On/Off the Record

By P.R. Pradhan 

For a proud native citizen, there is nothing else than a nation. The nation gives an identity to its citizens. If the nation is prosperous and strong, the citizens feel glorious. Many people have lost their nations. If we ask them about the plight of individuals without a nation, they may express the difference between being a citizen of a nation and without a nation. Such people are continuously fighting to get their motherland back in different parts of the globe. We feel pride in being a Nepali national. Unfortunately, some foreign elements, in the process of destroying this beautiful country, introduced the present constitution. Our leaders in the Maoist Center, Nepali Congress, UML and other small Tarai parties are carrying the foreigners’ agendas and serving foreigners’ interests.     

A constitution is nothing else except the principal law of the nation, introduced for good governance and the betterment of the people. After the promulgation of the present constitution nine years ago, we have been contentiously watching the downfall of the country in all sectors. The major setback of the present constitution is that it is very expensive to function. The foreign puppet political leaders introduced seven provinces with 754 local bodies, giving employment to around forty thousand elected representatives plus their aides and advisors. The constitution, on the whole, has become a factory producing political leaders, and the seven provinces have become factories producing chief ministers and ministers. As the nation’s revenue is unable to manage necessary expenditures for the politicians, the government is compelled to borrow loans and debts every month. The country’s latest debt burden has reached 25 trillion and 28 billion rupees. Within two months of the present fiscal year, the loan burden has increased by almost one trillion rupees. 

The country is running under a deficit balance and taking debt every month to meet the expenditure. If the present trend continues, soon, Nepal will fall into a debt trap like in Sri Lanka. The country lacks investment funds for infrastructural development. The nation’s industries have been ruined, and Nepal has turned into a consumer country. Not only importing industrial products, but Nepal is even importing agricultural products on which we were self-reliant several decades ago. When the country’s economy goes downgrading, it affects all sectors. The reason for the present worse state of the country is that we chose the wrong political system. The Office of the Auditor General has reported that the amount of arrears has surprisingly inclined even at the local bodies, forget about the federal and provincial governments. The organs investigating corruption and commission have become very weak as those involved in these affairs are politically protected and very strong. 

We need strong, independent, and impartial organs investigating corruption and commissions. Accordingly, we need to reduce the non-productive sector expenditure and increase funds in the development sector. If we fail to give priority to these two sectors, we will be responsible for making the motherland a failed nation. 

We cannot hope that the present political parties, who are spending lavish lifestyles while exploiting the government treasure, will never want to throw away the present system. They are talking about amendments to the constitution, but it is needed to overhaul it by cutting down nonproductive sector political expenditure as much as possible. They are not ready for it or say, they are not thinking about a better future for the nation. 

The remedy for ending the present chaos and unbearable non-productive sector expenditure is to, through the present constitution, empower the corruption-controlling bodies. We don’t need a 275-member huge parliament plus a 59-member national assembly. Earlier, a total of 205-member parliament was enough for Nepal considering the population ratio. The system of proportional elections has been misused by the party leaders by assigning their wives, relatives, and sycophants. This election procedure should be ended. The national assembly has also become a venue for electing puppets of the political leaders with no popular base. The provincial councils and provincial governments have become a white elephant only. There is no need for district coordination bodies, and the number of local bodies can be reduced as prescribed by the state reinstructing commission formed earlier.

It has become urgent to sweep away the present perversions in the political system by forging a greater front of those who love the nation.