On/Off the Record
By P.R. Pradhan
Nepal adopted the partyless Panchayat system on 31 December 1960. During that time, it was being said that the Panchyat system suits the soil and climate of the country. The campaigners of the Panchayat system used to define it as the system originated in the Nepali soil. They used to criticize the multiparty system saying that it was imported from foreign land and didn’t suit the Nepali climate. Today, when the political parties, by forgetting their party principles, ethics and values, are forging an electoral alliance, it seems the significance of the political parties has been ended and a partyless system is obvious for Nepal.
King Mahendra had introduced the partyless system by dismissing the multiparty system. Still, King Mahendra’s dynamic contribution to the nation is being recalled by a large section of people, although, the followers of the present “loktantra” criticize him as an autocratic ruler. The time has already proved who was an autocrat and who was a democrat!
Nothing to hide, along with the demise of the Panchayat system in 1989, the country’s downfall has started. Today, we are on the verge of collapse as kleptocracy, corruption, lawlessness, anarchism, nepotism, and favouritism like all kinds of anomalies have flourished in the name of loktantra. Since the demise of the Panchayat system, we have travelled from a multiparty democracy to the loktantra with federalism, secularism and republicanism.
Since the 2006 April uprising, many things we have witnessed. The political parties have lost their image, whereas, the political leaders have lost their reputation. They are being compared with “thieves”. Not only a particular political party but all the parties are being misguided from the party’s fundamental principles. The 1989 struggle was for the introduction of the multiparty system with political parties having different principles. Within 32 years of the introduction of the multiparty democracy, the different political parties, by forgetting their fundamental principle, have decided to develop an alliance to contest the election. By forgetting a particular party’s election symbol, the party leaders are asking their workers to campaign for another party’s election symbol. The Nepali Congress is the oldest political party existed in the country. NC leadership has instructed its workers to campaign for “sickle and hammer” by undermining the historic party election symbol “tree” and vice versa. It is not only odd that the parties which had struggled for a long period to get their party symbol, are now neglecting their party symbol and have become ready to cast vote in another symbol. There is no significant difference between the present political trend and the erstwhile partyless system. Only the difference is that the erstwhile partyless Panchayat system was for nation-building and now the present partyless loktantra is for building supreme leaders’ political future, personal wealth and personal prosperity.
If the political parties in the alliance break the alliance and contest elections on their own strength, it is sure, except for the Nepali Congress, other parties in the alliance, including the Maoist Center and CPN US, are going to be disappeared from the political scene of Nepal. However, incapable Prime Minister and NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba has decided to rescue the small parties from the present crisis. Nevertheless, there is the possibility of betrayal from the NC workers to a great extent.
With glory, we can say that during the Panchayat rule, at least, there was a rule of law and the nation’s politics was for a prosperous Nepal.
The other day, Devendra Raj Pandey, who became the finance minister after the introduction of the multiparty democracy, twitted that a huge building is being constructed nearby his residence. The construction works are in progress even during the night hours. He is thus compelled to wake up even during his sleeping time due to the irritating noise coming from the construction site. “Where to complain?” he has questioned.
Perhaps, the multiparty democracy, also backed by him, failed to teach the social code of conduct! Pandey has described his personal plight. In all sectors, anomalies have flourished enormously.
In a democracy, we have the right to choose a better leader. Unfortunately, although, we know, the leaders are incompetent and worst, even though, every time, they are being elected again and again.
Perhaps, Dr Shashank Koirala is correct to say that political agenda, party manifesto and party policies don’t work, except for money. Koirala disclosed the fact that money is everything in elections. He had spent 80 thousand rupees in the first general election, 30 million rupees in the second general election and 60 million rupees in the third general election. Obviously, he has to spend double amount than the amount he had spent in the last general election. Koirala also compared how elections have become expensive for the political leaders! Koirala didn’t say but expressed his experience that the present political system cannot function.
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