The
current constitution of the country has just entered into fourteenth year. Extolled as one
of the finest in the world by not only the framers but a wide variety of politicians and
intellectuals, it has suddenly turned out to be quite inadequate. Constitutions are,
indeed, very sacred and indispensable instruments of the states and all citizens,
irrespective of their professions, have to respect and honor them. We do find many states
without a written constitution and they are much better administered than ours. This
irrefutably proves that good and efficient administration depends largely on the quality
of the citizens and the rulers rather than the constitutions. If the people do not know
how to exercise their rights and duties and if the rulers fail to perform their tasks,
even a perfect constitution will not work. As such, the big row that has gripped the
nation over the character of our constitution seems to be an exercise in futility. The
need of the hour for our poor country is not an amended or newly framed constitution. The
country badly needs honest and patriotic politicians who can lead the country to its
cherished goal of speedy economic development. At the moment the country is embroiled in a
disastrous civil war. Unless an immediate peace is negotiated, even its sovereignty might
be imperiled. But, all the established political parties and politicians are obsessed in
machinations to grab power. It is very unfortunate for the country that no politician of
the name has been able to rise above personal and partisan interest and work only for the
benefit of poor of the country. The politicians have been exploiting the poor and
uneducated electorate and buying their votes for a bottle of local hooch and a bellyful of
rice and meat curry. Despite our persistent appeals to enact laws to prevent such illegal
and immoral electoral tactics, no government so far has thought it fit to seriously take
up such suggestions. Whichever party comes to power only tries to lengthen its tenure by
resorting to all sorts of under-board behavior even to the extent of politicizing
bureaucracy. The ill-paid bureaucrats who cannot meet their both ends without accepting
illegal gratifications fall easy prey to the unscrupulous politicians and become willing
partners in the crime of looting the poor country. It is very sad that even more than five
decades after the end of autocratic Rana regime, the millions of poor Nepalis are still
plagued by extreme poverty and other hardships. The friendly countries and donor agencies
who seem keenly solicitous to improve the lot of the deprived, mysteriously turn a blind
eye to the corrupt and irregular politics adopted by the immoral politicians and
governmental agents which clearly negate their pious endeavors and put to total waste the
precious and valuable resources. Not only that, in the last eight years the country has
been pushed back at least a couple of decades. The Maoist insurgency has hit the country
very hard. Not only the invaluable infrastructures constructed by friendly countries have
been destroyed, the whole economy is shattered and national politics totally destabilized.
Even though utterly corrupt and anti-national, the country was ruled under so-called
democratic governments for the last twelve years. After Sher Bahadur Deuba recommended the
dissolution of the parliament, the democratic process has been derailed. Since the country
cannot revert to authoritarian system of government and since no political party was ready
for the general elections, on account of prevailing insecurity, King Gyanendra had no
alternative but to rule the country though the nominated governments. But King
Gyanendra’s choice of men to lead the government has not been able to win general
approval. The country has been fed up with corrupt politicians and impatiently wants to
see new, honest and patriotic faces to rule the country. At this critical juncture in the
country, only a strong and clean government can take the country out of the woods. King
Gyanendra has been ordained to preside over the nation at this precarious time in its
history. Indeed, he has to face great challenges. Since he could have no axe to grind, he
has to act only in the best interest of the country. There can be no room for any
irresolution. There is growing skepticism amongst the people that the present system is
following the Nepali dictum of “neither the duck nor the hen style”. No ghost
need come from hell to tell us Prime minister Thapa’s intentions. When the country is
at stake, no patriotic Nepali can stay silent spectator and not the King either. King
Gyanendra has to take revolutionary steps to restore the democratic process with clean,
honest and patriotic politicians. He must not fail to tap all possible resources, find
honest men to run the government, negotiate peace with the Maoists and bring the derailed
democracy back to track. If he decides to do that, not only the country would be saved,
but he would create an unprecedented place for himself in the history of the nation. It is
not a time to get involved in the row about the constitution. It is the time to restore
peace and normalcy in the country and conduct the general elections at the earliest
opportunity so that a new honest and nationalist representative government may take charge
of ruling the country. |
