Bahadur: Parties And Polls in Nepal

THE announcement contained in the message of the King to the countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Bada Dasain regarding elections to the House of the Representatives has been hailed from all walks of life. In an interaction held the other day some political leaders stressed that the democratic opportunity should be fully utilised. They took cue from the Royal message to the countrymen, in which His Majesty expressed determination to hold elections within 2063 BS and reinvigorate the process for democratic consolidation and dynamism.

As the Election Commission will be pressed into action to further the process and preparation, it is expected that a new environment for the polls will be created in the country. Moreover, the date for the municipality election has been fixed and necessary preparations for the local elections have been made. The congenial environment that is going to be established for the municipality polls will help to set stage for a much bigger and meaningful democratic event to elect the national parliament.

This will breathe a new lease of life in the body politic of the country, which has been critically endangered due to the insurgency sponsored by the Maoist rebels and bickering spearheaded by the political parties. It needs no repeating the fact that the political parties that assumed the leadership of the governments in the past talked tall of democracy and responsive governance but did nothing meaningful to realise the same. They were given the mandate to hold elections to reshape the shabby and strikingly woeful state of the national polity, but instead of focusing on fulfilling the mandate the parties indulged in petty politicking. The law and order situation further worsened to compound the problems.

As an ultimate resort to arresting the situation from further slide and deterioration, His Majesty the King assumed the leadership of the government and pledged to the countrymen that elections would be held as soon as the law and order situation improves in the country. Accordingly it is encouraging to note that the security situation in the country has improved and possibilities to hold the polls have emerged. In accordance with His Majesty’s commitment to conduct the elections, the process for democratic exercises shall be initiated in the country.

The democracy that was in peril is being rescued from the protracted crisis. It is, therefore, the utmost duty of the parties swearing by the democratic values and norms to shed all negative biases and cooperate with the process of holding the local and national elections in the country.

ENDS

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