On/Off the Record
By P.R. Pradhan
The country has turned into a factory producing political leaders. Politics in Nepal has become a flourishing business without investment. Contradiction is that the nation’s industries have been ruined and the government’s plans and policies are based on encouraging our youths to go abroad for dirty and dangerous jobs.
The constitution written by the Indo-West power and approved by the constituent assembly has not been able to function. The federal parliament and also the province councils are not able to give a stable government. The Prime Minister himself remarked that it was unfortunate for him to face the vote of confidence three times within one and a half years. The game of toppling the government continues either in the centre or in the provinces. There are around 37 thousand people’s representatives, who receive monthly salaries, allowances and other facilities. The country’s revenue collection is even below the amount that the government is spending on the general sector, i.e. salaries and allowances. The government is thus compelled to run behind debts to meet its expenditure. There are no funds to run the development projects. Now, the government is facing the problem of taking debts to pay back the instalments and interests of the old debts. These are the serious symptoms of a failed economy. Yet, the political leaders in the government are less bothered about the country’s economic situation.
The constitution drafted by the foreign powers doesn’t suit the Nepali atmosphere. The only solution to the problems faced by the country is suspending the present constitution and reducing unnecessary expenditures. Nepal like a small country having a population of 30 million doesn’t need a House of Representatives with 275 members. The proportional election system has become a mechanism to assign wives and relatives of the party’s influential leaders. Therefore, the electoral system should be abandoned. The national assembly has also become a place to elect relatives and sycophants, therefore, it makes no significant difference even if removed this organ. Not to forget, recently, Bamdev Gautam remarked that there is no significance in being a member of the national assembly. In fact, he is true.
Nepal is even smaller than many Indian states both by population and by size. In such a country, introducing seven provinces in a poverty-ridden situation is a big joke. Therefore, all the provincial structures should be suspended. Accordingly, there is no need for district coordination committees. Moreover, the number of local bodies should be reduced according to the recommendation of the state restructuring commission.
Furthermore, the present practice of assigning a big team of advisors, experts and assistants and the formation of different commissions should be ended. If needed such experts, the concerned authority can assign officials from the civil service. At least, they are qualified and passed the Public Service Commission examinations. the practice of political appointments in the diplomatic sector, constitutional bodies, educational institutions, and also in the judiciary should be ended. Organisations affiliated with different political parties in the civil service, teachers, and students, among others, should be banned.
As the practices of reservation of different communities, identity agenda and secularism have destroyed our society and invited conflict, these provisions should be suspended.
The political change that we adopted following the 2006 April uprising didn’t suit Nepal. Neither the change strengthened Nepali sovereignty nor the Nepali identity. Instead, the change ruined the Nepali economy and weakened our existence on the globe. Derailed foreign policy has weakened Nepal’s significance in the globe.
In conclusion, we have reached the end of the tunnel from where there is no door for an exit. Therefore, we should return to the point from where we had started the journey. To make it clear, let’s return to the previous 1990 constitution which can incorporate all the forces and which is economically sound, practical, and sustainable.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.
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