Nepal’s landmark vote

Political parties in Nepal have been shy to allot tickets to women and representatives of marginalised groups

From whichever side of the political aisle we look at the parliamentary and provincial assembly elections in Nepal that got under way on November 26, it is a watershed moment for the tiny Himalayan state. The first parliamentary election since 1999 has come after an astonishing and often excruciating process of changes that has seen through the abolition of the monarchy and the end of the country’s bitter civil war. More recently, the country has declared itself a federal state following the passage of the new charter by political groupings. There are now three levels of government in the state: federal, provincial and local. The objective was clear enough: decentralising power from Kathmandu to the newly-created seven provinces and local government units. Let us hope that this can be done amicably and to the advantage of all.

The landlocked country is increasingly wary of historical underrepresentation of certain communities. For instance, marginalised groups living in the south complain about the boundaries drawn up for the new states. They claim that these boundaries tend to favour people from the hill country whose representatives have dominated politics for decades. It is not clear whether the 2015 Constitution – a flexible document that supposedly allows room for amendment – can address the grievances of marginalised groups in the near future.

Political parties have been shy to allot tickets to women and representatives of marginalised groups. This is reflective of the patriarchal mindset of the political class. Merit is sacrificed at the altar of expediency in the case of the disenfranchised communities.

For the purpose Nepalese authorities have developed a first-past-the-post (FPTP) system and a Proportional Representation (PR) system. But since both these systems are untried and untested, it will require a supreme effort and will to make it work. The goal of inclusive political leadership perhaps cannot be accomplished otherwise.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2017.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.