By P.R. Pradhan
It seems this is the era of political comedians. In Ukraine, a professional comedian Volodymyr Zelenskyy has become the President and Russian President Vladimir Putin could not stop Russia from launching an attack on Ukraine after an intolerable challenge and a security threat from Zelenskyy.
The Nepali political leaders are no less than comedians as, every day, they make laugh the people from their speeches.
The nation is passing through a serious phase of economic crisis. The present Russia-Ukraine war has further complicated the national economy but the political leaders are not serious about the possible upcoming crisis. Strong economies compared to Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are already facing an economic crisis. The Indian economy has also been affected which we can assume from the incline on the US dollars and gold price. The Sri Lankan crisis is seen as very serious. The Nepali leaders have no time even to view the situation there and take precautions for saving the Nepali economy. Already, in India, the diesel price has hiked by 25 rupees Indian currency per litre. Nepal is a country that relied on the Indian supply of petroleum products. Surely, it would hit Nepal immediately. Nepal, during the past seven months, has imported nearly 51 billion rupees worth of food items. Nepal, although an agricultural country, is not self-reliant on food production. If there will be food shortage or the supply channel will be disturbed due to the escalation of the Russian-Ukraine war, Nepal will have to face famine. Neither the ruling parties nor the opposition parties have opined about the present worst scenario in our economy.
The government is intended to squeeze the taxpayers and commoners by imposing heavy taxation on them. Along with the rise in the price of petroleum products in the international market, the government is increasing the price in the local market. Along with the new tariff on petroleum products, the government revenue is increasing as the tax amount on petroleum products will automatically increase. The government is collecting 13 percent VAT plus road tax, environment tax, infrastructural tax, among other on each litre of petroleum products from the consumers. The government has not thought about removing some amount of tax, instead, pushing the Nepal Oil Corporation towards bankruptcy as the Corporation is facing a loss worth millions of rupees from the sales of the petroleum products at the present price. Already, the Corporation has spent the reserve fund to import petroleum products. We can imagine, how serious is the situation!
Populist budget:
As the year 2022 is the election year, the government has started preparation of the new budget. On the eve of the new fiscal year, the nation is going to elect the local bodies. Then preparation for the provincial and federal elections will start. To attract votes in favour of the ruling alliance, the government is all set to present a populist budget that cannot be implemented at the present state of the economy. Moreover, such a populist budget may push the nation towards further economic crisis.
Finishing each other:
The political parties in the election race, especially the communist parties, instead of presenting their political agendas and plan for rescuing the nation from the possible economic crisis, have been challenging each other for finishing them forever. Whether it is UML chair K.P. Sharma Oli or NCP US chair Madhav Nepal or Maoist Center chair Pushpakamal Dahal, they are challenging to finish each other in upcoming elections.
Nepal and Dahal, who have become very weak, are thinking about regaining power with the support of the Nepali Congress – a feudal and an enemy force according to their political manifesto. This is an example that the Nepali political parties can go to any extent for power by keeping aloof their political ideology and principles. Power is important for them, neither they have the vision for making Nepal nor any plan for making the economy self-reliant.
Hopeless leaders, hopeless voters:
It is odd that the Nepalis are the happiest people in the South Asian region! Why are they happy, we don’t know. It is of course true that the Nepali population is hopeless and reactionless. We are seeing the very political faces in power since 1990. They have already been proved failed on their political mission. The political system they have introduced has already been failed, yet, there is no mass reaction against the system. Voters are reelecting the very faces again and again. As the political leaders are hopeless, the responsible voters too are hopeless, thus far, we cannot expect a better Nepal again from the present-day leaders and their voters!
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