Dahal’s one year of leadership: More misses than hits

It’s been a whirlwind year since Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal assumed office on December 26, 2022. Against all odds, he's managed to steer the ship through turbulent political waters, but the real question is: has the journey been as smooth as he'd hoped?

Let’s face it, people did not have much expectation with the current dispensation. Both Dahal and his key coalition partner Nepali Congress’s President Sher Bahadur Deuba are tested politicians with poor track records. So expectations from this government were not exactly high. Before this government even kicked into gear, citizens were already frustrated with major parties playing power games without any regard for progress. 

Fast forward a year, and the time has come to dissect Dahal’s performance. Dahal, whose party polled third in the 2022 general elections, showcased his skills by keeping the coalition intact and maintaining a precarious grip on power. 

Dahal’s CPN (Maoist Center) had forged an electoral alliance with the Congress and other fringe parties with the intent of defeating the CPN-UML. Dahal and Deuba had agreed to form a rotational government after the election, where Dahal would lead the first half of the five-year term. 

But soon after the election results were out, Deuba refused to honor the deal, prompting Dahal to form a coalition government with the UML. The Maoist-UML partnership was short-lived though. While Dahal assumed the seat of the executive, it was the UML, the second largest party, that called most of the shots, much to the prime minister’s annoyance.  

The last straw came when the UML staked claim to the post of the president. So Dahal once again struck a deal with Deuba’s Nepali Congress to form a new government within months after the elections. And this time Deuba agreed to allow Dahal to lead the coalition government first as a returning favor for throwing the Maoist party’s weight behind Congress’s presidential candidate, Ram Chandra Paudel. Thus Dahal succeeded in reviving the pre-election coalition, and he has so far managed to keep it together. 

Soon after assuming the prime minister’s office, Prime Minister Dahal projected himself as a champion of republicanism, secularism, federalism, and inclusion. He promised to protect and promote these values enshrined in the 2015 constitution. 

But the prime minister found himself facing a challenge on all fronts. The constitution's key pillars came under attack, with voices against it growing louder. Secularism and federalism faced severe backlash, and provincial governments complained of being short-changed by the federal authority.

Then along came anti-republican rabble-rouser Durga Prasai, a businessman turned common enemy of all major political parties, who rallied thousands of people behind him to protest against the current political system. Additionally, the social harmony that Nepal once prided itself on was disrupted by clashes between religious and ethnic groups. 

People’s frustration with major political parties has reached an all-time high, and the popularity graph of leaders have hit rock bottom. The fear of a crumbling system is palpable, and parties are already fretting about the next election.

The next general election is four years away, and the major parties are already worried. They fear the rise of new political forces, particularly the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and independent candidates.

On the governance front, Dahal failed to inject hope and optimism. Corruption remained untamed, and service delivery showed no signs of improvement. Despite issuing directives to improve governance, Dahal found himself in a bind as his own directives gathered dust. Frequent transfers of officials, a desperate attempt to appease ministers, reflected a lack of learning from past mistakes.

Even within his party, discontent brewed. Dahal's close-knit circle irked party members, and the resignation of political advisor Haribol Gajurel spoke volumes about the government's internal struggles. In the midst of this, Dahal’s attempt to salvage the government's image through selective anti-corruption measures fell flat, failing to inspire hope among the people.

The government also failed to endorse the key bills from Parliament that aim to strengthen the federal and local governments. Dahal had promised to conclude the transitional justice process drawing the support of the international community, but failed on this agenda too.

While Prime Minister Dahal tried to improve the image of his government by opening an investigation into some big corruption scandals such as fake refugee scandals, the Lalita Niwas land grab, and smuggling of gold, it failed to sprout hope in the people because he adopted a selective approach and tried to protect his party leaders. 

The economic outlook under Dahal's leadership has been far from rosy. A surge in people seeking job opportunities abroad reflects a lack of confidence in the domestic job market. While some positive indicators exist, such as a decline in inflation and growing remittances, the overall economic landscape lacks the transformative touch promised by Dahal.

In the realm of foreign policy, Dahal played it safe. Steering clear of contentious issues with major powers, he focused on economic and developmental agendas. An appeasement policy was adopted to safeguard the fragile coalition, especially with India, which wields significant influence over Nepal's internal politics. Dahal has also somewhat succeeded in convincing China regarding his compulsion of maintaining close ties with New Delhi and Washington.

As Dahal contemplates changing ministers to shake things up, the real question remains: can a mere reshuffling bring about the change Nepal needs? Self-reflection seems to be in short supply as Dahal, instead of addressing concerns, dismisses critics as regressive forces.

First, Dahal himself should mend his ways. Over the past year, Dahal spent most of his precious time participating in insignificant events, such as a book launch and building inauguration. He invested very little or no time to diagnose where the problem lies and how it can be resolved. He rarely visited any government offices to inspect the service delivery.

 

One year into the job, Dahal appears more focused on securing the next year in power than leaving a lasting impact. The clock is ticking, and the country watches with bated breath to see if Dahal can transform challenges into triumphs in the years ahead.