There is a unique if expected element to the ongoing ‘unity convention’ between the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) at Bhrikutimandap in the heart of Kathmandu: It is hard to find many young faces among the gathering masses. Expected because very little about these two parties resonates with the youth (roughly, the 16-40 age cohort), which, at 40 percent of the total population, will play a decisive role in the outcome of the new CA polls. On the far left, the incendiary rhetoric of UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-Maoist can still pull huge masses. It helps that UCPN (Maoist) has managed to put together a vast war chest of resources by leveraging its clout as the largest party. Madheshis of all persuasions naturally gravitate towards the new forces that have emerged since the 2007 Madheshi Uprising. Nepali Congress and CPN-UML still retain their appeal as the ‘moderate’ democratic forces. On the far right, Kamal Thapa-led RPP (Nepal) finds strong adherents among those nostalgic about monarchy and the Hindu state. [break]
In this situation, the new RPP faces an existential crisis. The merger of the two former Pancha forces is likely to have a limited impact on the unified party’s electoral prospects. Most voters who are unhappy with post-2006 changes are likely to vote for RPP (Nepal), which has a clear and unambiguous pro-monarchy, pro-Hindu message. In contrast, people will find it hard to place RPP along the political spectrum. It seems to favor a republican order, but its idea of a federal Nepal is so narrow that it might not be able to properly adjust to the republican spirit. It claims to have moved beyond monarchy, but is cagey about declaring itself a secular force. And its nebulous claim to be a strong alternative ‘democratic force’ is meaningless (Which party in Nepal does not claim strong democratic credentials?)
There are other mitigating factors. The reluctance of the fast-aging, feuding leaders to delegate powers has also been very damaging to the new party’s image. At the ongoing general convention, the intended message of ‘unity’ was entirely lost as the quartet of top leaders decided to ‘rotate’ party presidency among themselves, rather than trust one person with the responsibility of leading it into new CA polls. There was feuding even to settle the new party’s name! The new party is now expected to enter into electoral alliances with ‘likeminded democratic forces’, which apparently means the likes of Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. Yes, such an alliance is always possible, but at present it is hard to see how such a working coalition can benefit any of its constituents. Can NC and UML be seen to be working hand-in-glove with former Panchas even as they claim to be ushering in a new era of change? And, in any case, why will people vote for RPP if it cannot distinguish itself from NC and UML? Politics makes for strange bedfellows, and the new RPP might still spring a few surprises with a perfect marriage of convenience in the polls. But at present it is extremely hard to see how it can carve out a niche for itself when it cannot even clearly articulate what it stands for.
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