The Guru Raj Ghimire-initiated and Gagan Thapa-Biswa Prakash Sharma-supported Special General Convention (SGN) has incredibly transformed the image of the Nepali Congress (NC) in the same manner as a rather ugly looking caterpillar turns into a stunningly beautiful butterfly. Here is the instance of change pleasantly brought about in an old political party displacing the rather outdated old guards, while following democracy and the rule of the law. Doubly pleasant is the emergence of a new, energetic, and enthusiastic leadership in Gagan Thapa and his cohort.
Such a change was demanded by the nation especially after the Gen Z movement which exited the allegedly corrupt and non-performing government of K P Oli within a day even though it enjoyed nearly a two-thirds majority in the Parliament. It was not possible in the Unified Marxist-Leninists (UML) despite a similar effort initiated by its Vice President Ishwor Pokhrel and his comrades. Oli triumphed at the end to the displeasure of the change-seeking Nepali populace at large.
Similar change was not seen in the Nepali Communist Party, where Prachanda, Madhav Nepal, and Jhala Nath Khanal continue to occupy the front stage – leaders who proved to be trivial with their ordinary performance when at the helm of the country. The situation is not any different in the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which appears as yet another assemblage of mostly unpleasantly familiar and underperforming leaders. The Madhes-based political parties have been unable to attract the attention of the voters around the country because they could not break the regional viscous circle and cross into the national arena.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) appeared promising by uniting with the Ujyalo Nepal party and its proposition of Balendra Shah as the prime ministerial candidate, but its parting within 12 days of the union has given the impression of both volatility and instability in both the parties.
The NC, otherwise perceived as a fossilised political entity unable to lead Nepal to progress and prosperity, has thus suddenly emerged as a new hope for the country as it has brought about change in the leadership. It is akin to the emergence of Indira Gandhi in India in the late sixties as well as Tony Blair in Britain in the nineties. Whilst Gandhi brought an end to the era of old politicians, who once again bounced back after she declared a rather undemocratic and dictatorial emergency in the country, Blair came with the idea of a New Britain. Blair, in particular, suddenly activated his party members who were otherwise hibernating due to a non-functioning party and party leaders.
Thapa has initiated something similar by inviting the senior leaders to assume the patronship of the party on the virtue of their contribution to the establishment of democracy in Nepal. He has also invited honest and dedicated party leaders who have been brushed aside by the indifferent party leadership in the past. He has kind of killed two birds with a stone by mobilising the old as well as young party members together and thus rejuvenating the party.
The NC appeared to be going down the political drain till recently due to the feud with the Shekhar and Deuba factions. When the other parties had already made great headway by finalising the list of their candidates to fight the election, the NC was truly committing suicide by the political squabbles among its own groups. But wisdom finally dawned on the disgruntled groups to fight the election under one election symbol – the tree - agreeing to the leadership of Gagan Thapa.
The list of NC candidates also has been finalised in several constituencies with the agreement of all the three groups, and it is just a matter of time before it arrives at a complete list. This has certainly put the NC in good stead when it was the opposite till a short while earlier.
The voters now have the double luxury of getting to vote for a democratic party that too led by a young leader like Gagan Thapa. To attract the voters, the NC should project Thapa as the prime ministerial candidate in the same manner as Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was declared in such capacity in the 1999 general election. Due to the clean face of Bhattarai, a wave of support was generated, which provided a majority to the NC in the election. Thapa can create a similar or even stronger tide with his unparalleled oratory skill backed by a new vision and touchy but realistic slogan.
The slogan could be "Alleviation of corruption for Nepal's rejuvenation". The alleviation of deep-rooted corruption should be addressed at the political as well as bureaucratic level. For the alleviation of corruption in the political level, the political parties should be nationally financed.
Similarly, a series of social packages should be introduced like children's allowances and the like in addition to the senior citizen allowances already in existence. It may be remembered that Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani had coined the idea of national financing of political parties at Rs 20 per vote when he was the finance minister in the mid-nineties. Similarly, a senior citizen allowance was introduced by Mana Mohan Adhikari in the early nineties.
The NC can be perceived as the harbinger of peace and prosperity for several reasons by the voters. Firstly, it has got rid of the fossilised leadership. Secondly, it has addressed the concerns of the Gen Zees by infusing a relatively young leadership democratically, something not seen in either the UML, RPP, NCP or even the RSP. The NC has provided the privilege of enjoying the best of both worlds with its democratic credence, a young leadership at the front, and an experienced leadership giving a pat on the back. After the SGC and the reunion of all the groups under it, the NC has assumed a rare assemblage of courage as well as caution.