BMD

The political circle and other sections of Nepali society seem to have now felt the need for honest, dedicated and principled leaders who alone can institutionalise the hard-earned democracy and lead the nation towards economic prosperity and social stability.

With the emergence of numerous political anomalies in Nepal even after the establishment of the federal set-up, many politicians and the common people alike have missed former president of the Nepali Congress and prime minister late Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. As part of marking the 'saint' leader's 98th birthday on Thursday last week, they recalled him as an uncompromising stalwart. Despite having a lot of sense of humour, he was very serious about carrying out his duties in a responsible manner.

When Bhattarai led the interim government following the restoration of democracy in 1990, he was able to perform his responsibilities successfully within the stipulated timeframe. As the head of government, he not only facilitated the drafting of the Constitution of Nepal, 1990 but also held the first parliamentary elections in a free and fair manner. Though he had to face a humiliating loss in the elections due to the intra-party bickering, he accepted poll results happily.

After having lost the mid-term elections held in November 1995, the NC projected Bhattarai as the next prime minister. With his good track record, Bhattarai emerged victorious in the 1999 general elections with his party gaining majority. So, he became the prime minister once again. But after some time, he had to reel from the same conspiracy from some leaders of his party. But he neither opted for splitting the party nor dissolved the House of Representatives. He resigned from the post.

His simple lifestyle and dedication to the nation, people and democracy were so exceptional that they are worth emulating even for politicians. He never ran after power, comfort and property. Unlike many other leaders, he was not bothered about building a house in Kathmandu and outside. An umbrella, a box and an earthen jar were all what he possessed in the name of property. He also had an exceptional quality of taking everyone, including the rivals, into confidence easily because of his tactfulness and unselfishness.

Since his demise in March 2011, the country has experienced a kind of vacuum in political leadership. As an icon of democracy, he dedicated his entire life to establishing democracy and ensuring people’s rights. All the national issues, including the complicated ones, can be resolved with no trouble if his footsteps are followed. But Nepal’s contemporary political leaders are hardly found to be flexible enough to settle even the vital national issues.

The Federal Parliament has remained dysfunctional ever since its restoration by the Supreme Court some five months ago. This has happened due to the continuous obstructions by the main opposition — CPN-UML. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and other top leaders of the ruling alliance have left no stone unturned when it comes to resolving the issue of the disruption of the House of Representatives (HoR). Premier Deuba has already called for some rounds of all-party meeting. But the UML boycotted such meetings.

The party’s chair and parliamentary party leader KP Sharma Oli has lately vowed to keep obstructing the HoR till its tenure is over. This indicates that Oli, who had dissolved the HoR two times within the span of six months, is not ready to give up his ego. The party’s move has stalled many notable bills and dampened people’s aspirations. Thus, the party must review its irrational stance for the sake of the nation and the people.