DINESH SHRESTHA
The countdown from 10 has begun for the 19 November elections. It is being presented by the government and the
international community as an exercise to move forward on the new constitution and drive the country towards stability. But with a radical faction of the largest party not taking part, there are doubts about whether polls will resolve anything. The antics of the boycotters is also distracting voters from impunity for war crimes by some of the candidates, the plunder of the treasury by those in power since 2008, and the issues of federalism and state structure. The question is not ‘if’ there will be elections, but under what circumstances and at what cost they will be held.