Editorial»
Alliance with the incompetents
JAN 17 - A profound wisdom that has been circulating in Nepal these days is no exception to the likes of those often professed by our intellectuals. But only this time, it has the endorsement of august foreign personalities like Sir Jeffery James (UK’s special envoy) Christina Rocca (US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs), as well as others. Therefore, currently this profound wisdom has high circulation value.
The profound wisdom prescribes that to extricate Nepal from the current turmoil, the ‘pro-parliamentary parties’ and the monarch should work together to save this system of constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy and, of course, to confront the Maoist insurgency. But the foreign dignitaries perhaps consider the consideration of the consequences of such prescription premature. Nepali intellectuals as usual are not in a position to consider the consequences of whatever they profess.
The purported pro-parliamentary parties are implied to constitute only the five political parties who are jointly agitating in the streets, with anti-monarchy rhetoric and not a host of other political parties that exist in Nepal currently. Among these five, only the Nepali Congress and Sadbhawana parties are non-communist parties. Among the remaining three communist parties, the Peoples’ Front (PF), has been suspected by some to be the covert, over-ground wing of the Maoist insurgents.
The three communist parties, it may be recalled, had declared just before the first general election of this democracy in May 1991 that they, in consonance with their ideology, do not believe in the parliamentary form of democracy. The United Marxist Leninist (UML) party, had said that though they did not believe in this form of democracy, they would participate in it only to provide a “critical support”, because of the present global political condition. The other two communist parties had said that they would participate in the election “to expose the contradictions that was inherent in democracy” so as to replace it quickly.
The three out of the five agitating parties, despite their professed ideology as well as their initial declaration against parliamentary democracy, have the profound luck of being included by Sir Jeffery James and Christina Rocca, among others as a “pro-parliamentarian parties”! Parties with declared intention to abide their time till an opportune moment to displace this democracy (“critical support”) or to sabotage this system (“exposing the contradiction”) seem to have convinced both the foreign dignitaries and understandably the Nepali intellectuals, as to their “genuine” democratic credentials! Otherwise, such profound wisdom for alliance of all the agitating parties and the government and the palace would not have emanated at all.
Of the two non-communist parties, the Sadbhawana party is primarily concerned justifiably with regional and ethnic rights. It is also a party that has come to exist only as a product of democracy after 1990. Hence, its commitment to democracy per se over and above regional and ethnic rights may be questioned.
Conversely, it may be reasoned that if the regional and ethnic rights are granted by dispensation other than by this current democracy, this party may support it. Considering the past elections, it becomes apparent that this party has limited electoral base in comparison to the country as a whole. Hence it has limited impact on the larger polity of the country. Nevertheless, unlike the NC and UML, it cannot be faulted for defaming democracy. Therefore, inclusion of this party in the alliance to solve the current impasse may seem reasonable.
NC had the opportunity to be in power for more than eleven years since 1990. So it has often been said that the greatest responsibility for the malfunctioning of Nepali democracy has to be borne by it. Yet, the comedy of the day is that this party is naively taken to be a democratic party by foreigners as well as by many in Nepal. A party that has given a bad name to democracy and a party, which does not function within itself, is considered to be capable of contributing to the enhancement of ‘proper’ democracy in the country!
Given the apparent and absolute incapacity of NC and ulterior motive of the three communist parties in the agitation, the consequence of the incumbent government and the Palace working together with them, purportedly to solve the present political crisis, is a sure prescription for a fiasco. Yet, the dignitaries like Sir Jeffery James and Christina Rocca, among others seem to think otherwise.
The purported major political parties have shown since 1990 to be capable of mismanaging a democratic polity. They have brought down the governments so frequently that the average duration of a government has been a mere 14.64 months between the advent of democracy in 1990 till 4 October 2002. Yet the foreign dignitaries still think they can enhance democracy. These political parties are not at all functioning democratically (see, the Party Constitutions and mode of functioning). Yet the wisdom of the august foreign dignitaries and those of the Nepali intellectuals has discerned that they are vital for the functioning of democracy. Parties that do not function democratically are expected to maintain democracy in the country!!
Many of the sympathisers, supporters and cadres of these political parties have been killed, robbed, and forced to flee their homes in the districts. Yet, these parties have not even tried to do anything to protect and provide redress to their own victimised people. The energy and rhetoric of the parties currently is not even directed towards those who have victimised their own supporters in the districts. Parties that cannot protect the lives and properties of their own supporters cannot possibly be expected to provide security to the entire people of the country.
In fact, as past events have shown, it was during the “constitutional and democratic” rule of these political parties that the insurgency in this country had begun and expanded to cover most part of the country. The situation had developed to such an extent that the leaders of the political parties, considered as the “representatives of the people” could not go and mingle with the people for the purpose of election campaigns. Those who dare not go to the people are still called the “representatives of the people”!!
The same set of party leaders who had mismanaged democracy, who had unleashed unprecedented level of corruption and misrule, and who cannot even attempt to protect the lives and property of their own party supporters are today expected to work in alliance with the incumbent government and the Palace. Such esoteric wisdom of those of the likes of Sir Jeffery James and Christina Rocca may be beyond the comprehension of the general masses. Perhaps they are attempting to exonerate the past incompetence and misrule and the crimes of the party leaders and reinstate them to continue with their follies.
What ever may be inherent intention of those recommending the alliance of the parties and the Palace at present, consequences of such alliance need to be mulled over. Given the past track record of the party leaders there is no scope either for faith or hope in such alliance. The consequence of such alliance can be discerned to produce yet further disruptions unless the political parties are reformed and made capable.
If the constitutions of the respective parties were reformed to be in tune with the spirit of democracy; if the functioning procedures of the political parties follow along democratic lines then it would be an improvement. If the current nefarious, corrupt and incapable leaders are replaced in the respective parties, and a new set of leadership is allowed to emerge then perhaps the idea of alliance of the parties and the Palace may have some working chance.
Given the present state of the political parties, their internal functioning style and the incompetent and corrupt leadership, there can be neither any faith nor any hope in the parties. If the current incompetent leadership is replaced, faith in the political parties may still be problematic, but at least there would be a scope for hope.Posted on: 2004-01-18 02:50
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