In the month and a half of his tenure as prime minister it is hard to think of a single achievement of KP Sharma Oli. Given, the CPN-UML chairman assumed office at a difficult time. When he replaced Sushil Koirala as prime minister after the promulgation of new constitution on September 20th, the country had seen over a month of the Indian blockade. The disgruntled Madheshi forces were organizing (often violent) protests and scores of people had already been killed. It was clear from the start that there was going to be no easy solutions to the standoff in the Tarai belt. Many believed having Oli—known for his rigid stands in negotiations with Madheshi parties—at the helm would further alienate the Madheshi constituency. Others were more optimistic. In comparison to the forever-dithering Sushil Koirala, the decisive Oli, this group believed, was more likely to take India and Madheshis into confidence by pushing through even unpopular constitutional amendments. Oli's critics, sadly, have been proven right.It is not just that Prime Minister Oli has been unable to take the protestors into confidence. Even in such a short time, his government has earned notoriety for abetting black marketers and misusing state coffers. The chief of Nepal Oil Corporation, the sole importer and distributor of petroleum products in the country, shamefully admitted that he had been given a free hand to import fuel, even illegally. It later emerged that NOC officials, in connivance with government ministers, were actually selling even the little fuel that was entering the country in black market, at two to three times the going rate. Even though these irregularities have been widely reported in national press, the prime minister has not taken action against any of his officials involved in black marketing. And his six deputy prime ministers, it seems, have no other work besides demonizing India. The negotiations with the Chinese for fuel have been stuck, apparently over China's reluctance to waive applicable taxes. In reality, NOC hierarchy seems more worried about not being able to game the system to their advantage, as they have long done with fuel imports from India.
The prime minister and his cabinet have found a convenient excuse in the Indian blockade, which they have been trying to use as a decoy to distract people's attention away from their own shortcomings. On what basis do people trust Oli? In the last 45 days, he and his cabinet ministers have not even made the details of their properties public, as mandated by law. Nor do they appear much concerned about the sinking economy and its impact on common people. Nepal Rastra Bank has repeatedly warned that the country might be headed for an economic crisis but the government seems to have no plan up its sleeves to revive the lifeless economy. Inflation is steadily inching up. The sick are dying as vital medicines are in short supply. Even by the dismal standards set by Nepali governments of recent past, the Oli government leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, India is undoubtedly responsible for our recent hardship. But what, more and more Nepalis are starting to ask, has our own government done to alleviate it?
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