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Promoting Participatory Democracy in Nepal Local Power For True Democracy Experts underscore the importance of participatory democracy in advancing political pluralism By A CORRESPONDENT Local self-governance and participatory democracy are popular catchwords in Nepal’s political lexicon. But few seem to be paying attention to the precise scope and processes of local self-governance. Although the articles included in this book were written before the implementation of the Local-Self Governance Act, they deal exhaustively with the theoretical and practical aspects of decentralization in the Nepalese context.
The history of decentralization in Nepal goes back a couple of decades. The principle of devolving power to the lowest rungs of decision making was introduced just after the advent of the now-defunct Panchayat system in the early 1960s. Unfortunately, local units experienced unlimited restrictions on their jurisdictions. Matters do not appear to have improved even after the restoration of multiparty democracy. Despite the implementation of the Local-Self Governance Act in 1998, local bodies are yet to enjoy financial and administrative autonomy. "Democracy is not simply about institutions and the right to vote – it is much more than that," says Ganga Bahadur Thapa, president of the Political Science Association of Nepal (POLSAN), in his foreword. "The essence of democracy lies in the principle of popular sovereignty." Local self-governance has many models as it varies from place to place. One of the basic characters is to hand over power to the people. In his article "Empowering People for Democracy and Development: A Critical Assessment of the Proposed Legislation on Local Governance," Bihari Krishna Shrestha stresses the need to provide authority to the local bodies. "Nepal has achieved considerable progress over the last few decades, particularly in the infrastructure front. However, the political front is still influenced by centralized thinking. "Despite these achievements, however, the basic indicators of living standards and economy for most people have either changed little or deteriorated over the years," Shrestha writes. In her article, "Participatory Democracy and the Disadvantaged Groups," Dr. Meena Acharya argues that a system should be developed to uplift large number of disadvantaged groups in the country. "A representative democracy may be defined as the rule of people through representations. In this regime people vote for some representatives for a fixed period of time," Acharya writes. "In a participatory democracy, people's representatives have to be constantly alert to citizens' concerns; minorities and traditionally oppressed groups such as women should also feel a sense of belonging." Former president of Tanahu District Development Committee Dr. Ram Chandra Pokharel maintains in his article that decentralization in Nepal is a very challenging task. Even with many constraints, local units have become a successful medium for mobilizing people's participation. With regard to local development, these units have been exemplary, he says. In his article, "Local Self-Government and Personnel Aspect," Rabindra Khanal says autonomy in the present context is synonymous with development of every kind in society. In this volume, the authors underscore how real development ultimately relies on the participatory structures of the polity. |
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