By Rabi Raj Thapa

Watching two-hour-long Inauguration Ceremony 2025 of the 47th US President, Donald Trump, was spectacular. The whole program was overwhelmed by the appearance of the past presidents and higher dignitaries, prayers followed by oath-taking and concluded with the speech by the new President. India is also one of the biggest democratic republics with the largest population in the world. Compared to these countries, Nepal's democratic republic stands nowhere in terms of its democratic republican system.

Although half of the world’s population lives in a democracy, it says only 4.5% reside in a full democracy. In the year 2023, the study indicates 24 countries of the world have full democracy, 50 countries with flawed democracy, 34 countries with hybrid regimes and 59 authoritarian countries. Meanwhile around one-third of the world’s population lives under flawed democracy or authoritarian rule on the facade of fully democratic rule.

The Democracy Index of World Economic Forum (2017) classifies democracies as best along with authoritarian regimes it has placed Norway, Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Denmark, among top-five best democracies with the USA only 25th in the rank. Now, how do the Nepali people measure as far as the quality of their federal democracy as a full democracy or a flawed democracy; hybrid democracy or (all-party) authoritarian rules under the facade of the democratic republican system of government?

How do we distinguish and differentiate these types of democracies and authoritarian rulers?

For example, the Spoil System was introduced by Senator William Mercy of New York in 1812 to defend President Andrew Jackson’s government appointments as “To the victor belong the spoils of the enemy” in the political appointments, such as cabinet offices, ambassadorships; controlled by elected officials. (britinica.com). Nepali leaders have fully adopted the Spoil System in the wrong way as nepotism and favoritism by collectively spoiling practices from among the coalition partners of the government.

When Donald Trump announced the beginning of the Golden Age in America, everybody in the hall applauded. In one way, he succeeded in implementing a ceasefire in Gaza amazingly whereas Antony Blinken had failed despite his untiring rounds of shuttle diplomacy. It seems, Nepali people seldom hear ‘Let us make our nation great again”. It is hard to ever imagine Nepal will ever have a golden age in this type of system and leadership. Nepal may see better days if it adopts a spoil system based on meritocracy and equal opportunity for all Nepali people.

Another important point Trump spoke was about to make the US respected by the world. This is important that Nepali should think about. Why and how Nepal is losing its international trust, credibility and strength! Nepal needs to be careful not to be taken advantage of by any nation.

When are our Nepali leaders and people going to say “Nepal First” as Donald Trump proudly says “America First”?  Nepali leaders and officials are more accustomed to thinking and saying “Me First”. “My Party First” but they hardly say “My Nation First”.  

It is a pleasant surprise to see President Trump reiterate God’s name time and again - before, during and after taking the oath. Federal Nepal where there are the majority of different sorts of proletariat communist parties it is hard to expect them to pronounce the name of God. It is the current Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli who had refused to take oath in the name of God. Paradoxically, the same Prime Minister later offered hundreds of kilos of Gold to the Pasupathi temple without any valid reason or purpose. However, it is soothing to see devotion and faith in God in the American President than the communist leaders and even the secularist Congress of traditionally God-fearing people and country called Nepal. 

Now let’s wait and see how God disposes both democratic leaders of Nepal and the United States of America in the ever-changing volatile world.