Even with just three and a half months to the scheduled November 19 polls, election on the date is far from certain. The agitating parties outside the four-party High Level Political Committee are yet to be convinced to take part in election. Even the technical aspects of the election are taking longer than expected. Following pressure from the political parties, the Election Commission is all set to reopen voter registration for the November vote. As of now it is unclear how big this ‘window’ period will be. Will a week suffice, or will registering up to five million potential voters who voted in the first Constituent Assembly polls but have failed to register for the second vote (as some have been arguing for), take much-much longer? Nor is it just a matter of registering those who have forgotten to do so or convincing the ones who have deliberately kept themselves away. With the reopening of registration, dormant issues like the basis for voter registration (on the basis of citizenship or some other identifying documents) are also sure to be resurrected. It is unlikely to be resolved in a hurry. [break]
Another contentious issue will be constituency delimitation. The Constituency Delimitation Commission (CDC), whose mandate has already been extended two times, is still divided over the basis of new electoral constituencies. With the major parties divided, whatever recommendation the CDC comes up with is likely to be bitterly contested, thereby giving a new headache to the EC. This once again highlights the need of political consensus on important election-related issues. Absent the legislature and a functioning government, the only way the political and constitutional process can move ahead is through consensus politics. It is rather strange that even the Big Four that is trying to convince the agitating forces to join the election bandwagon is itself divided over important election-related issues: constituency delimitation, extension of voter registration deadline, the PR and FTPT components. This does not suggest they are serious about holding the election on time.
Even though all major parties have revved up their electoral campaigns, people are not at all convinced they mean business, given their dismal track record over the last six-odd years. Three months is not a long time. If the political parties do not show the seriousness that will be needed to settle the abovementioned issues, three months will pass in a jiffy. It is extremely hard to deliberate on what might happen if there is no election this November. Perhaps the parties are aware of the dire consequences, but choose not to dwell on them. It is about time they did. The timeframe is getting narrower and narrower and there is absolutely no time to lose. Yes, many of them might be worried about their fate in election. But that is a secondary issue. Before that all the so-called democratic forces in the country need to prove their commitment to the democratic process of timely adult franchise. If the sanctity of the democratic process comes under question, the result of the election might in any case be irrelevant.
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