Live Up To Voters’ Expectations

Parmeshwar Devkota

A scene in which some people of Yamunamai Rural Municipality in Rautahat were running away with ballot boxes reminded me of election fraud of the past. The incidents of vote rigging were common during the Panchayat system to which the people had little or no faith. Similarly, the scuffle between the cadres in Rukum and elsewhere in the local elections that concluded Friday suggest that it is necessary to improve our political behaviour and culture.

The breach of election code of conduct by some senior leaders, workers and political parties should be taken seriously as the rule of law is the lynchpin of the democratic system we have embraced. The wrongdoers should be punished according to the law so that they will think twice before committing such crimes in the coming days. The voting in 44 polling booths was postponed owing to looting of the ballot boxes and violent skirmishes. These sorts of events go against the grain of the federal democratic system. 

This is an affront to democracy and civility. It is because the elections teach the contestants and their supporters to concede defeat and make compromise at political, social and psychological levels. If a candidate does not admit defeat, s/he cannot be considered practicing democracy. 

We are electing new leadership in six metropolitan cities, 11 sub-metropolitan cities, 276 municipalities and 460 rural municipalities of the nation soon. The local leaders are expected to meet the voters’ development aspiration given that there is enthusiastic participation in the polls. 

Lactating mothers came to their respective polling booths with their infants on their laps.  Likewise, the elderly and disabled citizens visited the pooling booths on the wheelchairs  . The voters with poor health conditions have cast their precious ballots with a hope that new elected officials will work honestly to make the Nepali society prosperous.

In many places, the people went to the pooling booths ignoring the poor performance of the outgoing local leaders. In Terai region, the people braved the scorching heat to queue for their turn to cast their ballots. Similarly, the voters in the hilly region walked hours to reach the voting centres while in the mountainous regions the voters defied the unusual climate to exercise their democratic right.

Renowned writer and century person Satya Mohan Joshi was not able to cast his vote because of his fragile health, but 113-year-old Gopimaya Pokharel of Bhanu Municipality-5 in Tanahu and 111-year-old Bishnu Maya Adhikari cast their votes in the election. The blessing of centenarian Adhikari is worth mentioning here. According to a news report of this daily, she said: “It may be my last voting. The winners may work for the development of village’. 

Upholding democratic values is another requirement the elected leaders have to meet. Given the lower voter turnout compared to last local polls, the voters apparently were not much eager to visit the polling stations. Some educated voters whom I talked at the polling booth at Kapan said that they had come there just to meet the constitutional obligations instead of selecting a charismatic leader who can live up to democratic values and people’s expectations.