From ‘dopamine government’ to ‘departure democracy’

Nepal's political landscape is being redefined by new conceptual frameworks, with 'dopamine government' and 'departure democracy' emerging as key terms to understand the nation's current trajectory. These phrases, initially metaphors, are increasingly shaping public discourse and the style of governance.

'Departure democracy,' in particular, signifies a move away from established parliamentary traditions, institutional dialogue, and public accountability. While maintaining the outward forms of democracy, such as functioning parliaments and cabinets, this style of governance subtly alters the practice of democracy itself. The Rastriya Swatantra Party's recent general convention has brought this concept to the forefront by initiating debates on state restructuring, questioning the necessity of provincial assemblies and proposing reinterpretations of the federal structure.

These proposals challenge the very foundation of Nepal's federal democracy, which was established not just for administrative decentralization but as a response to decades of exclusion, representation crises, and identity-based struggles. For marginalized communities like the Madheshi, Janajati, Tharu, and Dalit, federalism represented a promise of dignified participation. The momentum behind debates that label provincial assemblies as unnecessary or seek to weaken the federal structure risks trivializing the historic struggles that led to its adoption.

At the grassroots level, there is a palpable sense of unease. The political struggle, the sacrifices made, and the dream of a new Nepal are perceived as being gambled away in elections. There is a fear that as institutions of representation are weakened, the constitutional framework may remain, but the promise of inclusive democracy it embodies will gradually fade. A recent photograph of Prime Minister Balendra Shah with his close colleagues, captioned "Desh banaune toli" (team to build the nation), has become a symbol of this shift, raising questions about the role of the wider cabinet, parliament, and opposition in this new paradigm of governance.

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Desh banaune toli