Bishnu Subedi

The current government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has completed its 100 days in office. Although 100 days is not enough to measure the success or failure of a government, it can hint at what the future holds and those hints, for this government, look positive. The formation of this government has ended a frightening transition, has brought the country’s politics back on track and has enabled the constitution to feel safe. The political vacuum has ended and a new dawn of trust has begun.
Before reviewing the past 100 days, it is necessary to discuss a little about the context in which this government was formed.

This is not a normal government formed under normal circumstances but rather a special alliance formed out of the necessity of the country. This is not a government formed on the wishes of Prime Minister Deuba. Rather, this is a government formed on the proposal of the five-party coalition, certified signatures of a majority of the members of the House of Representatives and the mandamus of the Supreme Court.

When former Prime Minister KP Oli dissolved the parliament on December 20 last year because of the internal conflict in his party, the country’s politics took an unfortunate turn. The mandate given by the people with a nearly two-thirds majority in the parliament was ridiculed and the constitution was toyed with. All of Oli’s later steps seemed to be guided by his ego and impulse.
By seemingly destroying the established system and wrecking the state machinery, he sought to centralise power in his hands. He crippled important state bodies by making them mere branches of Baluwatar. Unseen, unheard characters became unusually dominant in the state structure. Attempts were made to keep constitutional bodies and security mechanisms under Baluwatar’s shadow. However, significant efforts have been made in the past 100 days to repair the broken system and restore the capacity of the constitutional bodies.

The seven months after December 20 was a dark period in Nepali politics. The formation of the government under Prime Minister Deuba freed the country from that darkness.
The order given by the Supreme Court on July 13 to appoint Sher Bahadur Deuba as the Prime Minister was not just the victory of a specific person, party or group but rather the triumph of our democracy, justice and constitution.

A conspiracy was afoot to trap the country in a spiral of instability and ambush the constitution by dissolving the parliament and not holding elections. But the Supreme Court quashed that conspiracy. The country was on the brink of a terrible accident but the Court pulled it back. This is no small achievement.
Prime Minister Deuba does not have the luxury of proceeding alone like the prime minister of a majority government. He must take all the parties in the coalition into confidence. He must take into account the demands, expectations and grievances of all the coalition partners, which may have affected the pace of the government. Since he is required to bring together all the parties that believe in and support him, it is natural for there to be some delays in the formation of a cabinet.

Regardless of what Deuba would have wanted, this is a compulsion created by the extraordinary situation. Had the Nepali Congress tried to move alone, the coalition could have collapsed and the country could have faced another catastrophe. Deuba seems to have exercised caution and restraint at every step to preserve the spirit of the ruling alliance. The maturity and parental leadership shown by Deuba have secured this five-party alliance.

When Deuba assumed office, the country was reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic. Public life and economic activity were stagnant. Immediately after his swearing-in, Deuba made controlling the pandemic his first, second and third priority and directed the entire government apparatus to fight against the coronavirus. Both the scope and pace of vaccination was expanded in the last 100 days and as a result, the country is today free from the cycle of lockdowns and life is gradually returning to normal.

Nepal and Nepalis live in a very complex and sensitive geopolitical environment. There was a bit of confusion and imbalance in our foreign policy in the middle. But now, an initiative has been taken to promote balanced and cordial relations with our neighbouring and friendly countries. This government has made attempts to restore the natural flow of goodwill and support to Nepal from the international community.

Due to the political uncertainty, not only foreign investors but also domestic entrepreneurs were scared and were in a 'wait and watch' situation. That fright has been replaced by trust and enthusiasm now that a stable government has been formed.
Although the government appears ready to implement the MCC development grant provided by the US government, there is still some confusion in political circles. A grant given by a trusted ally should not be an issue that should cause such commotion in the political arena. If we do not let go of this culture of controversy, suspicion and opposition to matters relating to foreign affairs, we risk damaging not only relations with the United States but the overall foreign aid and investment climate in the country. The government should take concrete steps to end this confusion as soon as possible and implement the MCC.

With the restoration of the parliament, the culture of ruling through ordinances has come to an end and emphasis has been laid on the rule of law. Dodging the parliament, the previous caretaker government made arbitrary political appointments to constitutional bodies. If those appointments are not rectified, they will have a long-term impact on the governance of the country. The election-oriented budget the previous government brought has already been replaced. The government has introduced a new budget to bring the country’s back on track.
After seven months of disturbing turmoil, public expectation with the new government has understandably risen and there are high expectations, there are bound to be some criticisms and a little dissatisfaction. It is natural.

The Prime Minister is not the representative of any particular party. He is a respected and powerful institution for the whole country. He is at the centre of the system of governance we have adopted. The stronger and more credible we make this institution, the safer and brighter our democracy will be. In a democracy, there should be healthy criticism about the role and work of the country's executive. But attempts should not be made to weaken this institution and demoralise it.

Deuba is a mature politician who has the most experience in governing and fighting for democracy in the country. He is not just the president of the Nepali Congress; he is the guardian of the whole nation. He is a personality accepted and trusted by all parties. Deuba did not become Prime Minister this time on his wishes or plans. He rose to lead the government at the behest of the country and the initiative of other political parties. He was pushed into office under special circumstances and we must all remember that he has also obtained a vote of confidence from the federal parliament.
Deuba is also known for taking government leadership at difficult and testing times the country has confronted. When he first became PM in 2052 BS, the Supreme Court had restored the dissolved parliament. At the time, political polarisation was at its worst. When he was appointed PM for the second time in 2058 BS, the Maoist insurgency was at its height.

It would be wrong to view Deuba’s current premiership only within the confines of his life. The future success and security of our democracy and constitution are now linked to Deuba. Deuba's failure at this time would also mean the failure of the Nepali Congress. If Congress fails to seize this unique opportunity with prudence, its role in national politics will shrink for a long time to come. Because this is a special responsibility presented to the country. We must make this alliance led by Deuba a success if we are to protect our democracy and constitution.

(Subedi is the Executive Chairman of Gorkhapatra Corporation)