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🇳🇵 Nepal /Elections & Politics

Why are members of old parties deserting?

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Sources not specified Context piece
  • The Nepali Congress party faces a potential halving of its active membership due to unresolved internal disputes and declining morale over the past decade.
  • Long-standing issues include factionalism, leadership decisions driven by personal ambition for prime ministership, and ideological deviations, such as aligning with rivals.
  • Party members express disillusionment over perceived loss of ideological purity and a system where promotions are based on connections rather than merit, leading to a significant drop in voter and member engagement.

Nepal's oldest political party, the Nepali Congress, is experiencing a significant decline in active membership, potentially losing nearly half its members from the 850,000 recorded in 2021. This downturn is largely attributed to deep-seated internal disputes and a decade of declining morale.

Members of the rival camps led by Shekhar Koirala and Purna Bahadur Khadka now say they will not renew their membership, arguing that Thapa must first win their confidence.

— Article AuthorThis quote illustrates the deep divisions within the Nepali Congress party.

The party has been plagued by factionalism, with recent events highlighting the divide between the Gagan Thapa faction and rivals led by Shekhar Koirala and Purna Bahadur Khadka. While the Thapa camp pushes forward with digital membership renewal, the opposition insists on regaining confidence first. However, camp rivalry is not the sole cause of disillusionment.

These decisions were mostly made based on whether, and when, he would get to become prime minister again.

— Article AuthorThe author criticizes former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba's leadership, suggesting personal ambition drove key party decisions.

Under former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, the party's direction was often dictated by his pursuit of the prime ministership. This led to controversial decisions, such as forming alliances with ideological opponents like the CPN-UML and even asking members to vote for the radical communist Maoist party in recent elections. Such ideological compromises have alienated traditional Congress voters and rank-and-file members.

Many of the Congress loyalists chose to stay at home rather than sell their soul and vote for the radical communists.

— Article AuthorThis highlights the ideological conflict and voter alienation caused by the party's alliances.

Frustration has mounted as promotions and party positions increasingly depend on connections to top leaders rather than merit. This, coupled with the perceived loss of ideological purity, has led to widespread disenchantment. Following recent election setbacks and a "Gen Z revolt," many members feel betrayed, threatening the foundations of the once-dominant party. Leaders, however, appear resistant to fundamental change, seemingly content with superficial reforms.

Instead of accepting the public mandate in favour of change, most of their top leaders seem stuck in a time warp.

— Article AuthorThe author expresses disappointment with the current leadership's inability to adapt to changing political landscapes.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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