Nepal: Old Parties Face Liquidation

This appeared in the latest issue of Red Star newspaper from Nepal

With their shameful defeat in the Constituent Assembly election, it seems that the establishment political parties are hastily speeding towards their own dissolution. Severe crisis in the leadership, serious delusion with their party policies and programs, deepening dissatisfaction and frustration within the establishment parties have now come to light.

The monarchy that ruled Nepal for 250 years is going and the pro-royalist forces have been washed away. Following the same path, the so-called big parties who claimed to be leaders of democracy seem to be liquidating. After their defeat, the Nepali Congress and the CPN UML are facing a crisis of leadership and severe internal contradictions.

The Nepali Congress, the party that claims to be a champion of democracy, always served the monarchy. After the re-introduction of multi-party democracy in 1990, the Nepali Congress ruled the country and the life of Nepali people deteriorated. The party has been the private property of the Koirala family and follows the will of GP Koirala. Although the election has destroyed the Koirala family, the family are not ready to handover the party to the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction. Furthermore, it seems that after GP Koirala’s death, the struggle to control the Nepali Congress may lead to dissolution of the Nepali Congress. Many inside the Congress Party say that the United States is trying to push the Deuba faction. The nomination in the PR list has created huge dissatisfaction within the party. A Nepali Congress central leader, Purna Bahadur Khadka, has resigned from his post.