The government of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) headed by Prime Minister Balendra Shaha has completed 100 days in office. Also known as the honeymoon period in politics, the opposition generally keeps silent during this time after which they appreciate or criticise its performance. The government had published a 100-point programme which it pledged to fulfill within the 100 days of its office. It has now declared that it has completed 87 percent of its promises through a paper that it made public. The Ministry of Education has claimed that it has fulfilled 16 issues related to the 100-point programme and 26 related to others. The concept of the honeymoon period is said to have begun in the 17th century albeit in a bit different context. English historian Thomas Fuller had written in 1655 that kingdoms have their honeymoon, when new princes are married unto them, referring to the brief peace between a monarch and the nation. The honeymoon period entered into politics with full cry in 1933 in the United States when President Franklin D. Roosevelt inaugurated the intense 100-day legislative push. The practice of observing the honeymoon period of a hundred days began in Nepal prominently with the restoration of multi-party democracy in 1990, which was otherwise banned in Nepal in 1960. The government of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai of the Nepali Congress had told the UML to have some patience at least for the first 100 days after they started criticising and even launching protests immediately after its formation. It is against this backdrop that the first 100 days, or the honeymoon period, of the government must be judged. Since the NC government of 1959 headed by B P Koirala, Nepal has never been ruled by a single party enjoying a two-thirds majority in the Parliament. The government of the RSP came close to it, missing it by a whisker of two seats. As this government was formed after strings of political instabilities marked by corruption and underperformance, people had voted for the RSP, in general, and Balendra Shah, in particular, expecting a turn towards the better. So the people, including the opposition party leaders, have opined that they wish the government to last a full five years if it follows the established democratic norms and constitutional provisions. Unfortunately, the government appeared to violate the existing norms. Firstly, it arrested former prime minister and home minister holding them responsible for whatever happened on the first day of the Gen Z movement without taking the consent of the court, which is essential in such cases. It is no wonder that the court released them from imprisonment. The Prime Minister walked out of the Presidential address, which consisted of the program of the Premier himself. He then abstained for a long time without replying to the questions generally done so by the Premier but deputing other ministers taking help of a lapse in the regulation. As for the assessment of the government's performance over the past hundred days, it has to be based on the promise versus the performance. The promise of the hundred programmes intended to be implemented over an equal number of days itself is an unfeasible proposition. How can a programme be executed in a day? It could have instead focussed on fewer programmes, implemented them successfully, and moved over to other programmes. The government has thus tried to chew more than it can swallow. After all, this government can survive its full term on account of its overwhelming majority in the Parliament. So, it could move at a normal pace and not like an express train as the Premier has remarked on one occasion, saying that it will stop only after reaching the destination. It is not to say that the government has not made any good start-ups. The availability of vehicle license on the very day of passing the test and home delivery of the passports are a few of these. But all these good works have been eclipsed by the hurry and the subsequent bad curry as evident by the rapid publication of the erroneous 12-grade results, compelling the student to stage a protest. These are glaringly seen in the self-admitted mismanagement of its convention and the slum dwellers, the budget full of sweet nothings, failure to control the market price which has now skyrocketed, making the people's life miserable. The government is following the popular slogan of George Orwell-authored 'Animal Farm' that all animals are equal but some are more equal than others. It did not bother to make the report of the investigation committee public before giving a clean chit to Home Minister Sudan Gurung while it has decided to make public the concealed report of several investigating commissions of the past. Those persons involved in the first day of the Gen Z movement have been dealt with a firm hand, but the much-hyped committee to look into the second day of the movement has yet to be formed. The art of diplomacy is to say even the worst of things in the best of language. But the government has taken a somersault in this regard. The statement of the Prime Minister that Nepal has encroached India's territory, or the infrastructure minister that it would mount physical assault on the defaulting contractors, and the unbecoming statement of the finance minister to open certain files just because they provided suggestions to an unrealistic budget has eclipsed the fewer good works. The 100-day performance of the government is thus like a few islands of excellence amidst an ocean of mediocrity marked by unwarranted and unfortunate outbursts of some of its leaders.