.

Whatever political stand they have and what every political ideology followed by them, there is a lot of contradiction in the alliance. Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have been fighting together against UCPN-Maoist design to impose tyranny in the country.  

Candidate of United Progressive Left Front Karki and Nepali Congress sympathizer and Democratic Front Candidate K.C shared the same platform when they joined the political rally against UCPN-Maoist. However, advocate K.C and Karki are bitterly divided in the elections campaign accusing each other as a destroyer of independent judiciary.

“My candidacy is for the protection of independent judiciary. Only in liberal democracy, there is a possibility to have an independent judiciary to protect the rights of people. Democracy has no meaning without independent judiciary,” said Sher Bahadur K.C. presidential candidate of Democratic Front close to Nepali Congress.

Whenever there is a division in the Communist led left front, Nepali Congress gets a benefit. When CPN-UML and Maoist lawyers choose to contest the election of Nepal Bar separately , Nepali Congress supported candidates of democratic front sweep the elections, like in the last elections. Earlier, when the communists stood united, the democratic front was defeated.

Democratic front and Progressive left front have their own slogans for the coming elections. Victory of K.C. is victory of democracy. Vote to K.C means vote to democracy and independent judiciary. The slogan of Democratic Front questioned the credibility and ideological commitment of left alliance towards liberal democracy.

Vote for progressive left front is vote to progress and change in judiciary. “Our team is committed to independent of judiciary. At a time when the judiciary has been passing through a very crucial phase with vacancy of large numbers of judges at Supreme Court, our team will work to end the situation,” said Karki.

“Our victory ushered a new era for the independent of judiciary,” said Karki former secretary of Nepal Bar Association.

From the sympathizer of extreme communist CPN-Maoist led by Vaidya to UCPN-Maoist and liberal communist CPN-UML and other small fringe communist parties, all leftists have backed advocate Hari Krishna Karki’s front. In terms of ideology, UCPN-Maoist and Maoists are likened to totalitarian communist ideologues Mao and Lenin. CPN-UML regards itself as a liberal communist party though it is yet to condemn or criticize the communist ideologues.  

There is a middle front of ethnic and minority groups but it can make a little difference in the big battle of advocate Karki’s left front and K.C’s Democratic Front. Both the parties are claiming that they will win the elections. As leftist political parties make a united front, democratic front has to face a tough time.

The Bar is a leading organization of more than 15,000 legal brains of Nepal. It is sad, however, that it could not make any substantial contribution to the CA, neither on the constitutional issues nor as a watchdog. It could have pressurized the assembly to produce a constitution within a given time, given the pressure the Supreme Court judgment could build on the issue. A question arises: Is the Bar for Rule of Law or constitution of the country or is it there only to do politics? The new aspirants must answer this question.

Whoever may win the NBA’s elections, implications in terms of its functioning are nothing major.