The slippery slope of executive overreach

PM Shah is setting a dangerous precedent by repeatedly undermining the legislative branch.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s prolonged absence from parliament continues to rile the opposition parties. It is increasingly being seen as problematic even within the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Its lawmakers, such as Ashika Tamang and Amresh Kumar Singh, have publicly asked for Shah’s presence in parliament, with Singh even warning that Nepali democracy is embracing the ‘Pakistan model’—in terms of the executive’s lack of accountability to the legislative. In the kind of parliamentary democracy Nepal has embraced, the prime minister is always answerable to parliament. This is because rather than being directly elected, they are chosen by parliament. Thus, when the prime minister refuses to be a part of vital parliamentary exercises, the in-built system of accountability and checks and balances suffers. Prime Minister Shah has given clear indications that he is not answerable to parliament: This is evident in a host of his actions, whether in his desire to rule by ordinances or in his utter disregard for parliamentary norms.