Photo: Internet
By P.R. Pradhan
There left almost three weeks for the local elections on 13 May. Until now, we, the voters, are unable to read the political manifesto of different political parties. A race of possible candidates to get the party ticket has already started. However, supreme leaders of the five parties in alliance or say the “Gang of Five” are busy in holding one after another meeting for developing the electoral alliance mechanism and bargaining against each other for more share.
Personal interests have dominated the meeting agenda of the leaders in the electoral alliance.
Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba wishes to continue as the PM for the sixth term by continuing the five-party alliance. Ramchandra Poudel, coordinator of the electoral alliance is dreaming of becoming the President by succeeding Bidya Devi Bhandari. Therefore, Deuba and Poudel have decided to gamble on the entire Nepali Congress party.
Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda wants to secure his electoral constituency in Chitwan and also wants the reelection of his lovely daughter Renu Dahal as the mayor of the Bharatpur Metropolis Corporation. These are the bottom-line of Prachanda.
Madhav Nepal believes Deuba could not become the PM if his 14 MPs had not supported the present alliance government. Therefore, he is demanding key metropolis and sub-metropolis corporations and municipalities. Accordingly, the Janata Samajbadi Party is demanding an equal share in the metropolis and sub metropolis corporations and municipalities. As they have not been able to settle the issues, one after another meeting is taking place. All the partners are eying on the metropolis and sub-metropolis corporations and then major urban area municipalities. The only intention of these leaders is to loot the government treasury, not to serve the people.
Even if alliance partners will develop the mechanism for the electoral alliance, there is a strong possibility of revolt, especially in the Nepali Congress party. Even in Chitwan, Deuba may not be able to bring under control the Nepali Congress workers.
When the five parties developed an electoral alliance to corner UML, the latter party also decided to forge an electoral alliance with newly born Hindu but republican Rashtriya Prajatantra Party Nepal led by Kamal Thapa and Christian religious party Nepal Pariwar Dal led by Eknath Dhakal. Both the parties have become ready to use UML’s election symbol “sun”.
It is interesting to note that the Hindu religious but republican party RPP Nepal and Christian based party led by Dhakal have technically merged into the UML. UML has kept doors open for an electoral alliance with other small parties in the election race in the local bodies.
Although supreme leaders of the parties in the alliance government are trying their best to forge an effective alliance, doubts have surfaced about the effectiveness of the alliance.
As like in the past, in this election also, the vote can be influenced by money, muscles and false premises from the parties and their candidates. Be that as it may, the decisive factor in the election result will be how much money the party and the candidates can spend.
The main intention of the parties in power and in opposition is to organize planned loot on the government treasury by developing syndicate. It makes clear that all the parties in power have lost their image and political credibility, therefore, they have decided to face local elections by developing a joint front.
An election is an examination for the political parties and their candidates but the political parties are trying to avoid such examination as they know they are unable to compete in such examinations.
Login to add a comment