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By P.R. Pradhan

Prime Minister Sushila Karki held a three-hour-long meeting with her predecessor, K.P. Sharma Oli, on Thursday, January 8. According to reports, the talks were very cordial. Karki dispatched her probe commission to Oli’s residence in Gundu to record his statement showing sympathy on Oli.

It has now become clear that the probe commission, led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki tasked with investigating the brutal killing of 76 individuals—including a large number of Gen Z demonstrators—is merely a formality.

One of the key demands of the Gen Z movement was the punishment of those responsible for the killings.

Understandably, Prime Minister Karki is keen to conduct the March 5 elections successfully. However, she appears unwilling to address the genuine demands of Gen Z, including the amendment of the Constitution prior to the elections.

The Gen Z demands—except for the call for the direct election of the executive chief—are genuine and offer the best remedy to the ongoing political crisis. We believe that an all-sector roundtable and the restoration of the 1990 Constitution, with space for all sectors—including the restoration of a constitutional monarchy—are essential to resolving the political crisis and establishing a stable political system. The continuation of the present political system cannot improve the bleak situation of the country, nor can it guarantee national sovereignty and independence.

In a country reduced to ashes by the Gen Z movement, an estimated NPR 27 billion is set to be spent on the elections scheduled for March 5. Of this, NPR 20 billion alone is allocated for security. Such expenditure on elections is likely to be wasted and will do little to resolve the existing political crisis.

The Gen Z uprising called for political change, transparency, good governance, and punishment of those involved in looting national property. It also demanded legal action against those directly and indirectly responsible for the killing of 76 individuals, including nearly four dozen Gen Z demonstrators. The Sushila Karki–led government has failed to respond to these legitimate demands. Instead, the Prime Minister has stated that the government formed after March 5 will address the issues raised by Gen Z. This is nothing more than a shifting of responsibility to the very old guies who are solely responsible for all the perversions.

In all likelihood, the traditional political forces—Nepali Congress, UML, the Nepali Communist Party, and the Rastriya Swatantra Party—may dominate the upcoming House of Representatives and may even form a coalition government.

The current political system is extremely expensive. The nation collects hardly NPR 9 trillion in revenue, while general sector expenditures—namely salaries and allowances for civil servants and elected representatives—amount to NPR 12 trillion. This has already created a budget deficit of NPR 3 trillion. Moreover, there left no funding left for capital expenditure or funds for development projects. Under such circumstances, rapid national development is unrealistic. Therefore, without dismantling the present political system, economic prosperity cannot be expected.

We cannot expect anything extraordinary from the existing political leaders or the parties currently—whether from long-established parties or from those united under the banner of change. This conclusion is reinforced by the list of candidates nominated under the proportional representation system. As in the past, individuals from privileged backgrounds dominate the lists. Proportional representation has increasingly become a lucrative business for political parties rather than a tool for inclusion.

Furthermore, if the same faces are re-elected after the March 5 elections, there is little chance that action will be taken against major or minor corruption scandals. When corruption, lack of transparency, and maladministration are chronic problems—and when existing political parties are openly implicated—can we realistically expect good governance from them? It is not only our view; genuine Gen Z leaders themselves have stated that their uprising was hijacked by vested interests, allegedly mobilized by American influence.