‘Nepal’s democracy was saved by the court, now India has to change its course‘

Kathmandu : The issue of Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba being appointed as the Prime Minister has been published by Indian newspapers with priority.

Major English dailies have written editorials. In an editorial in The Indian Express, President Vidyadevi Bhandari has expressed support for the dissolution of Parliament. The editorial said, “President Bidya Devi Bhandari made an openly partisan move by dissolving parliament once again, announcing elections in November as Oli had wanted, and putting him in charge as prime minister. Given her apparent preference for Oli, it was hardly surprising that she declined to entertain Deuba’s claim to form the government with the backing of 149 parliamentarians in the 275-strong House. The Supreme Court has taken a dim view of the actions of both Bhandari and Oli.”

The editorial also states that the Nepali Congress and Deuba are no strangers and are traditional friends of the Indian political establishment. “While India is on high alert regarding the Chinese military on the Line of Control in the western Ladakh region, being a friend of Kathmandu will definitely help,” the editorial said.

It has also been mentioned that New Delhi should not exaggerate its friendship with Deuba and should not have unnatural expectations from him. The editorial said, “No politician in Nepal can show that he has close ties with Delhi.” No government in Kathmandu can deny China, no matter how close it is to India, because China has invested so much in Nepal’s infrastructure. ‘

In its editorial, the Times of India said that “there’s no denying that Nepal has become a hotbed for strategic competition between India and China. But New Delhi would do well to take a neutral approach to Kathmandu’s political changes and accelerate its developmental projects for Nepal. It should not fall into the same trap that it did in 2015 with its overt interference that alienated a large section of the Nepali people and pushed Kathmandu towards Beijing. India-Nepal ties are based on traditional ties of culture and people-to-people relations. These should be leveraged to take the bilateral relationship to the next level.”

The Hindustan Times daily has published an editorial under the headline ‘Nepal’s democracy rescued by court’. The magazine said that by supporting KP Oli, India itself has gone in the wrong direction of democratic values ​​and norms, but now that course must be changed. Stating that Nepal’s court has promoted constitutionalism, the magazine has mentioned that India should now change its course.

Back in the House

Sher Bahadur Deuba will need to hit ground running. Delhi must keep its expectations of Nepal’s new PM low.

Editorial of The Indian express, 14 July 2021.

One knot in Nepal’s political conflict has been untied with the country’s Supreme Court reinstating Parliament, and not just that, appointing Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba as the prime minister. The ruling is a setback to the ambitions of Khadga Prasad Oli, who has been at the centre of controversial decisions ever since his government lost the majority last December, when he dissolved Parliament and called for elections. When the Supreme Court reinstated the Nepal assembly, and Oli was unable to prove his majority on the floor of the House, President Bidya Devi Bhandari made an openly partisan move by dissolving parliament once again, announcing elections in November as Oli had wanted, and putting him in charge as prime minister. Given her apparent preference for Oli, it was hardly surprising that she declined to entertain Deuba’s claim to form the government with the backing of 149 parliamentarians in the 275-strong House. The Supreme Court has taken a dim view of the actions of both Bhandari and Oli.

Deuba, who has been sworn in as the prime minister as per the directions of the court, will need to prove his majority in parliament within 30 days. It is unclear if the 146 parliamentarians who filed a writ in the Supreme Court against the House dissolution continue to support him. The uncertainty could well continue. No stranger in Delhi, Deuba, who has served as prime minister four times before, and the Nepali Congress, have been traditional allies of the Indian political establishment. In a situation in which India finds itself on high alert against the Chinese Army at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, having a friend in Kathmandu certainly helps.

Deuba’s last visit to Delhi was in 2017, after he had been sworn in as PM. He was in office for a period of nine months at the time until the 2018 elections saw Oli make a big comeback. Delhi would be wise not to hype up this friendship or have unrealistic expectations of Nepal’s new PM. No politician in Nepal can afford to be seen as close to Delhi. No government in Kathmandu, however friendly with India, can afford to turn its back on China, which is funding a slew of infrastructure projects in the country. It is heartening that the Supreme Court’s appointment of Deuba as the prime minister has left little room for “foreign hand” theories. The instability since last December saw Nepal’s political leadership pay little attention to the pandemic and its management. The country was also badly affected by the second wave that left India devastated. Though the number of daily cases has come down now, Nepal is short of vaccinations and is struggling to get its tourism industry, a mainstay of its economy, up on its feet. Deuba will need to hit the ground running.

Change in Nepal again: Deuba to take over as PM, but India should remain neutral to political turns in Kathmandu

The times of India- Editorial, 13 July 2021.

Nepal’s Supreme Court has invalidated the dissolution of Nepal’s Parliament in May this year and ordered the appointment of Nepali Congress’s Sher Bahadur Deuba as Prime Minister. Nepal has been facing a political crisis since December last year with the government of KP Oli steadily losing support both within Parliament and inside his own party CPN-UML. In fact, the Parliament was dissolved twice during this period on Oli’s advice to President Bidya Devi Bhandari, as he sought to somehow remain in power despite the odds stacking up against him. 

With Deuba’s appointment now, Nepal’s apex court has clearly disapproved of Oli’s continuance as PM and the manner in which the last parliamentary dissolution happened. But Deuba too may have a tough time proving majority in Parliament within a month as he is constitutionally obliged to. After all, the Madhav Kumar Nepal faction of the CPN-UML which had backed Deuba has now decided to sever ties with the Nepali Congress alliance. This means that Deuba himself may be forced to dissolve parliament if he falls short of numbers. 

All of this goes to show that Nepal’s transition to full democracy remains a work in progress. The country is still working through the constitutional incongruences that usually confront fledgling democracies. On top of this, there’s no denying that Nepal has become a hotbed for strategic competition between India and China. But New Delhi would do well to take a neutral approach to Kathmandu’s political changes and accelerate its developmental projects for Nepal. It should not fall into the same trap that it did in 2015 with its overt interference that alienated a large section of the Nepali people and pushed Kathmandu towards Beijing. India-Nepal ties are based on traditional ties of culture and people-to-people relations. These should be leveraged to take the bilateral relationship to the next level. 

The Hindustan Times daily has published an editorial under the headline ‘Nepal’s Judiciary rescues Nepali democracy” The paper said that by supporting KP Oli, India itself has gone in the wrong direction of democratic values ​​and norms, but now that course must be changed. Stating that Nepal’s court has promoted constitutionalism, the HT has mentioned that India should now change its course.

The judiciary rescues Nepali democracy

By HT EditorialPUBLISHED ON JUL 13, 2021 03:01 PM IST

India was on the wrong side of its own democratic values, of public perception in Nepal, and even the power structure, by supporting KP Oli’s domestic, undemocratic, political manoeuvrings. Now, Nepal’s Supreme Court has upheld constitutionalism. India must change course

Nepal promulgated a new Constitution in 2015. Despite its flaws, especially the inadequate inclusion of marginalised social groups and entrenchment of powerful political elites in the power structure, the Constitution laid out a robust framework for parliamentary democracy. KP Oli, as the leader of a mega communist alliance, won a two-thirds majority in 2017. But in three years, Mr Oli had concentrated power, subverted institutions, alienated a large section of his party, and facing the prospect of losing power, recommended the dissolution of the Parliament — which the Constitution does not allow — in December. A close political aide turned Nepal’s President, Bidya Devi Bhandari, played along. The Supreme Court (SC) revoked the decision and restored the House.