By Shiv Raj Bhatt

Under dictatorial regimes, people demonstrate in the streets demanding an election. In Nepal, however, they are in the streets to stop it. The royal government has already demonstrated its `commitment’ to hold municipal elections at any cost, while major political parties and Maoist are actively boycotting it saying that the election is a ploy to legitimize the royal regime.

In a democracy, the authority to govern should and must be derived solely from the consent of the governed (people). Elections are the most important means to know peoples’ consent, therefore, they are central in any democratic system. It is very hard to imagine a ‘democracy without election’ and ‘election without democracy’. Both have very limited meanings, but in Nepal, people are experiencing both. They are experiencing a ‘democracy without election’ for the last eight years and now are going to face an ‘election without democracy’.

Without any fact and examination, it may not be right to say that ongoing election is undemocratic. But many facts, figures and incidences are one by one showing its very undemocratic face. First of all, all the major political parties that held over 90 percent of the popular votes in the last elections are boycotting it. Moreover, they have appealed international community, including the UN, to not recognize its validity and also urged civil servants to boycott it. Secondly, various professional organisations (engineers, teachers, journalists, lawyers and many others), students, international agencies, friendly nations and even civil servants are showing their great concern over the issue of municipal election. Most importantly, general public is quite passive about it. On top of that Maoist are also challenging it, albeit with very undemocratic manner. Low candidacy (number of candidates less than total number of posts); majority of the posts with a single candidate or no candidate, have further raised questions on the legitimacy of this election.

With just a day to go for voting and election campaign already coming to an end, most of the candidates are not in the voters’ reach. There are no election rallies, posters or pamphlets in the streets and walls. Other means used by the candidates to attract voters are also absent. It seems that not only the voters, but candidates also are passive about the election. Recent incidents showed that the royalists, major political parties and Maoist were ready to fight elections, not with the ballot but with bullet and muscles. Though a possible tension and violence was curbed automatically by the low nomination and massive withdrawal by candidates, tension and violence are still there.

In this situation, if elections are held with only one candidate or a list of limited candidates, with no good choices, and good circumstances, one can easily see the hard days to come in Nepal’s cities. Election with government-approved candidates or few frustrated or innocent candidates that hope to get some economic gains can’t be termed democratic. Participation of masses and political parties in fearless and fair environment is a must for democratic election.

According to Jeane Kirkpatrick, a scholar and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, “Democratic elections are not merely symbolic. They are competitive, periodic, inclusive, definitive elections in which the chief decision-makers in a government are selected by citizens who enjoy broad freedom to criticize government, to publish their criticism and to present alternatives.”

For a democratic election, first of all a free, fair and fearless environment for candidates and political parties to contest and voters to cast their votes is must. The political parties must participate and enjoy the freedom of speech, assembly, and movement necessary to voice their criticisms openly. Simply permitting them access to the ballot is not enough. Similarly, the movement of electoral candidates and voters in a fearless condition is also desirable. Moreover, for an election to be democratic the voters must be large enough to include a large proportion of the adult population and enough choices to select a good candidate from a variety of parties should also be ensured for them. Unfortunately, all the basics of democratic election are missing in Nepal’s ongoing municipal election.

(Based in Kathmandu, Bhatt writes on contemporary issues. Please send your comments to [email protected] or [email protected])

(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to [email protected])