RJPN and phase III polls.

Sixty seven out of total 75 districts have elected their local representatives for 617 local units in six provinces (province 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) in first and second phase elections. Mayors, deputy mayors, chairpersons and deputy chairpersons in most of these local units have started to work.  This has happened after two decades of leadership void at the local levels. It has infused new energy and enthusiasm among the people and they hope for small development projects to take off. Mending school roofs, fixing broken health centers and temporary roads need not wait for Kathmandu’s projects for these local units any more. These and many more projects will now be handled by themselves. But people of Province 2 have been left out in this revival of grassroots democracy and development.  People in the eight districts in the southern plains deserve the same opportunity to elect their local representatives. This is why Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) should not, under any pretext, think of not participating, let alone hindering, the third phase polls slated for September 18 for remaining 127 local units of Province 2. 

It was a big mistake on RJPN’s part to boycott the first two phases of the elections. Several of their party cadres ended up running as independent candidates. The local people in Province 2 have repeatedly asked for the local elections at the earliest. In a recent meeting, many of the party’s senior leaders strongly voiced against the party’s decision to boycott the previous phases of local polls. Whatever happens with the amendment bill should not hamper the people’s fundamental right to vote and select their representatives. The RJPN leaders should, therefore, accept the outcome if amendment bill is put to vote in the parliament. We, as a country, have been stuck for too long in this game for passing the amendment bill which has been pending in the parliament for several months now. Why should the people in Province 2 suffer just because the leaders in Kathmandu cannot come to an agreement on constitution amendment? The people deserve the opportunity to elect their leaders so that they can also begin a discourse on local prosperity. The whole idea of the powerful local body is to empower the people so that they write their own destiny. Isn’t that the core demand of Madhesi leaders at the moment? Then why create obstacles for local polls? 

We have repeatedly urged RJPN and others to participate in the local polls. For this will only strengthen our young democracy. Without active participation of the people in the decision-making, they will never champion the constitution that is meant to represent the people inside our boundary. As Benjamin Franklin, one of the United States’ founding fathers, left the Independence Hall after the final deliberation on constitution in 1787, a lady asked “Well Doctor what have we got, a republic or a monarchy.”  Franklin replied, “A republic . . . if you can keep it.” Our republic will only be alive if we can have the people’s direct say in the process. Let’s go to the polls now! 

 
• not
 
• hinder