By Shashi P.B.B. Malla

There are quite a few Nepalese, including observers, commentators and experts who seem to think that in spite of all the weaknesses and fissures demonstrated by the current political dispensation, the Secular, Democratic, Federal Himalayan Republic is capable of reforming itself.

Above all, they put their trust in the utterly corrupt mainstream political parties – nothing better than Mafia-style political and economic families – and their bosses, the Dons.

For starters: Can anyone in his right mind expect that the leaders of the three biggest political parties – the Nepali Congress, the CPN-Unified Marxists-Leninists and the CPN-Maoist Centre – are willing and able to change direction and offer the Nepalese finally a new lease of life?

If these Dons are not even capable of putting their own respective houses in order – reforming and streamlining their respective political parties and introducing internal party democracy, how can they possibly be  expected to tackle the much larger and complicated problem of regenerating the political system?

They are not even willing to face the necessity of passing on the leadership to a younger and fresh generation.

Thus, the problem gerontocracy looms large.

This is the problematic with well-meaning suggestions to reform the system, as with two recent and eminently readable articles.

  • The first by Simone Galimberti discusses:

“Federalism in Nepal: Flexibility, pragmatism should drive    the discussion,” (The Himalayan Times, May 5)

  • The second by Krishna Raman Adhikari explores:

“Restoring trust in government: Trust must now be earned through relationships and engagement, not merely promised in speeches,” (The Annapurna Express, May 5).

To put into practice the suggestions made by the above two writers, requires specialized knowledge or the capacity to understand what advisers put forward.

Unfortunately, the three main leaders/Dons involved in policy decision-making – K.P. Sharma Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal or the ‘Three Odd-balls’ – are neither highly qualified nor experienced in modern statecraft.

This is a phenomenon not of Nepal alone.

Even in the United States, the world’s most powerful country, President Donald Trump is causing havoc in the body politic because he has no understanding of the basics of economics.

Similarly, in the Himalayan Republic, Oli and Dahal may have the gift of the gab (Deuba doesn’t even have that), but do not have the ability to harness specialized knowledge or modern experience.

They are like medicine that had become useless, because the date has expired!

Oli is so hampered that he is unable to bring Nepal-India relations – the main pillar of Nepal’s foreign policy – back on an even keel.

Thus, the Dons of the Himalayan Republic find themselves in the situation described by the eminent strategist Henry Kissinger:

         “If you don’t know where you are going,

           Every road will get you nowhere.”

The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com