Old wine in new bottle
While the Russia-Ukraine war continues to dominate the global news headlines, our Nepal leaders are leaving no stone unturned to make people laugh at them. Take the example of some communist leaders forming a ‘socialist centre’ - a poll alliance for the forthcoming general election - for seat bargaining with the Nepali Congress. The top brass of leaders associated with NCP has taken forward the notion of the ‘Socialist Centre’ as a strategic move to secure a dignified share of seats in the alliance. The announcement has only become a laughing stock as it has been a customary practice in our country to form an alliance right before the election and dismantle it after the election.
After the success in the just concluded local election that made it the largest party, Nepali Congress has decided to continue the existing electoral alliance among the five parties in the upcoming federal and provincial elections. It believes that the existing alliance will bag the majority in the parliament and lead the government for the next five years. Given its outstanding performance in many areas, the projection of the Nepali Congress cannot be ruled out altogether.
If we assess our political development ever since we restored democracy, we will find that the political parties and their leaders often proposed powerful parties for the alliance to safeguard their declining popularity. Maoist Center supremo Prachanda is a case in point. While his political career seemed nosediving, he reached out to KP Sharma Oli proposing the merger of the two communists to form the Nepal Communist Party (NCP). There was euphoria amongst the communist saying that the merger will lay the ground to end political instability which has been infesting the nation ever since we restored democracy. It was also said the merger will work for economic prosperity and development. It is an open secret what happened thereafter.
Now, the same communists have been touting to form Socialist Centre. They are not tired of refraining from making air agenda and commitment which are seldom translated into action. The political observer argues that the motive behind the agenda to form a socialist centre is to accommodate two disconnected leaders Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Bamdeve Gautam - who are known for their unpredictable characters. After facing action in his own party, JSP, Dr Bhattarai is now in the biggest dilemma of his political career. He is set to quit the JSP but does not want to join any communist party as he had publicly announced his ideological allegiance to communist philosophy. Sometime back, former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that there were no left parties except UML in the country. Oli’s arrogant remark saddened communist leaders like Narayan Kaji Shreshta and alike. Stung by two big parties, the anti-Oli communist proposed to form Socialist Centre as an alternative to two big parties - NC and UML.
It is also reported that the creation of the Socialist Centre may save Bamdev Gautam who is on the political margin. It is also said that the Socialist Centre will bring the political heavyweights like Prachanda, Madhav Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Dr Bhattarai, Bamdev Gautam and Narayan Kaji Shrestha together. Given their unpredictable character and fickle mind, it is difficult to say whether they will remain intact. Socialist Centre is also reported to comprise old and outdated bureaucrats, academicians, civil society activists and media persons. Political experience is cardinal in understanding how a party works and operates. With such select crooks, we hope that the socialist centre will not meet the fate of another alliance formed as a strategy to tackle the opponent alliance.
The word 'socialism' holds attraction among the people in the country. Across the globe, there is a practice of upholding the notion of 'socialism’. It invokes a sense of pride among the people. It is envisioned to build a socialist-oriented state. Conversely in Nepal, it has just become a buzzword. The leaders and politicians use the notion for their interest and benefit. It is not an exaggeration to conclude the true essence of socialism in Nepal has just become a paper tiger. I leave it to the experts’ par standard to explain whether this is not in contravention of the constitution of Nepal promulgated in 2015. I also urge the so-called experts to tell the people how leaders and politicians get away after fooling innocent citizens. Now, only time will tell whether they will bury their hatchets for the sake of the broader interests of the nation or again will engage in wrangling for power sharing. Let's hope that the Socialist Centre silences its critics and rises to the occasion. We wish them good luck and to prove that it is not just old wine in the new bottle.