Ganatantra in peril?

The Himalayan Times

18 August 2023

According to political analysts, democracy is under threat as long as the leaders start acting in an authoritarian manner in the name of majority in the HoR. Chairman of Rastriya Janamorcha Chitra Bahadur KC has said six months ago in the House that democracy and the republic are in danger as the prime minister takes a vote of confidence every two months and engages in the game of breaking and forming the government. He opined that no party could get a clear majority under the existing electoral system. Therefore, most of the time was spent in forming and bringing down the government rather than seriously and collectively deliberating on the national agenda and peoples’ prime issues and concerns.

Closely looking at the current political situation, where the 10-party coalition government and the main opposition seem to be flexing their political muscle against or for forming a high level commission to investigate the one quintal of gold confiscated by the Department of Revenue Investigation outside the Tribhuvan International Airport. The HoR has been held hostage for the last three weeks, at a time, when the nation and people are heavily affected by monsoon havoc, double digit inflation, dengue fever and so on. The involvement of high profile political leaders and bureaucrats in various big corruption scams has rocked, shocked and seriously defamed the nation. It appears that the nation is on the path towards either a mid-term election or becoming a failed state. It might be for the major political parties to realise in time and be ready to amend the 2015 constitution or revive the 2047 constitution to suit the home-grown political structure and save the nation from destabilization.

The Constitution is meant to bring stability in the nation, not to destabilize it. Despite the two elections held after the promulgation of the 2015 Constitution, the nation has not made any significant progress towards development and prosperity, thus making the people more wary about and frustrated with the existing political structure. Unfortunately, the on-going national politics seems to be pushing the nation towards social, political and economic instability. For creating and inviting this chaotic situation, nobody is to blame other than the irresponsible, egoistic and corrupt political leaders of big parties.

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharajgunj

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