Democracy – Nepali Style

(Courtesy: Roop Joshi)

December 28th was another busy day for the unelected interim parliament of Nepal. With 3 dissenting votes, it approved the declaration of Nepal as a Federal Democratic Republic – to be “implemented” by a simple majority of the 601-member Constituent Assembly when elected by mid-April 2008. The declaration had been made public a couple of days earlier with the machination and blessings of the leaders of the three major political parties in Nepal.

International media, CNN and BBC in this case, have trumpeted the headlines “Nepal abolishes its 240 years old monarchy”, “Nepal ceases to be the last Hindu Kingdom in the world”, and so forth. The headlines, of course, ignore the “implementation” part of the parliamentary approval though it does appear inconspicuously in the body of the news stories. They do not question why the CA is needed if this parliament is going to do its work. For all purposes, the World woke up today to discover that in one fell swoop Nepal is now a republic. Voila!

I have always been under the impression that “democracy” is rule by the people (of the people, for the people – if you want the full American definition). I am bemused that a parliament which has not been elected, at the instigation of three political leaders – one an octogenarian with ambitions to be the first President of Nepal before it is too late; another a leftist politician who has hopes of somehow being the first Prime Minister of a republican Nepal; and the third whose political party is in government solely from the effects and future threats of its guns – has declared this country a republic without finding out what the Nepali Public wants.

Further, this declaration goes against the Comprehensive Peace Accord between the then government and the Maoists which clearly stated that the issue of republic versus monarchy would be decided by a two-thirds majority of the Constituent Assembly, when elected. Of course, the CA elections have been postponed first in June 2007, then in November 2007, and are now vaguely planned for April 2008. In short, the common Nepali in the street has never been asked whether he wants a republic or wants to maintain a constitutional or ceremonial monarchy. This “asking” is commonly known as a Referendum.

If Nepal is to be a modern multi-party DEMOCRACY, it is time for Nepalis who love this country to practice wisdom and rationality and take this declaration as a direct insult to their intelligence and basic human rights. If Jana Andolan I (1990) put an end to the Panchayat system and Jana Andolan II (2006) to an autocratic government, it may be opportune now for Jana Andolan III. This one will put an end to the high-handedness of an oligarchic government controlled by a triumvirate of power hungry politicians.

One might also ask what the Nepal Army is doing about this despotic declaration. The Chief of the NA has clearly stated that the NA will support democracy and the legitimate government of Nepal. It is time now to ponder on the legitimacy of an unelected government which seeks changes based on the agreement of three politicians and their mostly befuddled parties.

Half of the world’s population is below the age of 25. At a time when National Leaders all over the world are taking the helm of their countries while they are below the age of 50 – France’s President Sarkozy is a recent example – the youth of Nepal confine their involvement in politics to senseless “mobism”, indoctrination into obsolete political ideologies, or being the stooges of wily old politicians.

As per data from the “2006 Demographic and Health Survey – Nepal”, almost 40% of Nepal’s population is between the ages of 10 and 29. If ages 30 to 34, which really are young enough to be considered youths, are included, the figure rises to over 45%. The present political leaders have followed the near-sighted power-crazed policy of not grooming young political leaders. This is one reason why our political leadership is well beyond the range of what can be called youths. This alone however does not give almost half the population of Nepal under the age of 35 the excuse to sit quietly while the country is robbed of its right to Democracy. It is time Nepali youths use their education, nationalism and vision to speak out with firmness and non-violence. The country awaits you to lead Jana Andolan III!

Related Posts:

Emulating a Singaporean Model -Overhauling the Leadership First
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/04/emulating-singaporean-model-overhauling.html

The "New Nepal" - The Maoist Way or the Highway?
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2006/12/new-nepal-maoist-way-or-highway.html

Hedging Against Nepal's Leadership Crisis
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2006/09/hedging-against-nepals-leadership.html