Kathmandu, Sept. 3 -- After six months of pressure, Prime Minister K P Oli has finally backed down to allow his ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) rivals led by co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal to nominate senior leaderBamdev Gautaminto the Upper House.

The fact that this internal power struggle in the party dragged on for so long at a timewhen the country was reeling under the Covid-19 emergency,is proof enough that Nepali politics is not about improving governance and service delivery to citizens, but about bhagbandadivision of the spoils.

And it is when the bargaining hits a deadlock that the country is held hostage, as it has for over a year now. Prime Minister Oliwriggled out of every challenge to his leadershipby either using anti-Indi...