Four years of parliament 

The painful death of the first Constituent Assembly in May 2012, with the all-important task of writing a constitution for the new federal democratic republic still incomplete, had cast a pall gloom over Nepal. There was great public anger at the failure of the ever-squabbling political class to agree to a new constitution, even after the original two-year tenure of the first CA was repeatedly, and some would say illegally, extended. Nor was it certain at the time that the country would go on to hold second CA election, or that it would get a constitution even if such an election was held. Thus when the Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi-led government succeeded, against all expectation, in holding the second CA polls on November 19, 2013, and with enthusiastic public participation, Nepal’s derailed political process seemed to be getting back on track. Yet chastened by the experience of the first CA, people were still skeptical that the second CA would be able to deliver as well. Perhaps they might have had to keep waiting were it not for the April 2015 earthquakes, the national tragedy that finally brought the major political actors on the same page on the constitution. 

The second CA promulgated the historic constitution on September 20, 2015. As the assembly was elected for this singular purpose, the constitution has to be seen as by far the biggest achievement of the second CA-cum-parliament. Following the passage of the constitution, the role of the Constituent Assembly ended and the parliament that was left behind was given the responsibility of handling the country’s business until the time of next elections under the new constitution. The term of this parliament ended on October 14, a day ahead of the filing of Proportional Representation nominations for the federal and provincial elections. Besides the constitution, the outgoing parliament made some other important contributions: it passed laws to replace the 180-year-old Muluki Ain (Civil Code), created the twin transitional justice bodies, initiated the process of impeachment of the autocratic CIAA chief Lokman Singh Karki, and enacted a landmark law on universal health coverage. These were all rich feathers in its cap. Yet this was the same parliament that shamefully registered an impeachment motion against CJ Sushila Karki, amended the Education Act to the detriment of public schools and as good as submitted healthcare to medical mafia. 

Perhaps it was only natural that the national parliament would reflect the chaotic national politics, with all its strengths and weaknesses. But people hoping for more accountable and transparent federal and provincial parliaments, following the September 26 and December 7 polls, will still be disappointed. Our major political forces are once again fielding corrupt and criminals as their candidates. Now it is up to the sovereign people to ensure that most of these compromised candidates are defeated and at least a few politicians with high moral standing are elected. People in Nepal often tend to blame the political parties for all the country’s ills, from bad roads to pervasive corruption. As we bid adieu to the four-year-old parliament, there has to be this corresponding realization that we the people are at least partly responsible for the current mess. 

 
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