Almost all voters Republica talked to in over a dozen remote villages in Ramechhap and Dolakha districts on Monday and Tuesday termed the ongoing debate on federalism in Kathmandu as a ´non-issue´ for them. [break]
All they expect from the poll candidate are not assurance on intangible issues of new constitution, but commitment on issues that affect their day to day life: employment opportunities and availability of drinking water and electricity.
Black-topping and upgradation of rural roads that have now connected almost all VDCs in the districts is also high on their agenda.
Gelbu Tamang of Namadi VDC-6 in Ramechhap said, “Let the top political leaders quarrel on federalism. All we want here is peace and development."
Gelbu´s VDC lies in constituency-1.
Tamang, who is a local UCPN (Maoist) leader, said they want to see local higher secondary school upgraded to college and sub-health post to a full-fledged health post. "We now have a dirt road. The vehicles can reach our village round the year if our leaders help blacktop them," he further said.
Aang Chhiring Sherpa of Mali VDC-6 of Dolakha district also holds similar view.
“We have nothing to do with federalism. We have now seen all major political parties [in power]. We are now looking for a candidate who can really work for the betterment of our village," he told Republica. Mali VDC lies in constituency-1 of Dolakha.
“I am not concerned about the model of federalism. I will caste vote in favor of the party that provides job to my sons in Nepal," said a local of Sukajor VDC-3 of Ramechhap district, Jhapad Bahadur Khadka. Three of his five sons are currently working in the Gulf.
Khadka lamented that his sons would not have to go to Malaysia and Bahrain for risky jobs if there were employment opportunities at home.
"I will guarantee all nine votes of my family to the party that commits to provide jobs at home," he further said.
The erstwhile Constituent Assembly (CA) had to see its demise without promulgating a new statute in May, 2012 as major political parties locked their horns over various issues related to state restructuring. Nepal is to vote again on November 19 to elect a new CA to draft a new statute.
Poll candidates from Ramechhap and Dolakha said now there were hardly any voters, who wanted to know their party´s stance on contentious issues.
"Most voters have raised the issues of development and employment. Local-level political leaders and intellectuals usually talk about the party´s vision on economic prosperity of the country," said CPN-UML candidate from Dolakha Constituency Number- 1, Parbat Gurung.
Gurung argued that the issue of federalism has not reached to the grassroots level. "This appears to have become a sole agenda of various forums and NGOs in Kathmandu," he added.
The UCPN (Maoist) candidate from the same constituency Bishal Khadka agrees.
"Only a few persons in the villages that have effects of Janayuddha ( people´s war) have asked questions about federalism and other issues of new constitution," Khadka told Republica as he was busy running election campaign in Jiri Bazar on Tuesday.
Perhaps keeping in view of the sentiment of local people, the major parties in both the districts have made promises to blacktop and upgrade existing rural roads that have penetrated almost all VDCs in the district, run self-youth employment programs, and to provide drinking water facility.
They have even pledged to start exploring iron ore at Those, the second largest iron ore found in Nepal after Phulchowki.
Analysts say the lack of interests of ordinary people on constitutional issues including federalism is due to failure of political parties to establish CA as a means to ensure their fundamental rights.
"Many seemed to have made prediction that voters would be divided on the basis of single-identity or multiple-identity based federalism this election. I think the issue of federalism won´t have any significant impact in the election here," said a political scientist Krishna Bahadur Basnet, who is also Chief of Gauri Shankar Multiple Campus, Charikot.
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