Nepal needs individuals from different walks of life to continue their respective professions with honesty and efficiency, rather than abandoning them to enter politics
Political parties are the crucial pillars of parliamentary politics as they act as bridges between citizens and the state. Without political parties, democracy becomes a distant voice rather than a living conversation. The history of political party system dates back to the17th century when the first recognizable political parties emerged in England in the form of whigs, who supported constitutional monarchy and later became liberals, and Tories – supporters of monarchy and traditions, who later evolved to conservatives.
In Nepal, political parties were banned, and politically motivated activities were forbidden during the autocratic Rana regime. However, with an aim to end the Rana regime, the first political party – Nepal Praja Parishad – was established in 1936. Later, Nepali National Congress and Nepal Democratic Congress were established in 1946 and 1948, respectively. These parties merged together to form a united Nepali Congress in 1950. Similarly, Nepal Communist Party (NCP) was formed in 1949. Over time, ideological differences and leadership disputes led this socialist party to split into numerous factions. Consequently, the CPN is widely regarded as the parent organisation of almost all communist parties currently active in Nepal.
With time, Nepal Praja Parishad was phased out, but the people's movement led by the Nepali Congress and with partial participation of the NCP ultimately brought an end to the Rana regime in 1950. In the first national parliamentary election held in 1959, the Nepali Congress secured more than two-thirds majority, and the first democratically-elected government was formed under the premiership of BP Koirala. However, parliamentary democracy was short lived in Nepal as King Mahendra dismissed the elected government through a coup d'état in 1960. The next 29 years under the Panchayat system were the toughest for the political parties. They were banned, and their leaders were executed, imprisoned or exiled until 1990.
After the reinstatement of multi-party democracy in 1990, the political parties were officially allowed to resume their activities. In addition to the limited existent political parties, more parties were formed. In the 1991 general elections, 44 political parties were registered with the Election Commission. The number of political parties declined to 30 by 2000. In the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, 54 parties submitted lists for proportional representation. Currently, more than 125 parties have already been registered who are vouching to lock horns during the upcoming elections scheduled for March 5, 2026.
In a deeply politicised society like Nepal, forming a political party seems to be a lucrative job. People are highly polarised based on their political beliefs and the state machinery is hijacked by the political leadership. This has barred the political parties from addressing the issues related to the well-being of the society, good governance, and national development. These mishaps have led the non-politically aligned citizens to look for alternatives. The rise of little-known rapper-turned-politician, Balendra Sah, as the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan city during the last local elections has inspired many independent individuals to join politics. The unprecedented achievement of Rastriya Swatantra Party during the last general elections further strengthened this trend. These events motivated careerist individuals from various walks of life to laterally enter the newly formed parties. As climbing the ranks in established parties is a tedious, time-consuming, and almost impossible task, opportunists and discontented members from established parties also chose to join new parties.
The employment sector remains fragile in the country, and current conditions are not conducive to business growth. At the moment, the only productive sector seems politics. The sudden improvement in the lifestyles of prominent politicians, the visibility they enjoy in public life, and the impunity they garner have become motivating factors for many people. As a result, influential figures and elites in society are increasingly entering politics.
An ideal progressive society caters appropriately distributed professional engagements. Hence, it is necessary for the people to understand that one has to perform well in his/her own profession instead of jumping into politics. There might be some exceptions, but, in general, not every successful and/or popular individual from a certain profession can be a successful political leader. Consequently, the society should also acknowledge the contribution of people from every profession to the society rather than idolising the politicians.
With political parties mushrooming at an alarming rate on the eve of the scheduled elections, there is a high possibility that the new government formed after the elections will also be a coalition government. This will not do good to the country as coalition governments are the root causes of instability and bad governance. Rather than forming smaller parties, individuals vying for a parliamentary term should consider polarising into larger parties that match their fundamental principles.
In addition, the government and the Election Commission should consider increasing the threshold up to at least 5% for a party to become a national party. This will facilitate the participation of a smaller number of parties in the parliament thereby partially contributing to the stability of the government.
We have to understand that Nepal needs individuals from different walks of life to continue their respective professions with honesty and efficiency, rather than abandoning them to enter politics. Politics should be reserved for those truly committed to public service and governance and not for careerist opportunists.
Dr Joshi is a senior scientist and independent opinion maker based in Germany
pushpa.joshi@gmail.com
