Kathmandu, Aug. 31 -- Nepal's economy has hit the iceberg, but you wouldn't know it from the politicians fighting it out on the deck.

A serial prime ministercannot form a functioning coalition governmenteven after 6 weeks of assuming office, his coalition partners are too faction-ridden to be a countervailing force, and themain opposition has just split.

All this is nothing new, of course. It has been the way things have been ever since the 1990 changes when democracy was supposed to unleash prosperity. Three decades of political infighting, neglect, conflict, a rent-seeking state and governance failure have left theeconomy in tatters. And now we have the pandemic to contend with.

If thepolitical battles being played outin the parlours...