By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
Currently, there is not a single political commentator of repute who is willing to praise the predominantly Communist government for what it has achieved till now and what it has in store for the country.
Rabi Lamichhane’s Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was sort of a fig leaf for the under achieving Pushpa Kamal Dahal-Prachanda and his luckless Maoists – a minority party trying to dominate the whole political spectacle.
The RSP has camped itself ideologically as centre-left, but until now it has nothing to show besides its top leader being embroiled in the so-called “Cooperatives Scam’, in which Lamichhane allegedly borrowed/misused the savings of thousands of depositors of cooperatives in millions of rupees.
It is further alleged that Lamichhane is using his office of home minister and deputy prime minister as a shield to hamper closer scrutiny.
As of last week, the major ruling and opposition parties failed to agree on the terms of reference for the parliamentary committee supposed to investigate the issue of cooperative fraud.
Thus Sunday’s meeting of the working group at the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs inclusive and indicating that the Nepali Congress will continue to hold the parliament hostage.
This is a sure sign of the decay of parliamentary democracy.
The commentator Narayan Manandhar writes that the unseemly events in parliament have derogated the meaning and significance of cooperatives.
According to experts, there are perhaps 31,000 cooperatives established all over the country, of which a whopping 23,000 may be involved in hanky-panky business.
Like it or not, the word “thug’ has become synonymous with cooperatives, and linked with the image of a specific political leader (my Republica, May 19).
So much so, that Gagan Thapa, Nepali Congress Secretary-General went to the extent of proclaiming: “ The parliament is polarized into two camps – one seeking to protect the thugs and the other demanding action against them,” after the unruly events in the House.
Other commentators, like Pawan Adhikari while pointing out the erosion of morality in Nepali politics, take a too optimistic view of the possibility of self-rectification in Nepali society (my Republica, May 15).
The rot in the body politic is too far advanced and the power structures too entrenched to restore trust in institutions and promote inclusive government.
The misguided supporters of Loktantra ( the so-called new people’s democracy) must come to the realization that the political edifice constructed by the current corrupt politicians or dons has failed utterly.
What is happening in parliament – by the government and the opposition – is not high drama, but a national disgrace. It exposes to the core the toxic mendacity of the ruling class and its dons.
If Nepali society is to reassert its commitment to democratic values, demanding accountability and transparency – it must make a radical break with the recent past – and build anew taking a holistic approach.
This is the only path forward.
The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com
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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