You really don't think there was no bribery back in 80s do you?
I remember a bribery incidence in chaarkhal (mapping section) when I was a kid. It goes way back in our culture, even Prithvi Narayan Shah had to make a statement against bribery.
Back then it would be either nepotism or bribery. Nowadays it's party affiliation, followed by bribery, followed by nepotism.