Sustainability and Service: the agenda

By TNW correspondent

The agenda for Nepal for the next five years should be sustainability and service. So said senior politicos in Kathmandu as federal parliament completed its first full term. “Politicos have however not been able to appreciate the point; they are more focused on power politics and securing self interest.”

Various techniques of transactional politics politicos are applying today are not agenda-centred, they observed. “Gaining maximum seats in parliament and provincial assemblies is their goal; for this they are ready to shake hands with anybody or any political entity.”

Because of this the forthcoming polls will witness various modalities of election partnership among politicians, media analysts explained.”None would be based on ideological principles or sound political beliefs.”

The ruling alliance itself will see its partners group with unbelievable politicos, said a senior journalist adding “the opposition party is also ready for the same.”

Poll partnership, in a sense, is nothing wrong. But unless it is clear about sustainability of parliamentary democracy and service to the people from those in power, the actions to be implemented in future will be at risk.

The sense of service to the people, a must in politics, is absent in current Nepali politics. This could lead the country to a dangerous point of instability and misuse of power for fulfillment of self interest.

As candidates approach people for their support in polls, they should always focus on sustainability of stable federal democracy in Nepal and professional delivery of public service to the people, senior politicos note.

Political parties’ manifestoes will of course mention the point. They should also express commitment to service delivery in the broad interest of the people. What they should not forget to concentrate on is : sustainability.