Testing time ahead for RSP with mounting hope for reform

Kathmandu, March 26: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is all set to form a new government with its near two-thirds majority of votes. The four-year-old party, RSP, secured 182 seats out of total 275 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR), the lower house of the federal parliament. It is just two votes short of securing two-thirds majority.

With a young party’s lions’ share in the federal parliament, dwarfing the legacy parties such as the Nepali Congress and the CPN UML, all political parties, academia and observers are reviewing the election results.

The voters on the other hand are piling up hope on RSP and their leaders. Both the Chairs of the NC and the UML faced sheer debacles. With huge margin, NC managed the second position, 38 seats in HoR, while the UML stood the third with 25 seats.

Although the RSP landslide buried many party candidates in election, it was striking that a four-month-old political force, Shram Sanskriti Party, emerged in the eastern belt of Nepal, became able to secure its presence in the HoR with seven seats. It is a remarkable achievement in deed.

RSP holds sway The arithmetic in the HoR has finely placed RSP, a young political party, in a much respected and influential position. From policies and laws to the structural and behavioural changes in bureaucracy and politics, the country has much expectation from RSP, especially Balendra Shah (Balen), the senior leader of RSP who is all set to take oath of office as the prime minister at an auspicious hour on March 27.

Shah is the young Prime Minister in decades in Nepal. It is a landmark in generational shift in Nepali politics and government leadership. He is in mid-thirties. Although there was a young prime minister of Balen age in the party-less panchayat system, he was installed by the King and the King was at top to execute the state authority.

Now, Balen is the senior leader of RSP, the largest political party, becoming executive head of the country after resounding victory in the March 5 HoR election. A rapper, an engineer, a mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and now the Prime Minister, Balen is a centre of attraction and attention.

He not only showed determination and challenge to the longtime politician, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, but also proved his mettle by defeating him with a wide margin. He is a true reflection of urgency of reform in Nepal’s politics, bureaucracy, economy, governance and development model. The political leaderships which remained largely within a handful of leaders for decades caused gross disenchantment to people. It fostered such political behaviour that distanced people from system. Irrespective of radical change in system, delivery of public service saw no noticeable reform nor did the development works gain a pace. Sloganeering prosperity and democracy on the one hand but bolstering individual strength in the respective parties fueled the anti-incumbency drive launched by the RSP.

Although voices were raised in the legacy parties for change in leadership style, the honchos remained so sclerotic that voters swept them away through the HoR election.

3Ds come true In addition to the old parties/leaders’ fiasco and foibles, review on why and how the election results came in utter favour to RSP is still going on.

It is worth-noting to mention here that RSP leader Dr Swarnim Wagle had predicted three years back that his party would secure majority in the 2084BS election.

In an interview given to The Kathmandu Post daily, he had argued significance of three Ds- diaspora, digital sphere and demography- as the key to ascend RSP to national leadership, leaving others far behind. Interestingly, Dr Wagle’s prediction came true, that too, two years earlier, 2082BS. The digital sphere, diaspora and democracy emerged so favourable to the RSP that the old ones failed to recognize their power.

Many ate crow in terms of election results. The digital platform and engagement on public concern and voices raised for correction; the Nepali diaspora making similar voice for change in Nepal; and the demography of emerging voters at home, which had no connection at all to the old parties became effective means and media for the RSP to hold sway in the federal parliament.

The RSP, chaired by Rabi Lamichhane, was certainly given a boost by Balen though he joined it few weeks before the March 5 election. It was, of course, the Gen Z movement of last September that toppled the people-elected government, seeing no relevance of old faces and parties.

Expectations abound As the government with near two-thirds of majority is being installed, RSP is bearing a tremendous responsibility to translate voters’ jubilation into reality through actions.

The stable government of five-year term is a long cherished dream of Nepalis and it is now in place. It is for the sake of good governance and development. The government is in a comfortable position to formulate policies, budgets and Acts on its own and enforce by itself. So, judicious formulation and enforcement of policies and laws would undoubtedly ensure change once it keeps in centre the people and their aspirations.

As was the slogan of ‘jannelai chhanne’ (electing the experts), the Balen-led government is further expected to consult the experts on multiple fronts ranging from development projects to diplomacy, governance and bureaucracy, and deliver as per people’s aspiration and country needs.

Similarly, balanced and harmonious relations with neighbours and friendly countries count much in Nepal’s development endeavours.

We are a young federal system awaiting utmost coordination and cooperation among three-tiers of government to forward construction works and economic growth. Creation of employment, ensuring quality education (at school and universities), investment in research and development, respect and promotion of agriculture, encouragement to youth entrepreneurship, clean bureaucracy and credible public institutions not only meet citizens’ needs but also help in realizing fundamental rights conferred by the constitution. Enforcement of constitution ultimately bolsters the system.

RSP has been a humongous political party in a short time. It is both a challenge and opportunity for RSP to keep intact the party organization. There may be diverse expectations among the leaders and cadres, which require unity and unified stand. The experience of Nepali political parties has a bitter past on management of large organization, from which, RSP can learn and handle it wisely.

A well-managed organization helps in building party so that entire rank and file can be oriented to public service. Once the RSP gives a message of good governance and unity, it evidently earns public trust.

Public trust in government is further reinforced once it strikes a balance in its words and actions. Other political parties have no option but to cooperate with RSP in a bid to nation building.

Let’s wait how the government and parliament of young and fresh leaders deliver people and country. It is a testing time ahead for RSP. (Narayan Ghimire/RSS)