Internal political instability in Nepal is not over yet, instead tightening the rope of economic fall for Sri Lanka. Nepal will have to decide its direction by handling the primary issues of the country and politics with the surrounding countries.
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On September 20, 2017, the seventh constitution of Nepal came into existence. It has been three years since this incident. For some it was a celebration, while for others it was a day of mourning. According to the provisions of this constitution, elections were held in Nepal soon after, in 2017 itself. These elections took place at the local, state and federal levels. Since then, a total of 761 governments have come into existence. Of these, 753 were at the local level, seven at the state level and one at the federal level.
After these elections, unexpectedly, the Communist Party of Nepal emerged as the most powerful political force in Nepal. The party won not only the federal government but also six of the seven state governments. Also, at the local level (ie Gram Panchayats and Municipalities), the same party won in most places.
At the federal level, the party won a two-thirds majority. No other party has won so many seats since 1959. All this was very embarrassing for the Nepali Congress party. The Nepali Congress was the largest party in the previous parliament. The situation was embarrassing for both the political parties, the Rashtriya Janata Party-Nepal and the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN), which have the overwhelming support of the Madhesi people. They were able to form governments in only one state and in some gram panchayats and municipalities. At the same time, it was seen that they had to lose a large number of people in the Terai region as well. When the Madhesi movement started in 2015-16, these parties could not even address the issues on which they had started the fight as they could not make proper amendments in the Constitution. This was one of the main reasons for their credit crunch.
However, the political situation in Nepal is not entirely conducive to the Communist Party of Nepal. The new constitution has disillusioned the Madhesi people and nothing has changed. Some senior leaders of the Nepali Communist Party have also criticized the party for failing to revive the country. These leaders include leaders like Madhav Kumar Nepal. Recently, a new penal code called Muluki Ain came into force across the country. The Code provides for very strict laws and regulations and severe penalties for violating them. Dissatisfaction arose against this at all levels of society. From doctors, journalists, etc. to ordinary motorists, everything was agitating till now. Ordinary Nepalese people have also been affected by the sharp rise in prices of all commodities, including foodgrains.
It is noteworthy that this government has not succeeded in increasing the income and productivity of any component of the economy. The economic growth rate is around 4 and there are no signs of growth. New employment opportunities are not being created. Rape, bribery and violence are on the rise.
The new constitution has adopted the federal system. In this system, all elements of the system, namely the nation, the state and the local bodies, have specific rights. But the new leadership does not seem to have the will to implement this system honestly and this is a matter of great concern. The central government does not seem to be willing to share the power with the state governments and local bodies. As much as 70 per cent of the total national budget is in the hands of the central government and only 30 per cent of the funds are reaching the state and local bodies.
Due to lack of sufficient financial resources, it has become almost impossible for the state and local governments to prioritize public interest projects. Then the taxation has started in an arbitrary manner to increase the income. This has created an atmosphere of panic among the taxpayers.
The manpower / bureaucracy required for good governance at the state and local level was expected to be provided by the Central Government. But that is not all. Projects have been stalled due to lack of manpower. All of this has raised questions about whether the government really wants a federal government.
Not everything is alright even in the ruling Nepali Communist Party. Yes side, K. P. Oli's Nepali Communist Party (United Marxist-Leninist) and Prachanda's Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) are a combination of the two parties. However, there is constant competition between the two groups for control of the party and there are no signs of it subsiding. Even in party discussions, party workers themselves are criticizing the party leadership for the government's failure to meet the expectations of the people.
China and India are two of Nepal's strongest neighbors. In dealing with these two, Nepal has to work hard and this government is showing maturity in this regard. Nepal is believed to have slapped India by distancing itself from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). The Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project with a generating capacity of 1200 MW was awarded to a Chinese company called Gezuba. Last November, the government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress canceled a contract awarded to the same company.
Speaking on the occasion, Nepal's Energy Minister Barsa Man Pun said, "We were forced to award the contract worth crores of rupees to a Chinese company." Under the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative of China, the industry is trying to please China by awarding railways and some other contracts.
The Nepali people unanimously supported the Communist Party of Nepal at all levels, national, state and local. Therefore, after many decades, political stability has been created in Nepal. But the government does not seem to be able to make proper use of this overwhelming support. Therefore, public confidence in this government will gradually diminish. It is urgent to pay attention to the aspirations of the dissatisfied elements in the society. At the same time, attention needs to be paid to maintaining law and order, creating a conducive environment for financial investment, holistic development, job creation, etc. On the other hand, the government has an important responsibility to balance the political equations at the international level as well. If the government fails on any of these fronts, the country could once again fall into the pit of political instability.
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