Weighing up CA polls in Naya Baneshwor

By Salik Shah (ekantipur.com)

The future suddenly seemed right in the present. Everyday people
abruptly stopped doing their everyday things and cast their eyes on
makeshift booths as other people enthusiastically waited for their turn
to cast their votes.

One of the busiest intersections in Kathmandu, Naya Baneshwor, was the
scene of a mock election for the Constituent Assembly on the last
Thursday of September; a taster for the real CA polls due this November
end.

As the one-day mock election neared its end, more and more
people joined the queue. Over a thousand ballots were counted after
two-and-a-half hours, the number clearly demonstrating how eager
Nepalis are to participate in the upcoming CA elections with less than
fifty days remaining for the actual polls.

One of the major
communist parties in Nepal, the CPN-UML’s student front All Nepal
National Free Students' Union (ANNFSU) kicked off its campaign for "a
constitutional guarantee of education, health and employment and for
the establishment of a democratic republic through CA elections" in the
mock CA polls in at least ten districts across the country.

In
the public domain, the former rebel party CPN-Maoist has publicly
promised to disrupt the CA polls if their 22-point demand is not met,
while the UML has been actively advocating, campaigning and completing
the necessary preparations for the polls.

"The participation of
people in this mock CA election shows the enthusiasm with which the
people are looking forward to the real thing," said Rupesh Khatiwada,
head of the Academic Department of ANNFSU. "At a time when the future
of the CA elections is still uncertain, this will push the political
parties towards the elections".

Despite the people’s zeal, the
Maoists in the hilly region and Madhesi extremists in Terai- add to
that, other groups- are lining up against the November polls- creating
a state of terror and causing perpetual havoc. The Maoists' youth wing,
the Young Communist League, showed its 'criminal' colours again on
‘mock’ Wednesday last week.

.

At
least 30 UML cadres were attacked by the YCL in Dhading. Seven of them
were seriously injured and brought to Kathmandu for treatment. Similar
attacks on UML cadres and other political cadres have restricted the
political parties in Nepal from conducting their election campaigns and
voters' education and training programmes. Only some major towns and
district headquarters are considered 'safe'.

"We'll launch
similar programmes in all districts that have a favourable
environment," Khatiwada said hinting at the worsening security
situation in various parts of the country. "We believe that a political
agreement must be reached at the earliest. Nevertheless, the CA polls
have a historic significance and we're confident that the polls will be
held on November 22."

Various local organizations and groups
organized a similar mock election at Pashupati Higher Secondary School
at Madhbaliya in Rupandehi district that saw an overwhelming turnout.
One young woman was holding her infant by one hand and a ballot in the
other as she queued up for the polls. She smiled as she dropped her
'mandate' in the ballot box.

"I
feel happy," another participant of the mock polls, Krishna Binod
Lamsal said after coming out of the poll venue. Lamsal, a former
vice-chairman of the Sunsari chapter of the Progressive Writer's
Association added, "I've cast my vote for the organizers for their
efforts this time.”

When asked if ordinary people in his hometown
understood the value of the CA, Lamsal admitted, “Many don't understand
what the upcoming CA elections are all about besides the mere two
catchwords- Sambidhan Sabha (Constituent Assembly)".

Although
it was just a rehearsal, all the necessary procedures were met. Real
policemen, election officers and volunteers were actively conducting
the polls. Election officer Iswari Prasad Sharma, United Nations
Mission to Nepal (UNMIN) representatives and Rupandehi Chief District
Officer (CDO) Dhruvaraj Wagle also took part in the mock polls.

Among
the total of 6,257 voters of the VDC, 41.58 percent participated in the
mock polls. Only 2.77 percent of the ballots were invalid. Although the
voters seemed confident, necessary knowledge about the CA was lacking
in a majority of the participants. “Blame it on the failure of the
political parties to educate the people about the polls and the value
of the CA,” said one of the election officers.

“Such programmes
play an important role in educating voters and increasing their
understanding about the CA,” CDO Wagle said. “Such programmes need to
be organized in all villages across the country.”

As
the date for the polls comes closer, it would, realistically, be
difficult to educate the voters in such a short time. Still worse, the
political parties have been slow and their election campaigns have yet
to hit the required pace. As the current political imbroglio remains,
well, in imbroglio, and the required agreement between the six parties
(now that the two factions of the Nepali Congress have unified) and the
Maoists is lacking when needed the most, ordinary Nepalis are confused
and worried whether the country is heading for the CA or not.

Today,
anarchy has become an everyday thing and communal harmony has been put
to the test, and it has become common place for ordinary people to
doubt if the CA elections, if possible at all, can be held in a free
and fair manner on the rescheduled date.

After the success of
the popular uprising in April last year, Nepali citizens within the
country as well as abroad expressed their utmost desire to see the
Constituent Assembly-- that is to shape tomorrow's polity and lay the
basis of a new Nepal-- become a reality. They do not doubt for an ounce
the real worth of the CA polls. Only that a responsible political
party, the CPN-Maoist, among others, wants nothing to do with it.

The
Maoists and the unpopular monarchists seem to be on one side-
determined to disrupt the CA elections at any price. It is
understandable why the monarchy is afraid of the CA but if the Maoists
aren't frightened of its outcome (like they would like us to believe),
why are they shying away and trying to ‘make it impossible’ to hold the
CA elections under various pretexts while continuously putting forth
their 'pre-requisites'?

A
people's party doesn't act like this, and perhaps, that's why they are
sidelined by the majority. Many are still looking forward to Prachanda
in the hope that he can really fulfill his promise and make Nepal
another Switzerland. The party’s current policy now throws even that
into doubt. And the party’s pullout from the coalition government
severely shook the trust of the people.

Ordinary people express
things in ordinary ways. If they have remained relatively silent about
the polls, in contrast to the political parties and various disgruntled
groups with their strikes, vandalism and general agro, it doesn't mean
that they are not anticipating the polls. An old man stood in front of
the confident lines of people queuing up to cast their ballots at the
mock CA polls in Naya Baneshor. He seemed indifferent to the crowd
there, and then sat on a chair outside a nearby shop. When asked
whether he took part in it, he bluntly said, "No, I'll vote directly on
November 22 in the actual polls,” and turned away to read his paper.

As
for the actual polls, nobody knows, given the current political
situation. Many people are beginning to believe that only lip service
is being paid to respect the people's mandate no matter what. But one
thing is sure: the general public will not remain unmoved by any
orchestrated mockery of their faith in the CA itself.

(With inputs from Amrita Anmol, Butwal)

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