Nepal has successfully conducted another mid-term parliamentary election in a peaceful environment. This election has provided a grand victory for an emerging political force, particularly the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). RSP appears to be gaining a historic win with a clear majority in parliament. This outcome reflects years of frustration among the Nepali people that stemmed from entrenched corruption, political instability, and high unemployment. The election result suggests Nepali people’s eagerness for change. However, there are many challenges and unanswered questions ahead of this political transition. How does this political shift bring economic prosperity and overnight changes that the Nepali people voted for? How do new political dynamics benefit Nepal’s overall development?
As the world has been experiencing a populist political movement to gain political power, Nepal is no exception. New social media trends and the globalization of information sharing made this more complicated. Fewer than 30 percent of Nepali adults have completed high school, indicating low educational attainment in Nepal. The lack of higher education can make people more vulnerable to misunderstanding misinformation and disinformation circulating on social media and global trends. Keep in mind that this does not necessarily mean that people without formal education lack intelligence.
Thus, education helps to navigate today’s critical digital environments, where false and misleading content spreads quickly. Experiencing an unemployment crisis, Nepali youths have been upset with the government and political leaders. Additionally, topics of infrastructure development, good governance, social equality, and citizens’ everyday issues have been exaggerated by politicians and civil society leaders. A lack of understanding of Nepal’s overall development and past mistakes has made Nepali politics even more fragile.
RSP presented one of the top agenda items as investigating corruption and providing good governance to the Nepali people, even though its president faces charges of financial and civic misconduct. Corruption allegations are one of the easiest allegations in the political arena. It helps political parties to energize their voters; they have no responsibilities to prove it. According to Transparency International, Nepal falls under the score of 34, along with other countries, including Algeria, Brazil, Malawi, Niger, Thailand, and Turkey, in the corruption perceptions index. Many economically well-functioning countries also score under 45, including China and India.
It is important to note that corruption is not just a single cause for Nepal’s lack of economic prosperity. Nepal indeed faces a higher level of corruption, and its bureaucracy has misused and poorly managed public funds. Hence, the political challenges that Nepal faced throughout its history weakened its institutions or failed to strengthen them. In the absence of policy and bureaucratic transformation, Nepal continuously focused on political changes; recent youth protests and elections are examples of this pattern.
The RSP promises to investigate corruption allegations against political leaders and punish those responsible. However, it has not consistently explained its good governance agenda or how it plans to implement it. As many scholars point out, corruption is not only financial misconduct; it also reflects an ethical crisis, policy failures, and weak institutional integrity. Moreover, Nepali people have repeatedly seen politicians use state power as tools for revenge and political gain. If the RSP focuses mainly on persecution while failing to advance policy reforms and ethical standards, Nepali society may not make meaningful progress in good governance and anti-corruption efforts.
The RSP, as a neo-populist political force, promises rapid economic, social, and industrial changes in Nepal. Without presenting a clear political and economic ideology, the RSP has suggested a simple path to the country’s well-being. They blamed others for the country’s problems and promoted a divisive “us versus them” narrative. This approach may be risky for the party in the future, but it also risks the hopes and expectations of the Nepali people. We all know that overnight changes are not possible. Changes and prosperity require time, collaborative effort, vision, and long-term determination. However, the RSP has already manipulated current issues and rejected the achievements of the past. The party’s inability to fulfill people’s hopes can frustrate the people.
Unemployment is one of the major problems facing Nepali youth, as many unskilled workers depend on foreign labor markets for employment. Creating jobs requires a stable political environment, but history shows that Nepal has been one of the most politically unstable countries. Nepal’s political and policy-level of instability make it a less attractive place for investment. The recent destruction of public property, businesses, and private property by youth protesters has not only discouraged foreign investors but also deeply disappointed Nepali business leaders. The government’s failure to ensure safety and security is a key reason why Nepal is still not seen as a viable destination for large-scale investment.
Failure to attract investment in the industrial sector of Nepal means Nepali youth have no choice but to rely on the foreign labor market. On the other hand, the unstable Middle East and international conflict make the foreign labor market riskier and more uncertain. The RSP government will face significant challenges in attracting internal and external investment in small and large industrial businesses. Since the party leaders have not presented a clear plan to address the unemployment crisis, the future remains uncertain.
The Nepali people are excited about the RSP’s landslide election victory because of the party’s populist agenda. Many people believe that change is possible, but the party may have raised expectations on uncertain premises. The RSP’s political rhetoric around unemployment, economic problems, corruption, and social inequality does not have quick fixes. The party has also portrayed traditional political forces, the media, business leaders, and existing institutions as its opponents, thereby creating a divisive political environment. It may discourage other parties from working collaboratively with the RSP government. The lack of trust between the government and the private sector impedes the resolution of people’s problems.
Nepal’s limited resources for economic development prevent a rapid response to current problems and make it difficult to meet people’s expectations. This may lead the RSP and its government to divert public attention toward political agendas such as constitutional amendments or changes in governing structures.
Many analysts argue that populist politics can lean toward authoritarian tendencies. Populist leaders prize praise and loyalty over accountability. Such governments may be less appreciative of political discourse, analytical criticism, the rule of law, freedom of speech, and logical debate—all essential for a healthy democracy.
The Nepali people voted for political stability, good governance, and economic opportunities. Whether those aspirations translate into meaningful progress depends on the quality of RSP leadership and the depth of its long-term vision.
The author is a PhD student in Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech
