Honeymoon Over, Get Back to Work!

The first 100 days in office are a critical period for any newly elected government to set the tone and direction for its tenure. This so-called 'honeymoon period' is a time of immense opportunity and expectation, but also of great challenges and hurdles. Unfortunately, for the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government, the honeymoon period has been far from smooth sailing. Despite having already completed this crucial phase, Dahal - who is now serving as Prime Minister for a third time - has been mired in constant political turmoil and has had to focus much of his attention and resources on forming and reforming his government. In fact, he is the only prime minister to have had to seek a vote of confidence in parliament twice within the ‘honeymoon period’. Despite the challenges he has faced, Dahal must now use his remaining time in office to focus on the issues that matter most to the people.

The road ahead for Dahal, who rose to the position of Prime Minister from the third largest party in parliament - the CPN (Maoist Center) - is far from smooth. His biggest challenge lies in bringing together all 10 parties of the ruling coalition to move forward cohesively. Consequently, he has spent most of his time and energy in keeping his alliance partners satisfied, resulting in a failure to set clear goals for the government. Meanwhile, the people of Nepal are eagerly waiting for the government to start delivering results. They are not that much concerned about who leads the government, but rather the outcomes it can achieve.

However, the government faces a daunting task of institutionalizing democratic institutions, which has not yet been accomplished, while also fulfilling the people's expectations of immediate and tangible results. The pressure is on for Dahal to find a way to balance these competing demands and provide effective leadership. He must act swiftly to identify and prioritize critical issues, establish clear objectives and action plans, and deliver concrete results that improve the lives of Nepali citizens.

The pace of development in Nepal requires a significant leap forward, and a mere ‘regular and routine job’ will not be sufficient for the government to catch up. To achieve this, the government must set an example and inspire the people to work towards a common goal. If the government can demonstrate its effectiveness and efficiency, it will receive support from the people, even in the face of opposition. Regrettably, the reality so far has been that the local governments are outperforming their federal and provincial counterparts. This is a cause for concern as the central government should be leading the way, with the local governments working in tandem to achieve national objectives.

Prime Minister Dahal also faces a daunting challenge in concluding the transitional justice (TJ) process, which has been unnecessarily stretched out. This issue cannot be dilly-dallied any further, and it must not be left for another government to tackle, either. In fact, it seems safe to say that the current alliance, particularly the one between the CPN (Maoist Center) and the Nepali Congress, was formed with the aim of concluding the TJ process. Needless to say, the Maoists and the Nepali Congress were at the center of the armed conflict, with the Maoists being former rebels, and the Nepali Congress leading the government during most of the Maoist insurgency. The government has already filed a TJ bill in parliament. However, this bill does not seem to have garnered the support of the majority of conflict victims. Dahal's efforts to bring a peaceful conclusion to the TJ process will be possible only if he is able to win the support of the conflict victims. Otherwise, the possibility of another conflict cannot be ruled out.

Therefore, the government must take the conflict victims on board and address their concerns. It must ensure that their voices are heard and that they are treated with dignity and respect. The government must also work towards building a culture of reconciliation, forgiveness, and accountability. This requires the government to take responsibility for its past actions, promote transparency and truth-telling, and provide adequate compensation to the victims.

Also, the economy is facing numerous challenges, with almost all sectors in distress. It is crucial for the government to address these problems promptly. By effectively tackling the current economic challenges, the government can earn the praise of the people. To be a truly effective and successful government, it must successfully improve the living standards of all Nepalis.

In short, while the first 100 days may have been tumultuous, Prime Minister Dahal and his government must now put their noses to the grindstone and work towards delivering tangible results that improve the lives of Nepali citizens - because the honeymoon is over, and it's time to get back to work.