Political vista: different

With the political panorama and approach changed in Singha Durbar and parliament, fresh youth personalities and their positioning appear to dominate the public discourse. Political parties and leaders with rich history of political struggle and virtual command of public discourse for over three decades look lost on ways to posture and respond to the altered vista. Most are facing serious division and challenge inside their own parties. The one time leading ones such as Nepali Congress, CPN UML, Nepal Communist Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party are not yet clear about the appropriate way to respond to new political sea-change in politics and positions. The stress on their leadership, once termed as beyond any challenge, is visible and rendering them feeble in Nepali politics. Their old styled rhetoric and opposition to the new governance and legislative set up cannot simply be appealing. Moreover, the new team and its leaders are all clear about what to do in their respective fields. Two factors-the parliamentary majority and exemplary popular support- it got in recent general election have been instrumental in making the new ruling party Rastriya Swatantra Party able to plan and chart way forward. The usual squabble over forming government, allocating ministries and finalizing key parliamentary posts did not make any appearance this time. The switch over in government and parliament went historically smooth. The other process of governance and legislative practice is also going forward in a way people feel in real life. Some senior politicos’ wish with regret is revealing: it would have been great had the same been practiced in the past by leaders with rich contribution to Nepali politics. The new political panorama interestingly inspiring indeed!