SUV their soul

Published On: July 20, 2017 01:30 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


Vehicles for commissioners 

It is a cruel joke to label the buying of new luxury vehicles for the five election commissioners, when each commissioner already has two good ones, as an “elected-related expense”. Instead of chastising the commissioners for such extravagant expenses, the finance ministry has just agreed to an outlay of Rs 140 million to procure these vehicles. The commissioners’ earlier bid to purchase new vehicles had been halted after the then Election Commission secretary Gopinath Mainali refused to classify the proposed purchase of SUVs as election-related expense. For this moral stand, Mainali was quickly transferred from the commission and replaced by another secretary, Maheshwor Neupane, who quickly gave his accent for the purchase. The length the election commissioners were prepared to go to get their hands on these luxury vehicles, including lobbying with the prime minister for transfer of an upright government official, suggests that they are determined to extract maximum benefits from the state while they are in a place to do so. If they have to tinker with the law in the process, so be it. How can Nepalis trust these self-serving commissioners, with their penchant for unearned perks, with the conduction of free and fair elections? 

The responsibility of inculcating rule of law and accountability starts right at the top, with the prime minister. Perhaps Nepalis were expecting too much from their new head of government, who, after all, was the one to institutionalize the culture of dishing out expensive vehicles for his ministers and other self-designated VVIPs in government to keep them in good humor. This depraved culture Sher Bahadur Deuba started when he first became prime minister in 1995 continues, largely unchanged, to this day, when he is leading the country for the fourth time. In fact, it is hard to think of one good thing Deuba has done in his fourth term. But one thing all those serving in government under him can rely on is that they will be well looked after if they unquestionably rubberstamp all his decisions. We have in this space before written of the rather cozy relations between the current Congress-Maoist coalition and chief election commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav. The commission under Yadav allowed the government to make questionable transfers on election-eve. It even delayed imposition of election code of conduct by a week so that the ruling parties could have their handpicked police officials and bureaucrats overlooking must-win constituencies. 

The election commissioners’ decision to press ahead with the SUV procurement despite widespread public criticism, and the government’s green light for it, also hints of the growing gulf between the rulers and the ruled. The ruling elite seemingly does not feel the need to obey rules and to respect public sentiment. But this raises a troubling question: With the government squandering billions of taxpayer money in such frivolities, why should the citizens pay any tax? This is perhaps why so few people in Nepal voluntarily pay all their taxes. Those who are institutionalizing this kind of policy-level corruption will also do well to realize that democratic forces will be the biggest losers if the delicate trust that exists between the government and the people starts breaking down. 


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