OBSERVATION
Monday, May 24th, 1999 / Jestha 11, 2056 B.S.

Last chance to put house in order

Virtually all the results of the first and second phases of elections held on May 3 and May 17, have been declared. As we all know by now, the Nepali Congress has won a comfortable majority and the NCP (UML) has emerged as the largest opposition party. This was a surprise result for many, including pollsters, political observers and also for the parties themselves.

Most people had expected a Hung Parliament. There were many reasons given to back such a thinking. First of all, the Nepali Congress in spite of being in power for the longest period after the re-ushering in of democracy, that party had failed to do anything concrete for the nation and the people.

Then, the biggest party in the Parliament, the CPN (UML) had split almost vertically, and reduced the strength of both the split sides. The third largest party had also split and the people were grossly disappointed with the politicians as a whole. But in spite of all such odds, the people opted to give a majority to the Nepali Congress. This indeed came as a pleasant surprise for all, except of course, for the losers.

However, to come to completely another aspect of the election, apart from whether any party would win a majority, many people were also concerned on whether the immoral and corrupt politicians of the past would be re-elected. In the past four years, individual MPs had reaped much benefit at the cost of the nation and the people. They never showed even an iota of concern on their behaviour and what consequences their corrupt and immoral may have on the entire political scene of the country.

For example we had a minister who voted for the opposition when it looked like the government would lose during a crucial confidence voting. He then had the gall to come out of the Singha Durbar Secretariat with the flag on his car flying. Then we had another MP, who frequently changed sides during fluid political situations, yet, compelling the leaders to make him a minister, no matter which side he went to. He continued to betray his own masters without any qualms.

We also saw a leader, who leave alone win in an election, he had not even been able to get a respectable number of votes, yet, he was a major force in forming a coalition government and then also being a powerful minister! There was another MP, who had a colourful life, including being accused by a woman of keeping her as a mistress and then him being jailed for a midnioght shootout in a Kathmandu disco.

There were others who remained hidden in their homes, when they had to be in the Parliament voting for their own party’s government. Still others, who had to be sent abroad for treatment whenever voting time came and there were others who had to be kept locked up in hotel rooms.

The people silently observed all such antics of the so called people’s representatives and suffered because of the unthoughtful actions of these individuals who were supposed to be leading the nation.

But all these politicians seem to have paid the price for acting like they did. Virtually all the people are expressing great satisfaction that most of these politicians have been rejected in the hustings. While the quicksilver minister has lost by a slim margin, which should have made him even more desperate, the MP who virtually broke his party and betrayed his master has lost from both the two constituencies where he contested.

The two who hid in their homes even as their own party’s government fell, also paid the price for their antics and many other such fellow politicians also seem to have lost.

Several organisations, including AWAKE, had vigorously campaigned to create awareness among the voters about such corrupt politicians. While not claiming that such campaigns were responsible for the downfall of the corrupt politicians, it is rewarding to realise that most people had similar thoughts about them. Either they did not want to vote for these leaders or they were happy to see them go.

However, now that the election is over, this does not mean that the campaign to create awareness among the people about their leaders should be stopped. It is even more important to educate the masses now. Politicians and their cronies tend to get arrogant when they know they cannot be unsurped from power. Such a mentality could develop in the new Nepali Congress leaders too. The people must be alert against such trends.

If one remembers, the NC leaders had refused to listen to the voice of reason when they were in power with a comfortable majority after the first General Election of 1991. In fact, even the party’s top leader, late Ganesh Man Singh, had felt alienated. About three dozen MPs of the party had also felt the same way. And it was because of this that the majority government fell down.

A good beginning has been made once more with one party getting a majority and many corrupt politicians being ousted. For now, lessons have to be learnt from the past and sincere efforts must be made to do something for the nation and the people. If even now leaders continue to make the mistakes of the past, then we may not get another good chance to put our house in order.