BIKRAM RAI
When the four-party mechanism decided to put Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi in charge of a careening state eight months ago, everyone shook their heads at the political failure that had come to characterise post-insurgency Nepal. Now that elections are bound to happen on 19 November, people have accepted that casting their ballots, no matter how unappealing the candidates maybe, is the only way to end this prolonged transition.
With no local government in place for the last 16 years, ordinary Nepalis care less for federalism and constitution and more for roads and drinking water. The more discerning candidates have therefore refrained from speaking about state restructuring during their door-to-door campaigning.
The 2008 elections came on the back of a popular uprising that promised to give voice to many who had, till then, little say in how their backyards were governed. In the five years since, many of these aspirations have been betrayed and there is a general disenchantment about round two, not to mention indecision over whom to vote for.
At least this time, the Election Commission has updated the older, proxy-prone voter lists into ones with colour photographs, so Nepalis can go to polling booths knowing everyone’s ballot is equal. Whatever the result, we will have to put our faith in democracy to get us out of this tight spot.