National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

Setback To Liberalism

Whatever the reasons behind the split, the liberal democratic world has lost an effective link in Nepal

By KESHAB POUDEL

Despite many splits, the Nepali Congress has survived relatively intact as the mainstream liberal democratic party for over five decades. However, the vertical division of the party on the eve of general elections has generated concern over where the balance might shift in case the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) wins the November 13 polls.

The Nepali Congress has remained a strong link for the democratic world, including India, to spread the ideas of liberalism. In the short run, the emaciation of the Nepali Congress will reduce the influence of liberal values. But, ultimately, it would hamper the interests of India.

The united Congress leadership : Shattered hopes

If the Nepali Congress goes to the elections as a deeply divided house, nothing can stop the united communists from coming to power. Based on authoritarian values and approaches, the rise of communist forces in Nepal may derail the process of liberalization the country embarked on in 1990. "The weakening of the Nepali Congress would represent the loss of an effective instrument for the democratic world," said a political analyst.

Despite its socialist contacts across the western democratic world, the Nepali Congress has, from its birth, remained a dependable friend of India, especially since it has shares the liberal values of Nepal's southern neighbor.

The Nepali Congress was set up in Benaras on October 31, 1946. With an appeal of the late B.P. Koirala, a group of exiled Nepalese in Benaras formed Akhil-Bharatiya Nepali Rashtriya Congress (All-India Nepali National Congress) to wage a movement against the Rana regime. Parmanand, an Indian scholar, writes in his book "Nepali Congress Since Its Inception: A Critical Assessment", a convention held in January 1947 at Calcutta recommended the dropping of the words Akhil-Bharatiya (All India). But the aim of the party was proclaimed to be the achievement of independence for India and the establishment of constitutional monarchy in Nepal.

Nepal's liberal democracy is under the influence of the rural elite. Whether during the Panchayat days or under multiparty democracy, the rural elite continues to uphold the spirit and values of the democratic system. Sandwiched between two Asian powers with diametrically opposite political systems, Nepal cannot bear the burden of an authoritarian ideology on top of all the social and economic problems it already is grappling with.

Although the UML insists it adheres to liberal democratic values and prefers stronger ties with India and other members of the democratic world, Marx and Lenin continue to guide the party's basic ideology. According to the constitution of the UML, Marxism-Leninism is the guiding principle of the party. Its minimum goal is the people's multiparty democracy while its maximum objective is socialism and communism.

Following the dissolution of House of Representatives, UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal has shown greater democratic maturity. However, it would take a long time for a party based on an authoritarian ideology to reorient itself in a democratic mold. In case the country's ideological equations are rewritten, where will the UML and other communist forces tilt?

If democratic forces treat each other with hostility, one cannot rule out the possibility of a rise of a political force espousing authoritarianism. The greater the understanding among democratic forces, better the prospects for liberal democracy in the country. "We have to be closer to the democratic world, as we need its support to protect democracy in Nepal," said Nepali Congress member Shailaja Acharya, a former deputy prime minister.

At a time when the monarchy and the Nepali Congress find themselves on delicate ground, the obvious beneficiaries are going to be the communists. Democratic and traditional forces can gain strength by joining hands.