By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel
High voltage scams, abuse of authority, and poor governance are the major problems on display in the country. Likewise, poverty, unemployment and high inflation are the other challenges staring at us. Amidst this dismal picture and serious problems facing the socio-economic and political aspects, we just celebrated our 17th republic day with big fanfare. Even more than a decade and a half after the country was declared a republic, the people have yet to experience rapid economic growth and political stability.
Nepal was ruled by the monarch for over two centuries. However, the century-old monarch was abolished in 2008 through the august body–the constituent assembly. There was a euphoria among people thinking that political transformation would end all past injustice and inequalities. They expected a lasting peace and sustainable development. However, their hopes and expectations were shattered when they found that their representatives were no different than the disposed king in terms of governance.
In any functioning democracy, the political parties are key actors. However, a wrong political party in power can sabotage the democratic norms, values and practices of democracy as is evident in the Nepali political context. Ever since we restored democracy, we have seen many governments–left or centrist. But it is strange to note that no government completed their term due to internal bickering over power sharing and other petty interests.
The grand old party–Nepali Congress–which claims to represent democracy ruled the country several times. People gave it the mandate with the hope that it would transform the nation–socially, economically and politically. But they never tried to understand the nerves of the people who were struggling with day-to-day survival. Rampant corruption as a result of poor governance, ineffective service delivery and violation of human rights continues to flourish even under their government.
The people were fed up with poor governance and were desperately looking for alternative forces which could truly represent them. This allowed the former rebels to weave a story telling the people that the Nepali Congress had failed and failed miserably. The story was sold successfully. The result was that the Maoists were given the mandate to govern them. Here lies the biggest irony. Even the Maoists fooled the people and engaged in manipulating the laws to ensure that they remained in power infinitely.
CPN-UML which is a key political player in the Nepalese political context has also ruled the country. Alike the Nepali Congress and Maoist, it has also been guided by vested interest rather than curbing corruption, nabbing the criminals and addressing the day-to-day problems of people. It intends to remain in power, no matter how it comes.
When we assess the political parties, Nepali Congress, Maoist or CPN-UML, we will find that they are not concerned about the problem of the people and not accountable to them. We will also find that they lock their horns when it comes to the broader interest of the people but join hands forgetting their differences when it comes to looting the people. This is a simple truth that everyone needs to understand and adhere to.
It is not surprising to see any political parties breaking the alliance and joining hands with another party if it enhances their political mileage. It is also not strange to see the parties with different political ideologies coming together for their interests. The broader interests of the nation and people are seldom taken into consideration.
In every party, there is an internal bickering over power sharing and leadership. The Nepali Congress has been its worst manifestation. The party rank and file have been expressing dissatisfaction over the way the party is run and managed. But senior leaders seldom take these concern seriously. As a result, the party which was viewed as the beacon of democracy is in dire stage now. The situation of CPN-UML is no different either. Many senior leaders have quit the party citing dissatisfaction over the highhandedness of the party president and forming a new party under their leadership. When we talk about leadership’s failure, we cannot afford to miss the former rebels. The Maoists came to power when the people were frustrated with the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML over their poor performance in terms of governance. The Maoists sold the lofty dreams of transforming the nation socio-economic and politically. Now, we do not need any rocket scientist to assess whether the Maoist were able to translate their words into action or not.
The political parties have been engaged in forming and breaking the government. So much so that people are not taken aback when they hear that coalition partners have withdrawn their support to the government and joined hands with others to form the new government. If media reports are any guide, the government formed after the election to the constituent assembly has not completed its full term. This has become an acceptance.
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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