PM Oli-led govt rendered state system dysfunctional: Analyst

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led government has rendered the state system dysfunctional, largely derailed democracy and sent the 'republican' constitution into a coma, says an analyst.

In an opinion piece in The Kathmandu Post, Achyut Wagle, professor at the Kathmandu University School of Management, writes that Nepal as a nation-state once again reels under a "debilitating political flux in addition to the unspeakable suffering unleashed by the Covid-19 global pandemic".

Wagle says that the virus has already spread deep into the community but the government has failed to procure testing facilities and kits.

"Testing facilities and kits are in acutely short supply throughout the country, thanks to the government's indecision on their timely procurement and its criminal negligence of the impending gravity of the pandemic," he writes.

The professor opines that the detractors in the Nepal Communist Party determined to oust Oli from power.

"..This time around, the opposition seems determined not to spare him without making him sacrifice at least one out of the two positions. The accumulated inefficiencies of his government and latest unfounded rants like 'India is plotting to oust him and his opponents are colluding to the cause' have forced many of his earlier supporters to leave the sinking ship," he writes.

Wagle believes that PM Oli is using all possible tactics to retain both his positions of the prime minister and party chair.

"He is already in the minority at each layer of the party orgsation, namely the secretariat, standing committee, central committee and parliamentary party. The only power centre now left for him to lean on is President Bidya Devi Bhandari whom he had unnecessarily dragged into controversy for his own political cushion, alleging that his opponents in the party were trying to oust him and 'also impeach the president," he exclaims

The professor says that the Nepal constitution is effectively in a coma as the ruling government since the beginning made "conscious and persistent efforts" to curtail media freedom, censure social media and limit individual freedom.

"All these constitutional provisions and expectations now trampled on will require a long time to revive in spite of sincere endeavours for the same. For now, the constitution, therefore, is effectively in a coma," he writes.

"The main opposition party in Parliament, Nepali Congress, is also equally irresponsible for its failure to raise an effective voice to stop this derailment of democracy," he adds.

( With inputs from ANI )