Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa has said that Nepal is in dire need of systemic reform and asserted that his party stands ready to guarantee that transformation.
Speaking at a program in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Thapa emphasized that the next five years must not be wasted, acknowledging that national development over the past decade failed to live up to the expectations of the people.
In a rare moment of political candor, Thapa admitted that the progress of the last 10–12 years was insufficient and accepted his party's share of the responsibility. "We must admit that development did not happen as it should have over the last decade. We were a part of that period," Thapa said. "However, we cannot afford to waste the next five years. We have come forward with a firm resolve and a day-to-day plan to ensure this time is utilized effectively."
Thapa further mentioned that the frustration is ever growing among the public, particularly the youth, due to the current style of governance. He described their grievances as "justified" and stated that the primary political agenda today is to address this restlessness through concrete action rather than rhetoric.
While fury and impulse are common in the current political climate, they are not enough to build a nation,Thapa argued, stressing that the CPN (UML), Nepali Communist Party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, and Janata Samajbadi Party all have a role to play in nation-building.
Meanwhile, he claimed that Nepali Congress is the only party capable of coordinating with these diverse political forces to lead the country forward. A significant portion of Thapa's address focused on the global rise of populism and its potential impact on Nepal’s developing democracy. He warned that even mature democracies are struggling against populist waves, making Nepal—where democratic institutions are still fragile—particularly vulnerable.
Nepal's democratic institutions are not yet strong enough to act as a bulwark. There is a risk that populism could gain a mandate through elections that the country's economy and social fabric cannot sustain, said Thapa.
Thapa questioned whether Nepal can protect itself from "extremism" disguised as popular politics. "The big question before the next election is whether we can protect Nepal's democracy from the onslaught of populism," Thapa concluded. "If a populist force takes power through a periodic election in a country with weak institutions, the burden may be more than Nepal can bear."
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