Lap-dog, walk-dog instead of being watch-dog?

This week I wish to print the full text of my welcome speech, which I read out at a seminar organized by my own newspaper. In doing so I wish to tell our readers within and without as to how we have been looking at our own performance regarding media's role in providing good governance in the country. We know that we are not here to provide good governance to the people. However, what we feel is that we could be of immense support to the government of the day if the men handling the state affairs seek our support. My own experience has been that the government is not willing to do so for it is day-in-day-out busy in protecting its own chair from the frontal attacks from its own party men in particular and from the men in the opposition in general.

Without taking much of your time, I invite all my dear readers to listen to me. The text begins: Good afternoon!

I welcome you all distinguished members of the diplomatic corps, scholars, and media personalities, members of civil society, and ladies and gentlemen. I am especially indebted to Ambassador Rudiger Lemp who accepted to be the chief guest of today's seminar despite his busy schedule. It is an honor for the weekly to have personalities like Ambassador Lemp amidst us this afternoon.

I thank you Mr. Ambassador.

Similarly, my special thanks go to Mr. Robert Kerr, Director at the American center who pleasingly heeded to my request and will be presenting his keynote address relating to the topic of the seminar in a few minutes from now. I hope the attending participants will benefit from his expressions on the topic today. My Namaste to you Bob!

I must remain grateful to two Nepali scholars, Mr. Yadav and Mr, Ghimire who readily accepted my request to present papers pertaining to the topic today. I also thank the two chairpersons, Prof. Khatri and Mr. Rana for accepting the weekly's request to chair the two sessions today.

Finally I thank Prof Anand Shrestha and Acharya for their kind presence in the Dais.

Chief guest Ambassador Rudiger Lemp, Keynote speaker Robert Kerr, Professor Shrestha, FNJ president Mr. Acharya! Distinguished participants The topic of today's discussion is not at all a new one for all of us present here. One way or the other this topic is being discussed in Nepal, mostly in Katmandu's seminar circuit, every alternate day. However, what impact such seminars and their final findings have upon the governments' thinking in providing good governance to its confused and disillusioned citizens is a matter that has been boggling the minds of the denizens of this country. I
suppose, it is the government sector that has remained more vocal than any one else which advocates the idea of providing of good governance in the country day in day out. However, the fact is that since these twelve democratic years after the advent of this order in the country, good governance has remained a mirage indeed and merely confined to the quick and sudden changes in governments, pulling one set by the other, blocking the entire proceedings of the parliament but yet pocketing the perks and the salaries; forming unholy alliances in order to pull its own party-Government and yet crying that all these were being practiced in order to provide good governance henceforth. In
the process of providing good governance in the country by the ruling leadership in the past, the nation witnessed scandals of the Himalayan orders like Lauda Air deal and the less publicized China South West airline deal. At
the cost of the marginalised teeming millions in the remote areas of the Kingdom.

I prefer not to mention here as to how and where the advocators of good governance pocketed money, built posh buildings and deposited money in foreign banks and at whose costs?

The net result of all these anomalies seen especially in the recent years is the erosion seen in the functioning of the democratic systems. In many parts of the world democracy is fading, eroding or falling, and disillusionment has replaced the optimism that marked the early 1990s as elected governments are at the moment, here and there, riddled with corruption, incompetence and instability. Stagnant transitions, the increasing fragility of democratization processes as well as the realization of the incomplete or imperfect nature of the new democracies have, sorry to say, watered down the initial expectations.

Emerging or say nascent democracies like ours remain highly vulnerable, not so much to abrupt break-down, but rather to gradual erosion, the threat of silent regression from democracy to semi-democracy.

My own country could not remain exception to these down going trends. Question arises as to why these negative symptoms crept in? Is it due to bad governance? Perhaps yes!

Let me quote Kofi Annan who says: " Without good governance, without the rule of law, predictable administration, legitimate power and responsive regulation-no amount of funding, no short-term economic miracle will set the developing world on the path to prosperity. Without good governance, the foundation of society-both national and international-are built on sand.

Nepali "governors" at the highest political echelons would do well if they listen to what Kofi Annan says.
I am afraid if the mal-governance in the country remains as it is at the moment, the present day democracy will turn into "illiberal democracy".

The greatest danger of illiberal democracy is, says Fareed Zakaria of the Foreign affairs journal, New York, that illiberal democracy poses-other than to its own people- is that it will discredit liberal democracy itself, casting a shadow on democratic governance".

Now question arises what we in the media have contributed from our part in this regard. I would say, we in the media have remained ever sensitive to this issue indeed but possessing our own sort of political biases. Our preference of one leader over the other and vice versa has altogether confused the readers. In the process, we instead of educating the people have confused them. We have been acting like "lap-dog" instead of being a true "watch-dog". Some even take us as "walk-dog" in the sense that we prefer to walk together with the politicians, good or bad.

It has been the nature of the Nepali media to pay attention to most issues only when politicians get excited about them. Lauda air deal is a classic example wherein the Nepali media remained boggled to the extent that it gave the impression that this was the single issue in the country to be dealt with. This notwithstanding, the Nepali media of late has done commendable jobs by exposing various scandals which at least made the voters sensitive back in the electoral constituencies.

In my opinion, the government of the day can provide good governance provided it wishes to do so. The government can do so only when its team exhibit or demonstrate their willingness to do so. A team that is efficient, a team that is sensitive towards people's pressing issues can do much in this regard. If they do so, the people will effectively participate in the entire process and could thus contribute to the consolidation process of the system which is what is lacking today, bluntly speaking. It is here that the media can act and could support the government moves in this direction. Indeed, a media that is not a lap dog could be of immense support to such efforts of the establishment.

Finally, I thank you all for your gracious presence. Thanks for bearing with me for these few boring minutes indeed.

I extend my best wishes to you all on the eve of Christmas and a very happy new year, 2002.

I thank you all very much.

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