Nepal’s new government, old concerns: Governance, dissent, shrinking civic space
As Nepal’s new government, led by Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old former Mayor of Kathmandu, completed its first 100 days in office, two incidents within 48
As Nepal’s new government, led by Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old former Mayor of Kathmandu, completed its first 100 days in office, two incidents within 48 hours laid bare the widening gap between its promises of reform and the realities of governance. On July 9, a ride-hailing driver self-immolated following an altercation with the city police over a parking dispute. The 25-year-old died the following day while undergoing treatment. A day later, a holding centre sheltering squatters and landless people after their eviction from Kathmandu’s riversides was inundated by monsoon rains. The incidents have fuelled public anger against the majority government, with protests flaring up in Kathmandu and elsewhere. Critics say they expose administrative failures, poor planning and an increasingly high-handed style of governance. The Shah administration now finds itself confronting many of the same questions that dogged its predecessor before last year’s Gen Z protests, which ultimately swept Mr. Shah into office. Formed on March 27 after the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s landslide victory in the March 5 elections, triggered by last year’s youth uprising, the government came to power promising reform, accountability and good governance. But analysts say it has failed to deliver on those promises. Anurag Acharya, a political commentator, said the administration is increasingly mirroring the erstwhile KP Sharma Oli government, arguing that Prime Minister Shah has exhibited similar authoritarian tendencies. “This government’s disconnect with the public is stark,” Mr. Acharya said. “While its performance on all fronts has been dismal, it is targeting critics, the media and civil society.
Early signs are not good.” The criticism has been amplified by Mr. Shah’s public silence. Known for his one-way communication style since his days as Kathmandu mayor — largely through social media — he has made just one public address and delivered only one speech in Parliament during his first 100 days in office. Shah has remained silent on both issues that have triggered public anger—the death of the ride-hailing driver and the plight of evicted squatters. On Tuesday (July 14), Opposition lawmakers accused the government of failing in its fundamental responsibility to protect the vulnerable and the excluded. Niscal Rai, whip of the main Opposition Nepali Congress, referred to Prime Minister Shah as “Shri 8” — an allusion to the honorific “Shri 5”, once reserved for Nepal’s monarchs before the country became a federal republic — suggesting a growing intolerance towards criticism, dissent and scrutiny. What began as criticism of the government’s handling of two recent crises has increasingly widened into concerns over shrinking civic space, with activists, Opposition leaders and the media alleging intimidation and suppression of dissent. On July 11, police arrested youth activists after they called attention to the government’s mishandling of evicted landless families. Majid Ansari, a lawyer and Gen Z activist, was injured during the police action and is undergoing treatment. In a Facebook post from his hospital bed, he wrote: “I have not been informed about the reason for my arrest so far, nor have I been shown any arrest warrant.
The BriefWire