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Kathmandu Wednesday January 23, 2002 Magh 10, 2058.
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Local elections
Citing the current state of law and order
situation in the country, the government may put off local elections for a year. Such a
decision, if taken to extend the present term of the elected local leaders by a year,
would no doubt undermine the "democratic exercises" of this country. A section
of people has already begun raising their voices against widespread corruption and the way
the government has been maintaining law and order after the declaration of the state of
emergency. Besides, democracy was restored in the country just twelve years ago. Hence,
any step that undermines the pluralistic values in this young democracy will have negative
impact on this country. Such a decision may also turn the country’s administrative
set up from bad to worse. Holding elections is not an easy task, especially in the face of
the Maoist rebellion. First and foremost, will the Election Commission (EC) be able to
hold free and fair election on time in the Maoist-affected districts? The country had
witnessed parallel administration in the Maoist-affected districts before the government
declared the state of emergency. Local political leaders and their party cadres are still
reluctant to return to their respective villages due to the likely threats from the
Maoists. Given such a critical situation, the EC can neither hold the local elections, nor
can the government ensure free and fair polls until the law and order is restored in the
Maoist-affected areas.
Every five years, the EC holds local elections
in 75 district development committees, one metropolis, three sub-metropolis, 58
municipalities and 3913 village development committees. The next election, if not
postponed, will be held in mid-July. The EC has not only asked the government to fix the
election date but also requested it to provide security for holding free and fair
elections. This is no doubt an encouraging move. However, it is unfortunate that the
country has had to suffer as a result of the Maoist war against the establishment. The
Maoist war has not only undermined democratic exercises but also crippled the public
administration in the Maoist-hit districts. The government declared state of emergency on
November 27, 2001 to quell the Maoist insurgency. Earlier, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur
Deuba invited the Maoists for a dialogue to resolve the six-year-old Maoist problem. The
government has even allocated special economic packages for the Maoist-affected districts.
Even after three rounds of talks, the Maoists continued to resort to armed struggle,
pushing the country further onto the brink of war. The ‘people’s war’,
launched six years ago against the democratic establishment has claimed more than 2200
lives, besides displacing thousands of people in different parts of the country. The
Maoists held local elections in the Maoist-hit areas and elected local leaders to support
their cause. They set up people’s court and unleashed a reign of terror among those
who refused to support the Maoist war. The so called ‘people’s war’ has not
only undermined democratic values, but has also made adverse impact on almost all the
crucial fronts. The government cannot rest until the Maoists are dealt with. The
government cannot hold the local elections without restoring law and order across the
country. |
