By Our Reporter
As the date for the local election is nearing, the political parties have intensified their election-centric activities across the country.
While the Nepali Congress is busy holding its pre-poll programme ‘visit every household’, the CPN-UML is busy welcoming new entrants to the party. The Maoist Centre is also holding mass meetings from Dhangadhi in Sudurpashim to Janakpur in Madhes urging people to vote for the CPN (Maoist-Centre). The Rastriya Prajatantra Party is also preparing to hold a mass meeting in Kathmandu.
However, the party leaders, mostly the CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli and other UML leaders are spending their energies in criticizing the ruling parties and their leaders while the Maoist leaders are bargaining for the alliance among the ruling parties. Similarly, the leaders of the CPN (Unified Socialist) warn of defeating the UML candidates. It is only Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba who has not spent any word in criticiisng the UML as well as other parties.
While relying on mudslinging instead of genuine arguments, most of the party leaders seem to have forgotten about the election manifesto. No leader is saying what their party would do if they win elections, but they are only chiding the rival parties and leaders.
Recently, Oli and UML leader Subas Nembang in Fikkal of Ilam called former leader Jhalanath Khanal ‘Anatare-Janatre’ and a ‘shameless leader’ while it was Khanal who had spent more energy than Oli and Nembang in building the UML. Forgetting his status as former PM, Oli also said that Prime Minister Deuba would be casting vote for UML. But Oli and Nembang made no mention of the election manifesto.
Similarly, Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the Maoist Centre and other leaders of his parties expressing ire against the NC leaders, who oppose alliance in elections and warns of forging an alliance with the CPN-UML, but UML chair Oli outright rejected unification and alliance with the Maoist-Centre. Still, Dahal is hoping for an electoral alliance with NC, otherwise, his party may find it difficult to win the elections. But he has not told the people about his election manifesto.
Is an election alliance possible?
While the two ruling communist parties—CPN (Maoist Centre) and the CPN (Unified Socialist) are stressing the alliance in the election among the ruling parties, a faction in the Nepali Congress has outright opposed the idea of forging an alliance in elections. Dr. Shekhar Koirala, vice chairman Dhan Raj Gurung and popular party general secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa have been strongly opposing any alliance in the election. But Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ramchandra Paudel are voicing for alliance fearing that Maoist Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal could forge an alliance with UML if NC did not agree to forge an alliance with his party. However, when popular leaders like Thapa and Koirala are against the alliance, PM Deuba and the leaders loyal to him are hesitating to speak in favour of the alliance. However, Deuba is not in the mood to deceive Dahal and Madahv Kumar Nepal and the NC may find a middle path to maintain alliance by giving the local party units to decide on alliance for the local elections. The Nepali Congress has also called its central committee meeting to discuss an alliance.
Dahal had already floated an idea as to how the election alliance could be formed. According to him, the ruling parties could retain the seats of the local bodies where their representatives are now serving and divide the seats won by UML candidates. But this formula is objected to by NC leaders loyal to Dr. Koirala citing the Bharatpur case, where Maoist Centre’s Renu Dahal is working as Mayor now. NC wants its candidate in Bharatpur this time. However, at the end, the ruling parties could forge an alliance because UML is still strong in the rural areas.
Some provisions of election code of conduct irk UML
Two provisions of the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission for the upcoming local elections have become debatable with CPN-UML strongly objecting to one of them.
The two provisions are: the candidates should clear advance dues and irregular expenditure before filing their candidacy and the candidates now serving in local levels should resign before filing candidacy.
While the first provision has more than one interpretation with some arguing that the individual dues and irregular expenditures need clearance while others say that the sitting representatives should clear official dues.
No matter what interpretations are accepted, this provision is sure to discourage the individuals who have committed irregularities from becoming candidates in elections. Although the EC has made it clear that the provision was meant to clear the personal dues and expenditures, people have been interpreting it as a measure to prevent the corrupt sitting local level representatives from becoming candidates again.
The second code of conduct that has made it mandatory for the sitting local representatives to resign before filing nominations, if they wish to contest, has drawn flaks from the UML.
The UML leaders have argued that the provision was introduced only because the majority of the representatives are from the UML and the ruling parties want to strip their power before the elections.
The UML objected to the provision, also arguing that it would create a vacuum in the local governments and affect service delivery.
The Election Commission has said the move is aimed at ensuring fair polls, as it believes those holding office could influence the elections.
However, an interim order from the Supreme Court on Tuesday has asked the government not to implement the provision (resigning by the representatives before filing their candidacy).
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