Editorial»
Act responsibly
JAN 03 - The fading love affair of the five political parties with the monarch is understandable. The monarch has been disregarding the political parties since the unceremonious ousting of the Sher Bahadur Deuba government on October 4, 2002. The parliamentary parties have since then been putting lacklustre efforts in bringing back the executive powers from Narayanhiti to Singha Durbar. Suddenly, the agitation saw a flicker of hope with the student movement and anti-monarch slogans heating up the streets. Now, the political parties have started thinking loudly about changing their stance on constitutional monarchy. If the parties have seriously started mulling over a republican state, it is unfortunate for the future of this country.
Some student leaders have been trying to portray the constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy as a stopover to a republican state, and the parties seem to be falling for the idea. In fact, the multiparty democratic system with constitutional monarchy is very much a complete, dynamic, people-friendly and suitable system for this country. Only that suspicious moves on the part of the monarch, and sidelining the parliamentary political parties, have certainly sent across a bad message.
A bid to move towards a republican state will probably only help disintegrate the country, not consolidate our sovereignty. At the most, the effort will help Maoists establish an authoritarian communist system, which will be much formidable to opposition than absolute monarchy. Threats from neighbouring countries, in case of destabilisation, cannot be dismissed, either. Given the country’s geo-political situation and vast diversity in caste, creed and ethnicity, it will certainly need a historically, culturally and religiously revered institution, that is monarchy.
However, a republican state is not inconceivable. If we had no armed Maoist insurgency, and had our political leaders shown an acceptable level of statesmanship and honesty in the twelve years after the restoration of democracy in 1990, a normal citizen would have no problem with constitutional monarchy or republican democracy. Rampant corruption, undemocratic practices within the democratic parties, and their high-handedness disillusioned Nepalis. On the other hand, a quasi-democratic system being mulled by pro-Palace forces is also not going to help the country. Today’s citizens would certainly decry being the disciples of an authoritarian system.
There is, hence, no option but the reconciliation of the political parties and the King. Anything else will be fateful for the country. The ego clash between the parties and the monarch will just confuse the illiterate and gullible Nepalis who can be used by Maoists to expand their influence. We can hope for a better future only if the King and the parties work together responsibly to restore peace in the country, and hold parliamentary elections at the earliest. Posted on: 2004-01-04 05:15
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