The king has packed with royalists, loyalists, chamchas, hajuriyas, and what not in his 10-member cabinet. Many of them are failed and discredited politicians, bureaucrats or so called political and social workers. Whatever they have achieved in their life is mostly with the blessings of the royal palace and privilege of the Panchayat system, all at the costs of the country getting poorer and poorer. I don?t see one person in the cabinet that can be called truly a people oriented. Not much one can expect from proven opportunists like RK Mainali and Ramesh Nath Pandey. The king has further kept guessing to many chamchas by keeping their hope alive to include them in the next cabinet expansion. I am sure there will be many turncoats likes of Parshu Narayan, BiswaBandhu Thapa, Tulasi Giri, KesharJung, to jump into the fray to be in the king?s cabinet.
One thought of mine says that the king should rule until the likes of Surya Bahadur, Lokendra Bahadur, Girija, KP Bhattarai, Deuba, Pashupati, Lohani, Makune, BharatMohan, Bamdev, BhekhBahadur, et al completely fade out from the face of this earth. After giving them umpteen chances, they are the ones responsible for landing us in the mess we are today. The same thought also says the king should lock up all these corrupt politicians and go into witch hunting to investigate their wealth. Make nango jhar to KhumBahadur, Chiranjivi Wagle, Govinda Joshi, Gachhedar, Bamdev, Koirala and his daughter of Dhamija scandal fame, Achut Kharel, Ramagya and many others who have amassed the wealth and stashed them in foreign banks. How could these politicians and government officials in last 15 years earned so much?
But then being a democrat at heart, I ask if the king if he has the moral authority to do so even during the emergency? Would the king first declare his business deals and wealth earned by whatever means? The big question is whether he will go to investigate the royalties and the palace connected officials (Chiran Thapa, Narayan P Shrestha, Hira Shrestha, RishiKumar Pandey, SK Malla, and many who have connections with the palace) who have brokered almost every deal with a tag of royal palace consent?
I ask if the king can accomplish all what he has outlined for his three-year period without the explicit support of the people. However, by gagging the press is no way to bring in good governance. Even when Musharraf took over, he left the press alone.
It will also be a sad day for all Nepalis if the king brings a turncoat and discredited politician like of Keshar Bahadur Bistha and few of the disgruntled commies to his cabinet. Then you can be sure that the stage is being set up for the Panchayati Bewasta II.
The king can be well advised to bring in to his cabinet the people with clean image, without political baggage, and with a proven management record for ensuring good governance.
If you can restore peace, democracy, and introduce good governance, more power to you, your majesty. We will be watching your every move very closely.
