The upcoming elections continue to remain the single-most important issue for opinion makers who write for daily broadsheet dailies published in Kathmandu. On Wednesday’s edition of the papers, they analyse the different facets of the elections and its ramifications.
The fear of communist totalitarianism
The first round of parliamentary and provincial elections is just a few days away. The Left Alliance, a coalition of Nepal’s top two communist parties, has been claiming that it will win a majority in the elections and form a stable government for a few years. In this context, veteran communist leader Mohan Bikram Singh, in his lead article for Annpaurna Post, tries to debunk a ‘myth’ that a left victory in the elections could usher in totalitarianism in the country. Singh says that socio-economic and political condition of Nepal is such that communism and socialism cannot be implemented at this moment in time. He says that communists in Nepal should rather focus on democracy, nationalism and ways to address the rightful demands of the people.
Singh says that the members of the new Left Alliance have been in power for a long time in the recent past. Both the Maoists and the UML have formed ruling coalitions with the Nepali Congress and other parties in the past, but none of the coalitions were ‘totalitarian’. He says that the Nepali Congress is using the issue as a ploy to instil fear among the voters. He concludes that the Deuba government is replete with pro-Indian leaders and this is a threat to Nepali nationalism. Deuba wants to divert attention from this and that is why he is using the ‘communists create totalitarianism’ rhetoric.
Why is the pro-constitution majority silent?
Kundan Aryal, in his lead article for Nagarik, takes up the issues of recent blasts around the country in the run up to the elections. He says that political parties should now tread with caution and condemn all acts of violence. He says that although the majority of the people are in favour of the constitution, there are small groups that have not accepted the law of the land. It is up to the government to take tangible action to ensure that the polls go on and the voters and the candidates feel safe.
Questions about the structure of Nepal’s economy
NRB Director Prakash Kumar Shrestha, in his article for Kantipur, says that structural changes in the Nepali economy in the last few years has not benefitted the people as it has failed to generate employment. He says that although the contribution of the agriculture sector to the GDP is fast declining on a trajectory similar to the developed world, industrialisation has not taken place. In developed countries, as agriculture’s share of the GDP drops, that of industries increases, but that hasn’t happened in Nepal. He says that the new government that comes to power after the elections needs to address this issue.
