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By Narayan Prasad Mishra

Our country is poor. Compared to the people of developed nations, the vast majority of our citizens live in poverty. In many parts of Nepal, people struggle to access even the basics — food, clothing, and shelter. In some remote villages, traveling from one’s own home to another settlement means risking one’s life. There are still places where not only are there no proper bridges over rivers and streams, but even safe suspension or modern cable bridges are absent. People must cross dangerous rivers by clinging to ropes or makeshift baskets.

Due to the lack of a proper system of piped water, people continue to fetch water from wells, springs, and streams for daily use. Many villages lack decent schools or colleges, and numerous areas are without health centers or hospitals. Even in the Kathmandu Valley, we see thousands, if not lakhs, of families living as squatters along filthy riverbanks — whether to claim land or simply to eke out a living. These are scenes that shame the nation in the eyes of foreigners. Those who have traveled abroad are well aware of how humbling it is to compare our living standards with those of developed countries.

Like many other developing nations, Nepal has also received goodwill and assistance from countries wishing to see its progress — including our neighbors India and China, as well as others such as Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, the United States, Denmark, Finland, and Israel. With so much international aid, it would not be unreasonable to expect that Nepal, strengthened by both its own effort and this support, should have achieved prosperity long ago.

Yet, Nepal has become like a leaking water pot — no matter how much water is poured in from the top, it seeps out through the cracks below. The aid and assistance given to our government disappear through invisible leaks — siphoned off by corruption. This perception has now spread widely, even within foreign diplomatic circles, which observe how Nepal’s development funds often disappear before reaching the people.

Despite such abundant assistance, our development remains painfully slow. Everyone knows that, in the past, all blame for underdevelopment was conveniently placed upon the monarchy, even after it became a constitutional monarch. Whatever weaknesses existed in governance — corruption, inefficiency, mismanagement — were laid at the feet of the royal institution.

But whatever the nature of that monarchy, it no longer exists. Since May 28, 2008, Nepal has been a republic. Those who promised that the removal of the monarchy would bring development, prosperity, peace, and happiness now hold the reins of power. When in government, these political parties claim that Nepal is progressing and that good governance has been achieved. But when they are out of power, their tune changes completely — the country, they say, is in decline, corruption is rampant, and the government is failing. Everyone has heard these contradictions. Everyone has eyes and ears; nothing is hidden from the people.

No matter what the political parties and their leaders say, the reality is clear to ordinary, neutral citizens who live outside partisan circles. They see the truth every day — the sluggish pace of development, resource leakage, corruption, irregularities, disorder, nepotism, favoritism, injustice, oppression, and the poor performance of government offices. Apart from those who enjoy the privileges of power, no one feels the benefits of prosperity or good governance. For most, there is no fair path to livelihood — only corruption at every turn.

The recent Generation Z protests have made this truth impossible to deny. Their demand for good governance and the control of corruption has not only clarified the problem but confirmed it beyond doubt.

Unless we identify the root causes of disorder, misrule, and corruption, no reform will succeed. Entrusting the same people who have entrenched these evils for decades to correct them is futile. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a serious study and analysis of the Constitution, laws, administrative structures, and governing institutions to determine how and why such corruption became institutionalized, and why even the masterminds behind major scandals continue to escape justice.

Saying, “We are not trying to amend the Constitution,” or “We are not seeking system change,” is shortsighted. If the nation’s welfare demands reform, then it must be pursued with courage and honesty.

To speak frankly, under the current system, simply electing the House of Representatives cannot solve our national problems. Doing so would be like the Nepali proverb “घिउ न तेल पकाएपछि सेल” — trying to cook a pancake without ghee or oil. Just as a batter poured into a pan will never produce a pancake without some form of oil, good governance and the eradication of corruption cannot be achieved without fundamental structural reform of the Constitution, laws, and governing system itself.

Therefore, for the welfare of the nation and its people, it is time to establish a political system suited to Nepal — one that is simple, economical, ensures low-cost and fair elections free from fraud, and produces a directly elected Prime Minister accountable not to the parliament but directly to the people, guaranteeing a stable government for five years.

The time has come for all political parties and citizens to focus on this goal, so that the demands of the Generation Z movement, and this moment in our history, are not wasted.

narayanshanti70@gmail.com