Nepal Development Forum Meeting Message Of Political Stability

By Chiranjibi Paudyal

THE donor communities during the Nepal Development Forum meeting held in Nepal for the first time gave a strong message to the political leaders to pay special attention to the political stability of the country for good governance without which economic and social development of the country is not possible. For the first time that a large number of participants from the country got the opportunity to participate at the meeting and held extensive discussions with the donors and the donor communities also got first hand information about the need and aspirations of the Nepalese people during the four day meeting held in Kathmandu and Pokhara. The free and frank discussions about Nepal’s development specially the poverty reduction efforts was very fruitful to further forward the development activities in the coming days.

Low economic growth, income disparity, lack of effective implementation of the programmes, deteriorating law and order situation, slow process of privatization and economic reforms and corruption are the major hurdle of Nepal’s development. The political stability plays an important role in dealing with these issues raised by the donor communities. It is quite natural that each and every penny of development assistance provided by the donors must be utilized properly and for it there political stability is a must. If the government is changed frequently, that gives a negative message not only to the donor communities but also to the people and their faith in the government comes down slowly which may be very dangerous for any nation.

The level of poverty is very high in Nepal and around 40 percent of the people are still living under the poverty line. Most of the poverty-stricken people are from the hilly areas where there is no basic development infrastructure. Such situation certainly compels them to feel that the state has not done anything for their welfare and once that feeling roots strongly, social instability begins and that becomes one of the causes of disorder and a challenge to peace and security in the country. The NDF meeting gave a strong message to Nepal to focus on good governance and translate the paper plan into action. The condition of the people has not improved despite so many planning made for the last five decades which clearly shows that the planning and programmes of the government have not been implemented properly. The programme forced from the center does not help change the situation of the poor people of the villages. The programme on poverty reduction should be based on the participatory approach where there is the participation of the local people. The bottom up approach of the development is the need where the people living under the poverty line can participate and contribute in the development efforts. The world summit on social development and the world leaders during the millennium summit of the United Nations some one and half year ago have agreed upon the need to create an congenial environment for increased equity and empowerment of all people at all levels of society through sound governance, participation and enhanced capacity.

The interaction during the NDF meeting also stressed the need of increasing participation of the deprived people in the process of development efforts. The participatory development approach with the active participation of all the segments of the society should be forwarded with a long-term commitment. The programme, which does not bring any change in the lives of the poor people will have no any meaning. So, the programmes aimed to bring some positive changes in the lives of the people should be for the benefit of the poor. To forward the activities in an effective manner, the government machinery should be very effective and emphasis should be on responsible and effective administration to deliver the services to the people. The political stability is one of the important aspects for such effective administration. In the words of Mieko Nishimizu, Vice President of the World Bank, "what ails Nepal is a crisis of governance. Crisis of governance, corroding the nation’s economy, finances and once proud institutions. Crisis of governance, distorting the distribution of income, wealth and human capital. Crisis of governance, threatening social justice, harmony and the very soul of any nation states – hope and happiness of the sovereign people."

The poverty alleviation has been the major challenge of the developing countries like Nepal. The recently concluded SAARC summit has also accorded high priority to the poverty reduction programme. The regional summit has also urged the member countries to forward the national and regional poverty reduction programmes in a coordinated and effective manner. The frequent change in the government leadership was also one of the major concerns of the donor community. The donor community very strongly urged the political leaders to think of political stability without which service delivery to the people is not possible and that creates serious problem in the government’s objective of poverty reduction. Political stability is the basis for good governance that helps forward the development efforts in an effective manner. The NDF meeting was a very important event to understand the reality of Nepal and the development needs. The donors appreciated the government’s Foreign Aid Policy and the tenth five-year plan, which also gives the highest priority for poverty alleviation. The donors also asked the government to be in the driver’s seat and manage and coordinate the donor and government partnership for Nepal’s development.

The words of Nishimizu are very clear and needs to be understood to forward the pace of economic development, eliminate corruption and forward the poverty reduction programme very effectively. " To harness this strength, what the people need is the leadership of their government - leadership that gives vision, inspiration and hope; leadership that acts from conviction of that common purpose; and leadership whose consistency of words and actions earns the trust of the people over time."

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