We have in recent times been very critical of KP Sharma Oli's government. As prime minster Oli has institutionalized nepotism and black-marketing, and he has failed to do anything of substance for earthquake victims. Nor has he been able to take the protesting Madheshi parties into confidence. As the prime minister has himself time and again said, he is not someone to be easily affected by criticism. It pays to have a thick skin in the rough-and-tumble world of Nepali politics. But Oli should be mindful that he does not become so divorced from public sentiments that he is oblivious to the gradually building tide of anger and frustration that could, ultimately, sweep away his government. But if UML as the party leading the government has been reckless and irresponsible, the main opposition and the biggest party in the parliament, Nepali Congress, isn't exactly covering itself in glory either.Congress decided to stay in the opposition of its own accord after, at the end of 2015, its Chairman and then prime minister, Sushil Koirala, reneged on his earlier commitment to hand over the reins of government to UML after the promulgation of new constitution. Koirala had tried to justify his decision to stay in opposition by saying that Congress was the only party big enough to maintain check and balance on the UML-Maoist coalition government. So Congress, we were told, would be a 'responsible' opposition. But Congress has over the past three months been anything but a responsible opposition. Its leadership didn't speak a word as Prime Minister Oli, in blatant violation of the new constitution, was finalizing one of the largest cabinets in the democratic history of Nepal, in the process inexplicably breaking up existing ministries. Nor did Congress protest—in or outside the parliament—when it became clear that Oli government was actively abetting black-marketing of fuel. Oli's cavalier attitude to the concerns of the Madheshi parties also leaves a lot to be desired. And yet NC leaders keep quiet. What good is having a strong opposition if it's incapable of speaking on people's behalf, on issues that have a direct impact on their day to day lives?
The only way to make sense of this eerie silence is that the main opposition party fears that raising issues of corruption and misgovernance would sound hypocritical since its most recent time in government under Koirala was also characterized by inaction and callousness on issues of public concern. The Koirala government had shamelessly dilly-dallied on vital reconstruction works, even as earthquake victims were already starting to die of poor health. Even with his image of a conciliator—as opposed to the image of a hard-liner that Oli has cultivated over the years—Koirala could not take the Madheshi parties into confidence. The fear among NC lawmakers could be that if they excessively criticize UML-led government today, UML, too, would not let them live in peace when it became the opposition party tomorrow. Or it could be that many of Congress lawmakers are themselves involved in some of the underhand deals that have earned Prime Minister Oli a bad name in recent times. Otherwise, this shameful silence does not behoove the oldest democratic party in the country. A democratic opposition should not be constrained by such petty calculations. It's shortsighted, too. People are watching Congress not just when it's in the government, but also while it's in opposition—and just as closely.
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