By Our Reporter
We bid farewell to the year of 2076 on Monday amidst the fear of coronavirus. Unlike in the past, the Nepali people did not mark the New Year due to virus fear and the lockdown imposed to contain it. It was the first New Year in hundreds of year when the people in Bhaktapur failed to see any traditional jatras and elsewhere people stayed home instead of picnicking or feasting.
Of course, in sum the year 2076 could not be that good for Nepal even though fear of coronavirus began only at the end of the year. The government failed to fare well. Records were set up in bad governance even though Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli always boasted about his slogan of zero tolerance to corruption. But reality was otherwise. Gokul Baskota, the PM’s right hand had to quit over a corruption scandal whereas the government drew severe criticism for the corruption committed while purchasing the medicines and medical kits means for the control and treatment of coronavirus. Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara had to step down over a sexual scandal.
Moreover, the ruling Nepal Communist Party wasted the whole year in intra-party power struggle. The party that has two chairmen—KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal—suffered a lot due to feud between the two leaders. When Oli and Dahal failed to remain in good terms, the relations between Oli and senior leader Madahv Kumar Nepal also turned sour. The dispute of seniority between Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal had also been there the whole year.
Bamdev Gautam remained probably in the centre of the disputes in the party as he tried to reach the House of Representatives applying all measures but in vain. Backed by Dahal, Gautam had to be contended with a assurance of getting nomination to the National Assembly.
Of course, one scandal after another marred the party and the powerful government.
When Oli Dahal failed to agree sharing responsibilities, the conflict in the leadership heightened the whole year. Dahal began seeking his responsibilities since mid-Baisakh last year, but PM Oli continued to ignore him. Both the leaders were criticised for not running the parties well and not calling the meetings of the central and standing committees. Though the meetings held in Mangsir and Magh, they failed to conclude the unity process.
Many of the decisions of the government were criticised by the party leadership. The angry leaders held a meeting in Bamdev’s home in Bahinsepati, which compelled PM Oli to share responsibilities of the party. According to which Dahal was designated to run the party and Oli the government. But the agreement failed to end the disputes.
Formation of the state and district committees and departments also caused a rift in the party. Similarly, the issue of Millennium Challenge Corporation also caused a division in the party, which is yet to be resolved.
The dispute between Oli and Dahal was also apparent in the appointment of 10 Deputy Inspector Generals of Nepal Police and on the issue of forming an all-party mechanism to fight COVID-19. When Dahal floated the idea of forming the all-party mechanism, Oli outright rejected this.
Login to add a comment