Presidential concerns

With Parliament obstructed indefinitely, it was natural for the President to take the lead to reopen it.

A sense of cynicism has taken hold of Nepalis. They have little faith in state institutions. It is not uncommon to hear people say that the ‘whole system’ is corrupt, be it the executive, the legislative or the judiciary. All these state organs function at the whim of a handful of political leaders, goes the allegation. This, unfortunately, is the case even with the largely ceremonial President, the ‘people’s guardian’ who is supposed to be above the political fray. The scepticism of Sheetal Niwas is not wholly misplaced. Its previous occupants repeatedly breached the constitution and played favourites among political parties. During the two terms of Bidya Devi Bhandari, the institution’s reputation hit a new low, as she openly supported then-Prime Minister KP Oli’s unconstitutional decision to dissolve Parliament, twice. On the other hand, she illegally sat on the ordinances forwarded by governments led by parties other than the CPN-UML, with which she had broken all ties when she became the head of state. Bhandari, moreover, was much reviled for her ostentatious ways in office.