Beijing, June 21: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that political parties
hold the key to development, prosperity and good governance, and they are the
lead actors. They not only steer the present political course of a country but
also shape its future direction, he said.
PM Oli, who is on
a six-day official visit to the People's Republic of China, said this while
addressing the programme organized by Central Party School of the Communist
Party of China in Beijing today. The theme of the programme was 'Role of
Political Parties in Governance and Prosperity.'
In his speech,
the Prime Minister dwelt on four main aspects: the role of party school in
generating innovative ideas; role of political parties in ensuring governance
and achieving prosperity; Nepal's own experiences in pioneering revolution and
championing the cause of prosperity; and socialist movement in the global
context.
The PM also
briefly spoke on the fundamental pillars of Nepal-China friendship and
cooperation.
The following is
the full text of the Prime Minister's speech at the programme:
President of the
Central Party School His Excellency Mr. Chen Xi
Distinguished
Leaders
Comrades and
Friends, and
Ladies and
Gentlemen
I feel privileged
to address this august gathering organized by the Central Party School of the
Communist Party of China on the occasion of my official visit to China. This is
my second visit as the Prime Minister of Nepal.
I thank President
Mr. Chen Xi and the whole School family for hosting this important programme to
deliberate on such a pertinent theme.
Let me convey
warm greetings and expression of solidarity from the Nepal Communist Party to
the General Secretary, His Excellency Mr. Xi Jinping and the entire party
cadres and comrades of the Communist Party of China.
My speech today
will cover four main aspects: the role of party school in generating innovative
ideas; role of political parties in ensuring governance and achieving
prosperity; our own experiences in pioneering revolution and championing the
cause of prosperity; and socialist movement in the global context. I will also briefly
speak on the fundamental pillars of Nepal-China friendship and cooperation.
1. Party School:
A Centre of Innovative Ideas
A party school
carries a special meaning in the context of the communist movement. It is a
center from where new and innovative ideas blossom, a new generation of
socialist workers are groomed and a new synergy emerges through a perfect
blending of ideological awareness and collective wisdom. Building socialism
does not happen automatically; rather, it is a planned, organized and
envisioned mission. And to fulfill this objective, a right philosophical
outlook and devotion is mandatory. A party school plays a critical role in this
regard.
I would like to
commend the Central Party School of CPC for its role in orienting and shaping
the minds of China’s emerging leaders. The contribution it has made in
generating new ideas and policy suggestions has been significant. The CPC is
strong because its 90 million party members are strong, both ideologically and
organizationally.
I am confident
that the School will continue to make further strides in advancing the cause of
ideological innovations, trainings and nurturing new regiment of cadres, to arm
them with clear socialist outlook and integrity, and to respond to the new challenges
that may arise in future.
Please allow me
now to dwell on today’s theme briefly.
2. Political
Parties: Vital instruments to promote
good governance and prosperity
The emergence of
political parties was the outcome of the democratic revolution against
feudalism during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The course that
parties had to travel was not easy. They had to fight protracted struggles
against various forms of authoritarian regimes to attain political freedoms.
The history of the political parties so far has basically been the history of
struggles and revolutions. The objective is clear- to materialize the long
cherished desire of people for good governance and prosperity.
The government is
not an end in itself. For us, the representatives of the working class, the
communists, socialists or lefts in whatever form, the government is only a
means for serving the people, to transform society for betterment of the people
and to deliver good governance to them.
Political parties
hold the key to development, prosperity and good governance. They are the lead
actors. They not only steer the present political course of a country but also
shape its future directions.
There can be no
other fitting example than China itself to understand the dynamics and
interrelationship between a political party, governance and prosperity. The
vision and the leadership of the Communist Party of China have been crucial in
transforming the development landscape of the country.
We are happy to
see China’s unprecedented growth and development over the years. We are
observing closely the progress made within the framework of 'socialism with
Chinese characteristics under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.
I believe that your two centennial goals have
laid a strong foundation to achieve the ‘Chinese Dream of Rejuvenation. And,
the realization of such a dream will have a huge significance for the socialist
movements worldwide.
The strong
emphasis put on purity of party by comrade Xi Jinping in reinforcing his
unwavering determination to fighting against 'tigers' and 'flies', and his
strict instruction to the cadres to serve the people with integrity, reflect
the CPC's clear vision on party's role in governance.
Chinese
determination is inspiring. It defeated the allegation levelled against
communist parties by bourgeois forces that they can only make revolution, but
cannot deliver development, or socialism and prosperity cannot move in
harmonious way.
CPC has made
history by leading the revolution and materializing the long cherished dream of
the people for prosperity. It is an inspiring movement for working class
everywhere.
3. Nepali
Communist Movement:
Pioneering Revolution and Prosperity
Nepali people’s
political struggle and movement has a long and glorious tradition. In early
days, it emerged as a patriotic movement for country’s unification and against
the British imperialist aggression.
Prior to taking a clear political course, the movement took forms of
social reforms and ‘humanist’ struggles against conservatism, superstition and
discrimination. Later, it gradually grew stronger as a democratic movement
against the autocratic Rana Regime. Nepali communist movement was born under
the legacy of all these streams.
Nepal Communist
Party was established as a representative body of the working class in 1949,
with clear objectives to end feudalism and establish people’s democracy under
the guideline of Marxism and Leninism; protect national independence, oppose
imperialist and hegemonic interference; and to build an equitable, just and
prosperous socialist society.
The seventy-year
long history of communist movement has experienced highs and lows. Nepal
Communist Party played an important role in overthrowing the Rana regime; led
strong peasant movements; opposed foreign interference; and struggled for
people’s rights in 1950s. It experienced painful series of division and
disintegration in 1960s.
The Jhapa Uprising ensued in early 1970s which
proclaimed a bold rebellion against monarchy and laid a foundation for building
and unifying the communist party on the basis of a new ideology. From the
1980s, a serious ideological discussion began on inventing a unique path of
Nepali socialist movement.
As a result, we propounded our distinct and innovative
way for Nepali revolution under the leadership of comrade Madan Bhandari.
Similarly,
another group under Nepal’s Communist Movement emerged, which later organized
as CPN (Maoist).
International
communist movement was facing an upheaval at the time when the ideology of
People’s Multiparty Democracy was being propounded in Nepal. Communist parties
pursuing armed rebellion had been facing severe setbacks. Apparently, the
movement was facing new questions and challenges. Deviation and defection from
Marxism would not have been the answers to those questions.
Neither would the
problem have been solved by dogmatic recitation of the classical texts. Based
on the assumption of innovative use of Marxism, we focused on the distinctive
attributes of Nepali society and practiced Marxism accordingly.
This left an
extraordinary mark in our society. The Communist Movement in Nepal was gaining
popularity.Nepali communists emerged as the largest party in 1994/95 elections
to run the government which was very successful, although its tenure was short.
The idea of People’s Multiparty Democracy contributed enormously in
popularizing the communist movement, establishing its legitimacy and steering
the movement ahead amidst adverse circumstances on both domestic and external
fronts. The credit for this goes indeed to the thoughts propounded by Madan
Bhandari.
The Maoist armed
struggle began in February 1996. That decade-long struggle made important
contributions in generating political awareness among the oppressed communities,
and most importantly, advanced constituent assembly and republicanism as
national agenda.
After a series of
discussions and debates between CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist) on resolving the
political problems in the country in the middle of the last decade, the basis
of cooperation between the then seven mainstream parties and CPN (Maoist) was
formed.
This cooperation drove the overall political course leading to the
historical political change in 2006. As a result, the peace process began in
Nepal. The happy outcomes of this decade-long process are:
first, the
promulgation of Constitution of Nepal through a democratic process,
incorporating the values of social justice, fundamental freedoms and
socialism-oriented vision; and secondly, the historic unification between CPN
(UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre) which resulted in the formation of the strongest
political party in Nepal. Political attributes such as ideological direction-
Marxism-Leninism, programme- people’s democracy based on multiparty competition
and democratic values; main responsibility - socio-economic transformation and
building a strong national economy with socialist orientation; and political
direction- achieving supremacy through peaceful democratic means along with
overwhelming mass support, have been the unique features of Nepal Communist
Party.
At present, Nepal
Communist Party enjoys almost two-thirds majority in federal parliament, six of
the seven provinces and majority of local governments. It has been established
as a party with a strong political base of over 53% of popular votes. The
people have given us the mandate to run the government for political stability
and economic prosperity. Now, the government has concentrated all its efforts
on economic development with the motto “Prosperous Nepal and Happy
Nepali”.
Our destination
is clear- development of socialism with typical Nepali attributes. Our
priorities are clear- enhancement of nationalism, institutional development of
democracy, strengthening of national unity on the basis of social harmony,
achievement of social justice and equality by ending all forms of
discrimination, inequality and suppression and attainment of economic
development and prosperity within a short period of time. We put emphasis on
good governance encompassing such components as accountability, transparency,
austerity and eradication of corruption as its key features.
We believe the
success of our movement in Nepal will be something which all the Communists
worldwide can cherish. Our topmost
priority, at present, is to attain economic prosperity to match our political
achievements.
Our policies and
programmes aim at preparing a foundation for socialism. Our vision is to
establish people’s government through peaceful means of democratic competition.
Given these
contexts of our two countries, I believe that we have our own unique ways of
pursuing socialism. However, our goals, objectives and strategies have many
similarities. The developmental aspirations that we strive to fulfill are
guided by similar vision. And, more importantly, we are guided by the common
spirit to uplift the disadvantaged, oppressed and the poor people.
4. Global context
Thecontemporary
world is characterized by conflicts, contradictions and paradoxes. The world
today is witnessing inward-looking tendencies. The identity politics is
apparently seen as undermining the fundamental goals of ideologies. Ethos of
class struggle is being undercut by racial, cultural and ethnic issues.
Amidst these
global realities, communist/socialist movements around the world have evolved
through different forms and structures. Not all of them are at the same stage
of revolution. Some have completed the socialist revolution while others have
made political gains but are yet to achieve economic goals. Some revolutions
are in the phase of mobilizing people in order to materialize the dream of
socialism.
Therefore, it is
obvious that the role of political parties also changes according to the stage
and the form of a ‘revolution’. And, we must understand that no political party
can advance the socialist cause, if it is detached from the political realities
of a country.
It is in line
with this notion that we have taken recourse to competitive multiparty system
in Nepal. We have localized and contextualized Marxism and socialism as per our
unique and distinct needs and challenges.
Some of the
fundamentals we have adhered to can be summed up as follows:
First, we have
been careful in ensuring that the real revolutionary spirit and ideal does not
fade away. We are aware of the danger of complacency and deviation that might
arise in party workers along with our success in party politics. As Chairman
Mao once said that the comrades who were not defeated by the enemies with guns
could be defeated by sugar-coated bullets of luxury, inertia, corruption and
arrogance. I believe both Nepali and Chinese versions of socialism have
internalized this spirit.
Second, we are
mindful of the fact that capitalism and bourgeois culture can derail our
movement through a discourse of capitalism-guided progress of society. We have
witnessed that capitalism can enrich upper strata of society, and neoliberalism
can facilitate class-transformation of a handful of people, but it cannot
provide the answer to the quest for just, equitable and people-centric
development. Real progress that people can feel is only possible in socialism.
Third, there is a
constant need of educating, orienting and guiding the party cadres and workers
so that they do not deviate from the original principles, ideals and visions.
Our focus should be on the younger generation, which has enormous vigor, energy
and innovative strength. But, the influence of global capitalism which is
spreading offensively intends to inject in the youth the culture of individualism,
consumerism and alienation from the social responsibilities. We should take
care in bridging the gap between the veteran generation seasoned in revolution
and the vibrant youth generation.
Fourth,
protection, promotion and innovative implementation of Marxism is vital. We
must always be open to new ideas and thoughts. This is where innovation and
creativity prosper. Chinese comrades very often talk about the three major
ideological junctures in the Party’s history- seventh national congress of the
CPC and adoption of Mao Zedong Thought, which led the creative innovation of
Marxism in China; policy of openness and modernization by Deng Xiaoping, which
heralded a new era of development in China; and the vision of 'Socialism with
Chinese Characteristics' and Xi Jinping Thought for a New Era.
In Nepal, we also
have similar experiences and benchmarks of ideological innovations. The Jhapa
uprising of 1970s, which opened up new pathways to reorganize and revitalize
the then fragmented and divided communist movement, the rise of peoples' leader
comrade Madan Bhandari and his new ideological innovation -People's Multi-Party
Democracy, and the historical unification of the CPN (UML) and CPN (MC) are
such major benchmarks of our movement.
Lastly, and more
importantly, no political party can sustain and contribute to the social
progress if it misses the vital links with the people it serves. It is only
with the support of the masses that political parties can succeed in
transforming society and delivering good governance. This is manifested well in
the success of Communist Party of China and its contributions to the country’s
phenomenal development and prosperity. We too are making every effort to reach
out to the people to hear their voices and put ourselves under the scrutiny of
the people.
Dear Friends,
We have adopted
competitive multiparty system of governance with constitutional supremacy,
periodic elections, human rights, check and balance as well as separation of
powers, and independent judiciary, among others. Such appropriation in our
communist movement is to address the heterogeneous and diverse socio-cultural
edifice of Nepali society. We respect diversity and plurality but remain
committed to the thrust of Marxism.
The role of a
communist party is unique and special like a torch bearer. It has led the
revolution and will pioneer the socio-economic transformation and prosperity in
respective countries. That's why, the leading role of the communist party is
necessary for prosperity and governance. We think such a role can be obtained
through competition and initiation.
To conclude,
there can be no single formula for political parties to follow. For them to
champion as the agents of development and good governance, they must
internalize the revolutionary spirit with a sole objective of serving the
common people and their aspirations. The idea that can change the world today
is not completely different from the one that changed the world in the past. It
is a constant process of modification, adjustments and re-adjustments. Our
unique and distinct models of socialism are examples of such innovations and
adjustments.
Nepal -China
Relations: Heralding A New Era
Nepal-China
relations began with traders’ caravans crossing the current borders millennia
ago. Although diplomatic relations between our two countries were established
as recently as in 1955, the time-tested, friendly and cooperative relations
have been the hallmarks of our bilateral relations. The narratives of people
crossing the Himalayas for progress, wealth and prosperity still abound in
Nepal. The travelogues of Faxian, Buddhabhadra and Xuan Zan as well as the
stories of Bhrikuti and Araniko support this historical interface between our
two peoples not only at political and economic spheres but more also at social
and cultural domains.
Such engagements
from time immemorial have nurtured mutual understanding and respect. They have
also helped us know each other’s needs and interests. This, in turn, has
inculcated in us the values of peace and harmony in a diverse society. Lord
Buddha’s teachings on peace and harmony have profoundly guided the
socio-cultural ethos of our peoples.
Panchasheel – the
five principles of peaceful co-existence - guide our friendly and cordial
relations. We take pride in pursuing these principles for achieving peace and
progress in a harmonious way.
The Chinese
Government and people have always supported Nepali people in fulfilling their
aspirations for peace, progress and prosperity both in normal times as well as
during crisis. We are appreciative of such support and cooperation.
Finally, I once
again acknowledge the tremendous contribution made by the Central Party School
of the Communist Party of China towards promoting socialist goals and
principles. The ideas and education it provides have been useful in building
socialism and promoting its linkages with the common people. This is where we
see the relationship between Communist Party of China and the country’s
remarkable progress and development.
I express my best
wishes to the School for success in its mission and future endeavors.
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