Before I head out for a week long break, I would love to hear what the bright minds of Naya Nepal think about some of the issues I have listed below:
FTTP vs. PR results – Contrary to expectations, it seems the Nepali people voted for change in the FTTP (Maoist, MJF) but to traditional parties (NC, UML, RPP) in PR system. We all thought that the Maoists and the Madhesi parties would get more votes in the PR than in the FTTP. What could have been the possible reason? Was it because campaigning for PR is more difficult and not direct? Why the PR results for the Madhesi parties so dismal, less than 10%? What sense should we make of it?
Democratization of political parties – What kind of leadership changes can we expect in the political parties? Today’s blistering critique of GPK in the Kantipur op-ed by Arjun Narsingh is an indication of it (complete with alluded jibes at Sitaula). What kind of alliances/factions will be formed in the NC? Will Narhari Acharya climb to prominence? What about the UML? Is it likely that MKN will continue to dominate? Or will Jhala Nath Khanal and the clique dominate? Will NC or the UML change more drastically?
Violence and intimidation as an electioneering tool – While clearly violence and intimidation have been factors in Nepali elections in the past, this was at an unprecedented scale this time. I am not talking about clashes between different parties. I am talking about Maoists total domination in the hills, and NC and MJF’s in the Terai. By next elections, all major parties will have learned their lessons from this elections. They too will adjust and harden up for the fight. So is this a long term evil that we have just created? That besides from the fact that mainstream parties, particularly strong feudal leaders, have taken their criminal-political nexus to a wholly new level (ref: Amaresh Narayan, Ram Baran Yadav, Aaftab Alam). What does this bode for Nepal’s democratic future?
How will the Maoists proceed from here on? – The Million Dollar Question.
And Happy Democracy Day!! Over and Out.
3 comments:
Exhibit 1. in commenting on an earlier post,
"gs said...
maybe i'm not seeing what they're seeing but the fuss about pre-election violence i don't quite agree, at least compared to previous elections... "
Exhibit 2. in this post, sachet says,
"While clearly violence and intimidation have been factors in Nepali elections in the past, this was at an unprecedented scale this time."
So, my question is:
Q: Is the "level of violence" question a subjective matter or is there an objective way to look at/measure it?
the difference in perception could be because i'm in the mid-west, with relatively lower number of incidents (except the murders carried out by the two ex-NC home ministers).
One also has conclude that the international observers were completley fooled if the violence was really astronomical but not registered.
situation may have been completely different in eastern/central tarai.
One objective way could be to look at the number of complaints filed at the election commission. Let's look at the numbers if possible.
i think satdobato is right about the differences in perception based on location. the terai is definately bad - i have heard time and again from domestic observers that this election was the most farcical in our democratic history. the election commission just wanted to get it done and over with. complaints were not seriously investigated. due to the EC's reluctance in pursuing the cases, many cases weren't filed. the political parties alledging irregularities expressed that there was no use filing complaints, and thus they did not. the local administration was heavily on the side of some favored politician. Some exmaples: From Dhanusa 3, only NC's Nidhi and the police were present in the counting center after police baton charged inside the premises. also, we can see all local administration behind the rautahat 2, where aaftab aalam is accused of murdering those who witnessed the bomb explosion - by burning them alive in a brick kink.
and this is only the tip of the iceberg. maybe the EC can be forgiven cuz they wanted to finish this elections once and for all. i am just worried that this cud become a long term trend.
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