Obstruction of Parliament, boundary debate and morality test
Nepal’s politics is at an interesting and complex juncture where the battle between new and old forces has become more about ‘arrogance’ and ‘contradiction’ than ‘ideas’. Those who questioned from the streets yesterday are in the seat of power today, and those who tasted power yesterday are advocating ‘good governance’ today.
The developments since June 9 show that it is not enough to be ‘new’ in Nepali politics, it has become even more challenging to be ‘constitutional’ and ‘moral’. Balen Shah’s cabinet expansion, Gagan Thapa’s warning, Khusbu Oli’s signature challenge and Harka Sampang’s slogan of ‘undemocratic’ are all raising questions about the current system.
Border sensitivity and Khushbu Oli’s ‘signature’ challenge
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The issue raised by Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmaker Khushbu Oli in the House of Representatives on Tuesday has created a ripple in the national politics.TAG_OPEN_span_65 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has openly challenged the ruling party over Prime Minister Balen Shah’s statement that Nepal has also encroached on India’s land.
“If the prime minister is right, then the ruling party lawmakers should launch a signature campaign and get it passed by the parliament,” he argues.TAG_OPEN_span_64 We, the opposition, are also ready to sign it. This is not only a challenge but also a strong critique of the prime minister’s “immature” diplomatic statement. How will the Prime Minister’s statement on a sensitive issue like Nepal’s border without any evidence maintain the country’s credibility in the international forum? This question of Khushbu Oli has made the ruling party very difficult.
Social media ‘bullying’ and ‘distraction’ game
Lawmaker Oli has made another serious allegation against Prime Minister Shah’s working style — the art of ‘diverting the subject’. He said that the Prime Minister was trying to divert the attention of the people by making a message of an employee on social media a national issue when there was opposition to his statement in the Parliament.
“He is promoting ridicule, sarcasm and bullying on social media,” Oli said. This shows that there is a growing tendency among the new generation of leaders to avoid serious questions by resorting to ‘populism’. This is certainly not a good sign for democracy.
Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle questions ‘morality’
Khushbu Oli has also demanded the resignation of Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, who is considered to be the ‘new hope’ of the economy.TAG_OPEN_span_61 The inclusion of Wagle’s name in the BYD revenue case and the lack of a fair investigation in it has raised questions about the slogan of good governance.
Oli’s question is, “Should there be a sprinkle of gold or an impartial investigation?”TAG_OPEN_span_60 This makes it clear that when even the so-called ‘intellectual’ and ‘expert’ characters come to power, a web of interests begins to weave around them.
Gagan Thapa’s ‘Jhankri Aur Witch’ Bimb and Sudan Gurung’s comeback
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In the meantime, Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa reached Gorkha and exposed another side of power.TAG_OPEN_span_59 Admitting the failures of all the governments since 2046 B.S., he challenged the Naya Shakti — “Do you have the courage to show the source of your wealth?”
In particular, in the context of Sudan Gurung being re-elected as the Home Minister, Thapa’s proverb “shamans and witches themselves” seems very relevant.TAG_OPEN_span_58 Thapa accused the government of reinstating Gurung by giving him a clean chit by forming an investigation committee after he resigned from his post after a question was raised over his property details.
Hark Sampang’s Parliament Revolt: Finding ‘Rule 15-2’
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Hark Sampang, chairman of the Labour and Culture Party, has opened another front on the working style of the parliament.TAG_OPEN_span_57 “Parliament has been held captive” by a placard that reads “Parliament is held captive” exposes the arbitrariness of the executive. According to the Rule 15 (2) of the House of Representatives Regulations, the Prime Minister has to respond to the questions raised in the Parliament within seven days.
Sampang asks, “Is the Prime Minister a member of this House or not?”TAG_OPEN_span_56 Reminding him of Article 77 (c) of the constitution, Sampang is trying to force the prime minister to be accountable to parliament.
Mahavir Again One Remaining Hope
Amidst all these controversies and tussles, Prime Minister Shah’s appointment of Mahabir Pun as the Minister of Science and Technology is considered a positive step.TAG_OPEN_span_55 Bringing Pun, who is eager to do something in the field of innovation and technology, seems to be the intention of the government to give ‘results’, but will Pun be able to work in the circle of bureaucracy and party interests? This is the biggest curiosity right now.
Where are we going?
Nepali politics is now at a strange crossroads. On the one hand, the old parties (Congress, UML, RPP) are trying to play the role of ‘watchdog’ for good governance and protecting the constitution. On the other hand, the new forces (Balen Shah, RSP) claim to be working, but they have repeatedly failed in transparency, diplomatic decorum and parliamentary accountability.
Whether it is the issue of boundaries raised by Khushbu Oli or the dignity of parliament raised by Harka Sampang, all of them have demanded the same thing: Accountability}. When the Prime Minister asks questions in the parliament by writing ‘status’ on social media, then the system is weak. When a minister is questioned and a committee is formed to suit him and he is cleared, then democracy is mocked.
Total,
The Nepali people did not like Balen Shah or Gagan Thapa or Mahabir Pun just for their faces, they liked them for their ‘methods’.TAG_OPEN_strong_68 But today’s politics shows that even though the characters have changed, the style of ‘saving power’ and ‘diverting the subject’ has not changed.
The return of Sudan Gurung has brought a defeat of morality while the appointment of Mahabir Pun has given a small glimmer of hope. But, as Khushbu Oli said, if the prime minister cannot correct his own statement and answer from the rostrum of Parliament, then this ‘new politics’ will also be just ‘old wine, new bottle’.
The next fight is not between the ‘new’ and the ‘old’, the next fight is between the ‘honest’ and the ‘dishonest’. And who stands where in this fight will be decided by the decisions they make and the answers they give. Has the era of “black and black eat together” come to an end? This will be decided by this obstruction of parliament and the government’s response.
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