Frustrated by the failure of successive governments led by major political forces in the past decade, Nepal’s civil society has begun a series of protest programmes against what they call ‘netaraj’, meaning the arbitrary rule of a handful of leaders.

The protest was launched by some of the noted civil society leaders including those who helped major political parties fight against the autocratic rule of the then king Gyanendra in 2006. The agitation had culminated in the abolition of Hindu monarchy and the establishment of a secular republic.

It is quite natural for civil society members to be critical of the authorities when they fail to deliver. But the timing of the civil society movement this time around appears to have put the activists in a tricky situation.

The ‘citizen's movement to end the netaraj’ announced their protest programmes on February 18, on the eve of Democracy Day, amid a press conference in Kathmandu. They said their campaign is against the leaders’ supremacy over the system, not against the present political system.

On the same day, former king Gyanendra Shah also released a video addressing the general public where he reflected on the country’s trajectory over the past seven decades, and emphasised the difficulties currently faced by the people.

Trying to capitalise on the disenchantment widespread in common people against the major political forces that have been ruling the country for the past two decades, the pro-monarchy forces staged a demonstration on March 9 in Kathmandu. They were emboldened by the participation of thousands of people who gathered outside the Tribhuvan International Airport to welcome the former king when he returned from the tourist city of Pokhara.

Since the abolition of monarchy in 2008, the former king has been releasing statements on special occasions, including on Democracy Day. This is for the first time since his ouster he made such a direct appeal in the video message where he sought “people’s support if they wanted to secure the nation’s future.”

Following his appeal on March 9, thousands gathered outside Tribhuvan International Airport to welcome him while returning after a months-long tour to the western part of Nepal.

Professor Krishna Khanal, one of the proponents of the latest civil society movement, says there was no need to relate their movement with the pro-monarchy forces’ rally, that the timing was just a coincidence.

Khanal said their movement is aimed at strengthening the republican system.

“We are quite aware of whether our campaign may benefit the royalty,” Khanal said. “Our campaign is against the political elitism within the party, and there is no basis for it to benefit the royalists.”

He said their fight is against the present political culture. He emphasised that pressure campaigns are a part of participant political culture and their campaign should be understood accordingly.

The campaigners, however, have yet to finalise the programmes and dates of their events.

Archana Thapa, an active member of the civil society movement, said that following the show of strength by the royalists, they halted their street protest planned earlier and engaged in closed-door discussions.

“The movement is against the growing trend of people getting benefits from state coffers based on political affiliation and also against political protection for wrongdoers,” Thapa said. “We are against a system where politics of the state revolves around the orbits of a political elite, not against the political system itself.”

Politicians know that civil society and the society at large is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with political parties.

Speaking at a Nepali Congress provincial programme held in Sudurpaschim on March 10, the day after the royalists staged the demonstration in Kathmandu, Gagan Thapa, a general secretary of the party, acknowledged that civil society was dissatisfied with the political leadership.

“The civil society is not happy with the present political parties,” Thapa said at the programme. “Let us work together and win their trust.”

But why is civil society, which played an important role in creating the momentum for the People's Movement II in 2006, now dissatisfied with the same political parties?

Khanal said that civil society was unhappy with the political parties since they had failed to deliver to the people even then. The disenchanted people didn’t participate in the movement against the autocratic rule of the then king Gyanendra. However, the movement gained momentum after civil society supported the political parties.

Nepal has witnessed remarkable political changes over the past couple of decades—including the establishment of a republican system overthrowing a hereditary monarchy; the promulgation of the constitution in 2015; and the adoption of federalism—but political leaders have failed to make good on their promise of economic prosperity and that has further increased public disenchantment, say civil society activists.

They demand financial transparency within political parties and a set criteria for selection of election candidates, among other things.

Keshav Dahal, a writer who is also an active member of the civic movement, said they are not seeking to end party rule. “Democracy cannot function without political parties,” he said. “But we demand accountability from politicians.”