After the restoration of democracy in 1990, political campaigners have often promised to transform Nepal into Asia’s Switzerland. Walls everywhere around the streets were painted and repainted with colourful election slogans. Up until the fall of the Oli government, triggered by the Gen Z-led protests, mainstream politicians were funnelling taxpayers’ money into a myriad of partisan programmes under distinct schemes, including Garib Sanga Bishweshwar (Bishweshwar with the Poor), Prachandapath, and Samriddha Nepal, Sukhi Nepali (Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali), all ending up fruitless in progressing the quality of people’s lives. Crafty slogans may appeal to voters initially, but without genuine policy commitment, they eventually lead to voter cynicism and public frustration. The recent Gen Z uprising is a vivid example of this phenomenon.

History has demonstrated that political movement demands enormous sacrifice, but its ultimate success depends on its creators. After a major victory during the American Civil War, and despite the immense loss of lives and property, Abraham Lincoln reminded the Union members at his 1863 Gettysburg Address that there were unfinished tasks ahead and called for a renewed national commitment to liberty and equality by ensuring ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’. In the end, victory aligned with the spirit of Lincoln’s warriors, freedom prevailed, and Lincoln’s art of leadership transcended political and generational boundaries.

Erosion of core values

The political culture in Nepal has long undermined Lincoln’s view of government. Instead of fighting poverty in the real sense of Garib Sanga Bishweshwar to help disadvantaged populations and uplift poor communities, many top-brand politicians have colluded with middlemen on several fronts. The growing public despair and persistent decline in the Nepali Congress voter base reveal that the party might have been captured by the kind of opportunists BP Koirala had once warned against. What turned the strength of democratic socialism into the culture of patronage-based politics? Is democracy designed to offer safe havens for the corrupt or to hide dirty money? Famous journalist HL Mencken once stated, “Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of jackals by jackasses.”

Similarly, the traits of communist architects have been rather illusory in the country’s political landscape. One radical line, the so-called Prachandapath, hit a dead end as it moved from underground to cantonments and quickly divided into smaller factions after joining mainstream politics. Maoist leaders’ deviation from core revolutionary principles, interest in lavish lifestyles, and alleged involvement in corruption scandals constitute betrayals of the aspirations of the people who fought for change. The rebels’ transition to survival mode confirms ideological flaws in their decade-long armed rebellion.

A far more dominant breed of Nepali communist movement is led by the ousted prime minister KP Oli. Marked by deep internal fractures, ideological drift over people’s multiparty democracy, and unnatural alliances with rival political forces, the identity of this communist line is blurred between exterior democracy and interior authoritarianism.

Notably, Oli’s lead in national politics is primarily rooted in his rhetorical language and use of anti-India sentiments. His populist image has been framed at the expense of the rule of law, social order and harmony. Oli’s ‘uncivil’ tactics in dealing with his critics have paralysed national politics by straining diplomatic ties with the country’s pivotal neighbour, deliberately pushing founding members out of his party and fueling the widespread Gen Z protests. Sadly, Oli, who put forth the slogan Samriddha Nepal, Sukhi Nepali, has so far expressed no word of sympathy or regret over the profound tragedy and massacres of Gen Z youth that occurred under his own watch.

Voice for change, deaf ear

Whether they are internal to party politics or general polls, elections matter. In democracies, if the functioning of political parties and the electoral system is healthy, they provide strong institutional mechanisms for people to voice their concerns and opinions. Those voices are heard by their elected representatives.

Hundreds of thousands of Nepalis migrate overseas every year, not just because they prefer to ‘exit’, but because they realise that their ‘voice’ goes unheard at home. The weakening of this voicing mechanism began right after the restoration of multi-party democracy in 1990, worsening with the Maoists’ failure to deliver on their big promises once they assumed power in 2008. We are currently witnessing this delicate machinery in the Karki administration as it has turned its deaf ear to the desperate voices of Gen Z youth. In the latest episode, the country sees KP Oli as a re-elected party chair for a third term—a blind loyalty displayed by most of the party’s convention delegates.

Loyalty culture

In a culture of blind loyalty, the voicing mechanism breaks down. In the context of Nepal’s political ecosystem, most observers share the view that the loyalty culture has grown into systemic (inter-party) patronage like a giant octopus with far-reaching tentacles. This deeply entrenched network, including campaign financiers, business elites and top bureaucrats, enjoys undue influence on institutional machinery to serve their interests, regardless of who rises to power.

Typically, the workings of political parties and the political structure remain under the thumb of these special interests. Most politicians and public administrators engage in rent-seeking to prioritise their own well-being over that of the citizens. The economy lacks long-term vision and sustainability and relies heavily on unearned (income) resources such as remittances, grants, aid, etc., while facing a persistent decline in capital spending and undersupply of basic public goods and services.

This vividly reflects the country’s painful experience as a stagnated nation, where good governance is sacrificed for patronage, public trust is squeezed under egocentric politics, and democracy is persistently under threat. If political figures consistently undermine neighbourhood relationships to frame populist agendas, while deliberately hurting internal cohesion, the nation’s trajectory may soon take an unholy turn, both politically and economically.

Ultimately, replicating Swiss prosperity isn’t just about scenic mountains or view towers. Switzerland is a long-term human project of unity and governance. It endured neutrality in challenging times as a national strategy, not rhetoric. The Swiss wealth did not come from digging into the earth, but it was built on trust and cultivated in neighbourhood ties.