The 13th National Convention of the oldest political party of Nepal, and the largest party in the parliament, Nepali Congress, begins today in Kathmandu. The party has come a long way since its inception in 1947 and still remains synonymous with democracy and rule of law. NC blazed the democratic trail in the country against political oppression, economic exploitation, social exclusion and discrimination. The party led Nepal to modernity from medieval conditions through a popular revolution in 1950, and heralded the process of democracy, rule of law and development.The party's founding pillars include nationalism, democracy and socialism. It has been working to have constitutional and inclusive democracy rooted in the rule of law, free, fair and periodic elections institutionalized and to put the country on the path of peace, stability, progress and prosperity. The party believes in the principles of peaceful coexistence among nations, and considers them the foundation of enduring peace and stable global order.
Nepal has undergone profound social and political transformation. It has experienced more downs than ups in its democratic journey. Congress has remained at the forefront of this journey, and fought several forms of authoritarianism starting from Rana autocracy, king's dictatorship, and decade-long Maoist armed conflict. It has brought all political parties together to work for national sovereignty, democracy, human rights and national dignity.
It was with the leadership of the party that the armed Maoists were mainstreamed into peaceful constitutional politics through dialogue, engagement and negotiations. It was again the party's leadership that guided the critical task of constitution making, accomplished the historic mission of a constitution through the Constituent Assembly that institutionalizes federal democratic republic, guarantees fundamental rights of the people and concludes the peace process.
The convention comes at a critical juncture in Nepal's history. Party President Sushil Koirala passed away when district-level party conventions were on. The country was hit by a devastating earthquake on April 25th, 2015, causing widespread destruction and resulting in a great humanitarian challenge. Along with rebuilding and reconstruction works, there are challenges of implementing the constitution working with parties of vastly different ideologies.
For all democrats, it remains a matter of great satisfaction that parties with violent pasts, non-democratic and unconstitutional behavior have come under the democratic umbrella in Nepal. The big challenge now is to institutionalize this peaceful behavior and strict adherence to the provisions of the constitution. NC has worked to institutionalize democratic gains, bringing them in line with universally accepted democratic norms as reflected in daily governance and solution of problems in a democratic manner.
Though in opposition now, Congress has acted more responsibly than the government of the day. It led the constitutional amendments that paved the way for easing the difficult situation and shortage of essential supplies in the country and ended the disruptions at the Nepal-India border.
Democracy has been NC's greatest strength. The convention is a huge opportunity. Besides taking stock of the overall situation and policies since its last general convention, the challenge for the party is to put its own house in order, orient party workers to its core principles, and develop and strengthen democratic culture—premised on the foundation of political institutions. The party has the responsibility to strengthen democratic institutions and implement the constitution. It has the responsibility to prove that democracy has a meaning and significance for the people, nation and our development challenges.
Nepal is an ethnically diverse mosaic. Several ethnic groups crosscut the borders, with several fault lines. Diversity is Nepal's strength and identity. The federal framework aims at strengthening this mosaic for unity and creating adequate political space for empowering people from all walks of national life. There are attempts to create divides in society and politics, and play ethnic cards in the complex and fragile geopolitics of the country. This is an ominous trend for age-old social harmony and tolerance. The party leadership has a huge responsibility to promote national unity and reconciliation within a democratic framework. NC has to better explain that inclusive nationalism, not jingoism, is the way to go about it.
Though people's grievances are entirely an internal issue of Nepal, they have acquired external dimension over the years. Open border with India compounds this complexity. Unresolved demands of people in Madhesh have an impact on the precious Nepal-India relations as was evident during the recent visit of Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to India. Grievances of Madheshi, as Indian Foreign Secretary said during the visit, "if left unaddressed can detract from the stability of Nepal." The blockade at the Nepal-India border that followed the promulgation of a democratic constitution—at a time when the country was recovering from the devastating earthquakes—shows how geographic, political, security, economic and cultural realms intersect.
In an environment of uncertainty and confusion in the world, social democratic political systems have shown the maturity and resilience in confronting an array of issues. Democratic socialism has stood the test of time, while authoritarian state has collapsed like a house of cards. Congress has an abiding faith in democratic socialism. BP Koirala, highlighting the relevance of democratic socialism before the Asia Pacific Socialist Organization Conference in 1981, had said, "socialism is the wave of the future... Without the anchorage of socialism, the countries drift either to fascist militarism or to dictatorial communism or to obscurantist reactionary religious fundamentalism." This has been a prophetic statement. NC has to better explain the relevance of democratic socialism in the changing context.
The process of building democracy is never-ending. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "The spirit of democracy is not a mechanical thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms; it requires a change of heart". Strengthening democracy requires sincere commitment of political leaders. Congress Convention has the responsibility to make democracy the country's heartbeat, and enhance the dignity of Nepal abroad.
NC convention is a festival for all democracy-loving people. The world is closely watching. The leadership that emerges from the convention will have to firm up the message that a democratic Nepal is an asset for its neighbors, India and China, and a stabilizing force for peace, stability, and prosperity in the neighborhood, the region and the world at large. The indispensability of democratic institutions is linked to perform core functions of a modern state: to preserve national unity, promote connectivity, address the paradox of pervasive poverty amidst abundance of resources, and create a win-win environment to benefit from neighborhood prosperity. NC cannot shirk its historic responsibility as the anchor of democracy. The new leadership should remember what BP used to say: "If Nepal has to exist as a nation or develop as a nation, it must develop democratic institutions."
The author was foreign relations advisor of former prime minister Sushil Koirala
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