Weakening parliamentary democracy

7 April 2023

The on-going deliberation among the lawmakers of the major political polities on the amended version of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) at the House of Representatives seems to be picking up its momentum in a positive way, considering its utmost necessity to resolve the 16 years long painful wounds of so-called people’s war. Established in 2014, despite receiving over 60,000 complaints of abuses committed during the 1996-2006 conflict, no progress was made so far. The previous governments have failed to bring the TRC and CIEDP into conformity with international law as directed by the Supreme Court in 2015 and give a final touch on it.

The major political parties and their leaders have failed to address the pressing issues facing the country and the people. For quite some time, national economy is taking a downward turn. The government’s current level of revenue has been hardly enough to meet the recurrent expenditures, which could paralyse the nation if the government failed to look for its alternatives. In the recent years, coalition of strange bedfellows having varied principles and ideologies coming together continue to fuel political instability. It shows that their lust for power is nothing but to fatten their wallets.

Even after four months of the federal and provincial elections, the major parties are struggling to give full shapes to the governments. Five partners of the ruling alliance have continued their undemocratic move by issuing a joint statement urging their party leaders and sister wings to support the ruling alliance's common candidates in the three parliamentary constituencies. It was even unfortunate to see some leaders who were rejected by their voters in the recently held federal election are trying to use back door to enter into the HoR by contesting in the upcoming bi-elections scheduled to take place on April 23.

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharajgunj

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