MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

While Kathmandu celebrated the abolition of the monarchy and the declaration of a republic on Wednesday, in remote parts of Nepal life went on as usual. For the 80 percent of Nepalis who live off the land, the real question was: will a republic make any difference to our lives?

An anachronistic monarchy kept the country backward for 50 years. But the political parties tried to deflect criticism of their own failings by keeping the spotlight on the monarchy. For example, how was the monarchy to blame for the governance failures after the restoration of democracy in 1990? And for two years after the king was sidelined in 2006, the ruling alliance utterly failed to restore services and use the peace dividend to lift living standards. Today, the country is reeling under shortages of everything, and survival is a struggle for millions of Nepalis.

The people will not judge the new government by its republican credentials and political slogans anymore, but by sound policies efficiently implemented. Only discernible development will give our new rulers political legitimacy.