After the 1990 political change, Nepal witnessed rampant political intervention and the deployment of party workers in the Constitutional Council and other state institutions based on political quotas. The Constitutional Council, Judicial Council, universities, and several other institutions gradually turned into centers for political recruitment. Even the judiciary became a venue for appointing political workers, which severely affected judicial independence.
We believe that, in order to clean up and restore independence in the judiciary, all judges should be appointed only after passing public service examinations. There have been allegations that many Supreme Court judges were unable to pass such examinations. Promotions should be based on merit and capability, not on political quotas or affiliations. Judicial appointments should not be made directly from legal practitioners. A similar merit-based system should be followed in the promotion of civil servants, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force officials.
Government undertakings should be granted full autonomy, while strict punishment must be imposed for abuse of authority and corruption. Likewise, the anti-corruption body should be selected through an independent mechanism to ensure impartiality and credibility. However, the appointment of ambassadors should not necessarily be made through open competition, considering the diplomatic and political sensitivities associated with such positions.
The Balendra-led government has formed a commission to amend the constitution. In fact, what Nepal requires is not merely amendment but a comprehensive overhaul of the present constitution. The constitutional structure should be practical, affordable, and sustainable in accordance with national revenue. The present constitution, often criticized as a white elephant, should be made more economical by reducing the number of members in Parliament.
As the National Assembly has largely turned into a platform for accommodating retiring political leaders, its necessity should be reconsidered. Similarly, provincial structures and District Coordination Committees have become costly and largely redundant; therefore, they should be abolished. In contrast, local governments should be further empowered, although the current number of local bodies should be rationalized and reduced to around 300 for greater efficiency and administrative sustainability.
Unnecessary commissions should also be abolished. Governments should not be allowed to establish commissions merely as vehicles for appointing party loyalists and political workers. Public institutions must serve the nation, not partisan interests. Nepal can move toward genuine institutional reform only when competence, integrity, and accountability replace political patronage as the foundation of governance.
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