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OPINION JULY 02, 2021 | The Indian Eye 12

Testing Times for

democracy in Nepal

Nihar r Nayak

he President of Nepal,
Bidya Devi Bhandari, on
TMay 22, exercising her
power under Article 76(7) on
the advice of Prime Minister
K.P. Sharma Oli, dissolved the
House of Representatives or
the Lower House of the Ne-
pal Parliament and announced
fresh elections. This is the sec-
ond time the House has been
dissolved in last five months.
Previously, it was dissolved in
December 2020. The Supreme
Court, however, had reinstated
the House on February 23, 2021,
after hearing over a dozen writ
petitions questioning the deci-
sion to dissolve the House.
Like last year, this time too,
the decision to dissolve the
House was met with overwhelm- Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli held a Cabinet meeting after losing the vote of confidence
ing resistance from across the as Prime Minister of Nepal. (ANI)
Nepali society and the opposi-
tion parties. The latter criticised try’s constitution and political failed to manage the second the Nepal Constitution.7 These
the decision as being authoritari- system has eroded drastically wave of COVID-19 as the coun- accusations were made despite
an and anti-constitutional. Prime in last one year, since the ordi- try witnessed a massive surge in India treating the political de-
Minister Oli did not follow the nance related to Political Party COVID-related infections and velopments as ‘internal issues’
laid out constitutional proce- Act was issued by the Oli Gov- deaths, and also a downfall in of the country, and even as the
dures like testifying confidence ernment in April 2020. The new economic growth. There was Chinese ambassador conducted
in the House within 30 days. political system introduced by an increase in unemployment open consultation on internal
Despite the promulgation of the constitution has been re- which forced people to engage matters of Nepal with political
a new constitution in Septem- peatedly misused by the ruling in illegal activities like gold leaders and constitutional au-
ber 2015, which was supposed party. This has set a wrong prec- smuggling, human trafficking, thorities of the country.
to provide political stability, the edent in the Nepal polity. Pub- drug trafficking, etc. The spokesperson of the Min-
country has witnessed a recur- lic disenchantment towards the Three former prime minis- istry of External Affairs (MEA)
ring political crisis. The top lead- new system manifested in a se- ters of Nepal – Prachanda, Sher in a statement issued on May 26
ers, often, were more interested ries of rallies and protests. The Bahadur Deuba and Baburam clearly stated that India views the
in grabbing power by punishing pro-royalist organisations even Bhattarai – have accused Prime recent political developments in
rival factions within the party, began discussing the revival of Minister Oli of dissolving the Nepal as “internal matters” of
splitting parties, and stoking an- the monarchical system. During Parliament at India’s direction. the country to be dealt under its
ti-India sentiments to shore up October-November 2020, a se- Bhattarai in his joint opinion “own domestic framework and
nationalism and hide incompe- ries of pro-monarchy rallies were piece published in The Hindu democratic processes.” Such

tence. In this context, one needs organised across the country. on May 29 stated that “…Oli accusations appear all the more
to analyse three major factors These intra-party and in- is in collusion with Hindu mo- baseless and unfounded because
that have precipitated the con- ter-party bickerings have im- narchical forces in Nepal and of the following reasons:
stitutional crisis in Nepal. pacted governance in the coun- the Rashtriya Swayamsevak First, it may be noted that
The public faith in the coun- try. The government miserably Sangh in India” to dismantle Continued on next page... >>

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