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Nepal

Finding meaning in CA elections

by Pradip | April 2008

Ambivalence is the appropriate word that comes to mind whenever the issue of Nepali election is brought up. While it is time that parties moved on and put their petty differences aside, I wonder if their differences are petty enough to guarantee a future coalition that will bring Nepal into a new beginning. From far away, it almost looks as if there is already a permanent divide, which will take lot more than CA elections to bridge the gap and help country move forward.

The differences are not only tactical or strategic but also ideological in nature. In absence of Maoists, Nepal could have potentially worked the strategic differences between the Monarchy and democratic parties without substantially overhauling the existent system. Simply put, constitutional and legislative reform could have been achieved through the ballots or referendums.

However, things are different now than what 'could have been'. Maoist variable throws this equation off. The ultra aggressive Maoists are hell-bent on stripping anything 'old' and replacing it with their notion of 'new' and functional. The ideological divide is too wide to be narrowed by Maoist's participation in electoral process, or by continual feeding of this beast by democratic parties as has been the case so far.

Perhaps the Maoists will follow the electoral process. Or perhaps not. Historically speaking, though, even if they do follow the process, it is more likely that Maoists will not accept their defeat in this election. From their standpoint, it would be a waste of number of years of revolution if it all came down to quietly accepting defeat in CA elections and moving on; becoming part and parcel of the system they had campaigned against with such revolutionary fervor through last decade.

So it remains to be seen how the contending parties will take the results of this election – provided that there is even a 'free and fair' one. And there is the King, still. While the CA is supposed to decide the fate of Monarchy, we all know that it's already been decided upon. Not having referendum on the future of Monarchy or even on secularization of Nepal should have already raised alarms for those who thought democratic parties actually listened to the people.

While it is understandable that the country needs to be more progressive and inclusive, it still does not justify enough to institute policies where the people themselves are left out of the decision-making process. Instead, it has become clear that policies are now influenced rather by the rag-tag bunch of Kathmandu intellectuals enamored by the Maoists. Fair to say, a handful of Kathmandu elites and notorious hill-billy Maoists have pretty much chocked the public into this illusory election too.

Thus I ask, "Why this farce of holding elections at all?". If parties are already pre-determined to drag the country towards whatever their notion of modern Nepali state is, or should be, without the consent of the people, who are they kidding by putting up this façade of supposed CA elections? The international community, that's who; the donor community that is crucial for the survival of parties – and now the upper echelon of Maoists too. They are all in it together when it comes to certain things. Not much of a divide there.

(Photo by Nayantara: Election officers collecting ballot boxes)

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Finding meaning in CA elections

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