Alliance is an essential scenario of Nepal: Political analyst Krishna Pokharel

KATHMANDU, May 9: Major political parties in the country have forged electoral alliances among them focusing on the upcoming local level elections. 

The members of the ruling parties have forged an electoral alliance among themselves while the main opposition party has also done the same with various other parties.

Currently, candidates are busy on their election campaign and parties are busy holding public gatherings and persuading voters to vote for them.

As the final showdown is on our doorsteps, Ratopati talked with Krishna Pokharel, a political analyst, about the alliance formation among parties, interest of the general public and the upcoming local level polls.

How have you reviewed the previous local level election and the current one along with the election costs and election campaigns?

I have not analyzed the situation in depth. The elections are gradually getting extravagant, expensive and chaotic. Candidates are mostly affiliated to the political parties who have been able to win the trust of their leaders.

Besides, use of social media has increased. The Election Code of Conduct of the poll body seems to be effective. 

Election charm seems to have decreased among the voters. What do you have to say about that?

It might differ as per the output of elected candidates. Responses of voters are mainly based on activities of previous local governments and the impacts of previous elections at their locations. So, as far as election charm is concerned, it is high at those local levels where the local governments have performed well and vice versa.

What do you think of agendas that candidates have raised? Have they changed?

It is not wrong for a political party to plant new dreams in the mind of voters but such dreams must be practical and acquirable.

As of the previous election, many of such agendas have vanished and the political parties seem to have done very little to acquire them. The top most priority of the local level government should be service delivery in education, health, agricultural and infrastructural development.

Many believe that the electoral alliances forged in the bid to defeat other parties are against the ethics of democracy and are being used as a weapon. What do you say?

Different people can have different ways of analyzing it. As far as I remember, the electoral alliances were forged in the previous elections as well as per local need. Besides, no nationwide electoral alliances have been forged this time too. Almost all the major political parties have forged alliances.

If the Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajbadi Party and Rastriya Janamorcha Party had not forged an alliance among themself, they might have joined hands with CPN-UML. 

The remarks that the political system cannot function without electoral alliance or the electoral alliance must not be forged are both extreme. 

Political leaders are seen making statements that if the ruling alliance fails, the nation will fail. Is it true? What do you think?

Currently, there are mainly two political forces in action in Nepal – the ruling alliance and the main opposition party. 

CPN-UML is the largest party in parliament but is out of the government. It is all because of their Chairman's move. He dissolved the lower house twice at the time when he had a majority in parliament, which resulted in the formation of the ruling alliance against UML that took actions that were against the Constitution and its values. Besides, if the ruling alliance splits or fails, it is not possible to form a majority government in the central and provincial level without forging an electoral alliance as far as provisions in our Constitution are concerned. So, the ruling alliance is an essential scenario of Nepal.

I am not saying that electoral alliance is mandatory in the local polls. If the members of the ruling alliance had not agreed to share seats at the local level, it would have benefited the CPN-UML.

What sort of results are you expecting for the ruling alliance in the upcoming local polls?

The results will certainly be good but it is difficult for them to attain an absolute win. As far as I am concerned, the results will be mixed. There is no such thing as absolute success and failure.