A short review of Annual policies and programmes of the government of Nepal

--Suresh Ale Magar

The government of Nepal presented its annual policies and programmes (APP) for the fiscal year 2007/2008 in the legislature parliament on 4 July 2007. The APP contains 45 points in all and is relatively small in size. Needless to say, it has tried its best to justify that it is a document of compromise built among 8 political parties. But, however, it is really so?

. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi who, when India was still under British rule, had once said that the Britons would help them with their feet by walking, PM Koirala called on indirectly ‘King Gynandra to abdicate voluntarily. If ruthless and autocratic monarchs would have abdicated voluntarily, the world would have been a different and better place to live in.

The APP has a lot of ‘shall dos’ which have made it a bundle of hollow promises and assurances to the people. But there are no sincere commitments and deplorable is the fact that it lacks of a clear vision. In the APP, Mr. Koirala, at a place mentions that the election to Constituent Assembly shall end the old era and Nepal will enter into a new era. But, paradoxically, it is he who was the principal actor in the postponement of the same in last May and as long as the status quoits, national capitulationist and regressive tendencies, which he has been embracing, prevail, there is very little likelihood that the election to CA will be held even in November this year. Moreover, he has not spoken even a single word till now about the founding of republican system in Nepal though he has uttered many times petulant, disgusting and controversial talks for which he was heavily criticized.

Instead of creating jobs and exploring ways by enhancing national capital and exploiting natural resources in the country, the government has adopted a policy to encourage people to go abroad for jobs. The funniest thing in the APP is that it talks about “eradicating corruption and poverty in the society”. What a great joke! PM Koirala has discussed about integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist army fighters but has maintained a mum, to all’s surprise, on building a new national army by reintegrating both the armies –People’s liberation Army and Nepal Army (which was and presumably still is  loyal to feudal monarchy) in accordance with Interim constitution, comprehensive Peace Accord and the Agreement on Monitoring of  Armies and Arms. In addition, the APP has no plan to take actions against the merciless repressors of the 19 days historic people’s movement that was based on 10 year old people’s war thunderously launched by our Party, CPN (Maoist), nor it has dared to make pubic the report of Rayamajhi Commission which has enlisted criminals.

Above all, the policies and Programmes of the government are not prepared in line with the Interim Constitution and political consensus built among 8 political parties, in fact, they run against. This act of PM Girija Prasad Koirala is what deserves criticisms and condemnations from all quarters of the society. In the APP, he talks about new Nepal at a place but grips tightly the old mindset and tendencies. In essence, the Politics and Programmes of the Government of Nepal are nothing but a mere traditionalist and status quoits document that has disappointed the Nepalese people who are desirous of building a new Nepal. It has totally failed to address even the spirit and essence of Interim Constitution and meet the expectation of the people.