Kathmandu, Nepal, September 1, 2022: With just three weeks left for the November 20 elections for the federal and provincial assemblies, election fiver has gripped the nation. Not only general public but also the international communities, particularly the neighboring China and India, have taken the upcoming elections cautiously.
As this is the second general elections after the country adopted its federal republic system with secular setup guaranteed by the constitution of Nepal, the upcoming election is taken importantly as well as cautiously in home and abroad.
The upcoming election is not just a routine political exercise but a crucial step to consolidate the federal democratic republic system by institutionalizing the constitution that was promulgated in 2015 through the historic Constituent Assembly (CA).
Current federal democratic set-up would sustain only if the parties fought for the system win the elections to continue to rule the country in the coming years although electoral alliance is made targeting to win the elections.
Political parties are in two-horse race aligning into two groups- one is led by the Nepali Congress (NC), the grand old Democratic Party of the country, and another is led by the main opposition, the CPN (UML).
The electoral alliance made among the parties with divergent ideology, policy and others sparked confusion not only to the voters to cast their votes to their favored parties and candidates but the international community to mention the bilateral relationship as per their party line and ideology.
The NC led ruling alliance is forged taking three left-wing parties-CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal and a Madhesh-centric party- Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) led by Mahantha Thakur naming the alliance as the “democratic left alliance.”
Likewise, another electoral alliance is forged under the leadership of UML by taking the pro-Hindu parties- Rashtriya Prajantantra Party Nepal (RPPN) led by Kamal Thapa and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) led by Rajendra Lingden along with Madhesh-based Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) led by Upendra Yadav.
With the election date is inching closer, both the rival factions have been claiming for winning the elections even though speculations are riffed over elections results. Observers have a saying that the ruling alliance led by the NC has big prospects of performing well in the upcoming elections.
The ruling alliance seems confident to win the elections for the credit of bringing the country back on a right political track after political turbulence triggered by then Oli-led government’s decision to dissolve parliament twice in 2020 and 2021.
Another reason to win the elections by the ruling alliance is pointed to the recent past local level elections, which was also jointly contested by the incumbent ruling alliance. The alliance won majority of seats even though the UML had stronghold in the local bodies.
Considering to the upcoming elections and the electoral alliance forged among the parties, China and India has taken cautiously. The two Asian giants used to be locked in a high stakes battle for influence Nepal by “helping” to form a “friendly government”.
Not only the China and India but also the US and others used to be concerned in Nepal’s internal matter. Nepal has already accepted US funded $500-million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact to build the roads and energy infrastructure. Likewise, China also intends to influence Nepal through different means including Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The international powers, particularly the China, India and the US look the government in Nepal that would protect and promote their strategic interests. However, recent electoral alliance forged guiding from the principle of winning the elections rather than ideology has made confusion even to the international powers.
