Editorial

The local elections were full of anomalies as the voters were unable to choose the candidates they had wished, however, a section of voters revolted against the party high command by voting for the rebel candidates. This has indicated that gradually, those established and strong political parties are losing their popular base at the grassroots level. 

A significant number of the independent candidates have secured victory in the elections despite a strong party circular for casting votes to the common candidates only. The parties took action against those rebel candidates who had challenged the party’s high command’s decision. 

A considerable number of remarks were expressed by intellectuals through the social networking sites against an unholy alliance among the political parties having different political principles and ideologies. They have even suggested to the party leadership a merger among the five parties which had developed an alliance just to corner UML. Although the election result was negative for the UML due to the alliance among the five parties, the attempt to totally remove the UML’s existence has failed as the party has stood to the second position. The UML lost the mayor’s post in all the metropolitan and many sub-metropolitan cities, it was able to secure the post of the deputy mayor in most of the places where the five-party alliance was effective. The strong five-party alliance was unable to wipe out the UML, a party blamed as a “regressive element”. 

Besides, we could see many anomalies in the local elections. The candidates and even the party leaders were saying that the elections have become expensive. This is true and also the leaders were knowingly or unknowingly disclosing the truth that the political system adopted by them has become unsuccessful. They, who had written the present constitution, are found lauding for a change in the present political system. Baburam Bhattarai, who had headed the constitution drafting committee in the second Constituent Assembly, was expressing dissatisfaction with the present system. His remarks on the victory of those independent candidates were that the voters were seeking an alternative to the old faces.    

The syndrome of failure of the present system is the victory of a remarkable number of independent candidates in the core urban areas including the victory of Balen Shah, a youth in Kathmandu, challenging those heavy-weight political leaders from the established political parties. This is the indication that the grassroots level party workers and also the voters have become fade-up from the political leaders heading different political parties. The grassroots level workers and especially youths are against the present political system and seeking a change. Balen Shah is a strong challenge for those who are advocating for the present failed political system.

The supreme leaders, who have been treating their party workers as slaves, might have got the message that their chairs are not saved as voters have started to revolt against them. It became very costly for Maoist Center chairman Pushpakamal Dahal to ensure victory for his lovely daughter Renu Dahal. The political circumstances were so negative that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, NC’s senior leader Ramchandra Poudel and other ministers had to put pressure on the party workers for casting vote for Renu Dahal. Understandably, how much cash that Prachanda had to spend for ensuring the victory of his lovely daughter. This is also the message that Prachanda’s electoral constituency in Bharatpur is not secured. Whether it is Sher Bahadur Deuba or Prachanda or Madhav Nepal or Upendra Yadav or Baburam Bhattarai, they cannot ensure their victory in the upcoming federal parliament’s elections if they contest elections without developing an alliance either with the Nepali Congress or the UML. This is the reality. Besides an alliance, they need to spend a huge amount of money, perhaps, above six million rupees for their victory.