KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa has said the “musical chairs” style of politics, in which the same faces repeatedly occupy positions of power and leadership, has intensified public dissatisfaction and contributed to the situation that emerged on September 8 and 9.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Nepali Congress’ 15th General Convention, Thapa said the repeated presence of the same people as prime ministers, ministers and party leaders had created a perception in society that all political parties and leaders were the same and equally bad.
“Politics had become like a musical chair. Those who became prime minister wanted to become prime minister again, leaders kept wanting to remain leaders, ministers kept returning to power and no one wanted to leave,” he said. “This sent a message that all parties and leaders were the same and all were bad.”
Thapa also said excessive politicisation, or “hyper-politics,” had spread across every sector of society, including social media. He said dissatisfaction and disillusionment with political parties had been smouldering like a fire beneath the ashes, and the failure to recognise it in time affected the entire political system.
He said an unexpected situation emerged amid a lack of dialogue between the then two-thirds majority government and changing public sentiment.
“We failed to understand this, and that is why September 8 and 9 happened. Friends from the Nepali Congress and other parties were also affected by it,” Thapa said.
Following the developments, the Nepali Congress chose the path of a special general convention to manage the situation, he said. Although the subsequent election results were not favourable to the party, Thapa said the Nepali Congress accepted the outcome as part of the political process.
He described the 15th General Convention as a historic turning point for the party to review its serious shortcomings and move forward with new thinking, revised conduct an
Comment