By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
Currently, there is intense internal debate about the unprincipled, amoral, and disreputable state of the established political parties.
Compared to what is happening with the Communist parties and the Nepali Congress, the minor internal disputes in the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) represent a storm in a teacup.
In any case, the noted German sociologist and economist Robert Michels had spoken of the “iron law of oligarchy” plaguing democratic organizations in general, and political parties in particular.
Michels argued for the inevitability of oligarchy in political parties, with its consequential betrayal of parties’ political philosophies and the manipulation of rank-and-file by the leadership.
The Communist parties are hampered in their democratic functioning because their official organizing and decision-making principle is “democratic centralism”.
The centralist aspect enforced via the subordination of all lower bodies to the decisions taken by higher ones.
Democracy consisted in the fact that the highest body of the Communist party was its congress to which delegates were elected by local organizations.
Unfortunately, such elections have become few and far between.
The Nepali Congress has long thrown overboard its internal democratic principles and elections.
Like in the Communist parties, oligarchy with autocratic tendencies reigns supreme.
In theory, there was room for democratic input in the pre-conference/convention/congress discussions and elections.
In practice, criticism of Party leaders under any circumstances is considered disloyal and grounds for censure and/or expulsion.
Moreover, particularly where Communist and other Parties are in power, dependence of those below on higher Party officials for promotions and effectively erodes democratic decision-making.
Consequently, the political system built by the so-called mainstream political parties is not durable, nor can it deliver good governance.
There is absolutely no hope that the system will reform itself.
There will also be no change after the general elections of 2027, because the electoral system itself is deeply flawed.
The only way out of the morass is regime change.
This presents the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party under the leadership of Rajendra Lingden and Gyandendra Shahi with a great challenge, but also unique opportunity.
If the RPP is to be the vanguard of the new people’s movement, it must plan accordingly.
It must have the vision to:
- Establish genuine participatory democracy, starting from the grassroots
- Look out for capable administrators at the local, district and central levels, whereby gender parity must be aimed at and various ethnic groups incorporated. The search and recruitment process must start now.
- Re-establish Constitutional Monarchy as head of state to stand for the unity of the nation and preserve its sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity.
The Federal President has not functioned in this regard and as expected.
The RPP must establish an Action Committee to plan the movement, and the people must be informed on a regular basis. The so-called leaders who have ego problems should be ignored.
The writer can be reached at:
shashimalla125@gmail.com
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