Democracy Locked

Ramesh Lekhak stood before the Gauri Bahadur Karki Commission Monday and said he takes moral responsibility for every things that went wrong on issues related to his Ministry. He ‘aped’ B P Koirala who told the jury recording his statement on his return to Nepal, ending eight years  exile in India. B P was far less bitter towards his political opponents, and advocating ‘national reconciliation’ to save the Nepal as an independent Democratic country.

Lekhak spoke 92 days after the police under him shot 76 youths  to death for demanding curb against corruption and trial of the corrupt, and decades after his party, the Nepali congress, dumped B P Koirala’s policy . And he spoke at a time, when ‘morality’   has become almost an alien object in public life, and politics. Lekhak’s leader and current N C Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba declined to withdraw his party’s support to the K P Oli led government even after the massacre.

But still , as we say good bye to 2025 , the morality that Lekhak talks about , comes with some hope  that the new year will see he beginning of  honest trend of self introspection  and course correction in the new year 2026.

K P Oli , unlike Lekhak has refused to express sorrow or regret over the loss of so many youths . Nor has he owned the moral responsibility. His exit from power , therefore , is seen as the departure of a dictator who cared little about accountability and the principle of equality before law. But his departure does not automatically ensure his successor will stick to the principle and practice of democracy in governance.

Sudan Gurung has been able to bring Balen Shah, Rabi Lamichhane and Kulman Ghising together as election on March 5 looks like a possibility. Oli has yielded. His party , like others, has submitted the list of  candidates under the Proportional Representation system , and approached  the government for more security deployment  for his movement.

Balen shah, a beneficiary of the Sudan Gurung act, in one of his midnight posts, has profusely thanked him and stated that the country will remain indebted to Gurung for 100 years to come.  It is perfectly understandable from Balen’s perspective to pay tribute to a person who has hand-picked him as a Prime Ministerial candidate. But democracy also demands transparency.

Gurung locked Lamichhane and Balen first in a room, and took the possession of the key. The same act was repeated when he got Kulman to the scene the next day . What is Sudan’s authority? As a Nepali, he is free to hold a political view point and act accordingly. But who guides and influences his decisions?  We have seen external dictate and mediation in 2006 leading to Nepal’s internal politics falling in external hand. It was also the time that saw exclusion of  stake holders in political, peace and constitution writing process that clearly undermined democracy.

The current protest and the resultant changes have taken place inside the country.  The leaders who signed the 12-point agreement and the parties who have benefitted out of it , naturally, do not have the moral courage to question Sudan Gurung’s authority at the moment. But if they go for deep introspection and the course correction owning –not tactical but genuine—responsibility for things going wrong , they will earn the right to hold Gurung to account.

Genz protest perhaps  still enjoys emotional support from the public . Political leaders ruling the country had almost become synonym to corruption. September 8 event showed the government was not willing to entertain any protest against this. There are conflicting arguments on the loss of private and public property as well as seats of judiciary, legislature and executive being ravaged next day by criminals –may be a part of crime- politics nexus—the next day. Were these institutions doing their job as demanded by the letter and spirit of the constitution or they were mere instruments in the hands of certain politicians controlling the state power. No one can stop Gauri  Bahadur Karki commission to go deeper into it and identify the culprit, and recommend action against them, but will he?

But if Lekhak is not trying to be too cunning, and if Sudan Gurung is well meaning, that will perhaps help to inject democratic values in Nepali governance and politics.  Politics is public affair, and law prevails in governance. Ravi-Balen –Kulman nexus created in dark will not be  less detrimental to democracy