Political Parties Unveil Manifestos with Varied Names Amid Election Season

Kathmandu. The country is currently immersed in an election atmosphere. Candidates are reaching out to the public with various commitments, plans, and programs. They are adopting numerous tactics to woo voters, while documents of assurances and commitments are being released rapidly. Political parties are presenting their respective electoral agendas under different names.

Some have released 'Manifestos' (Ghoshanapatra), some have brought out 'Pledge Letters' (Bachapatra), while others have named theirs 'Commitment Letters' (Pratibaddhatapatra), 'Resolution Letters' (Sankalpapata), or 'Vow Letters' (Pratigyanapatra). Although the names differ, many comment that the core intention remains electoral declaration and assurance. Some interpret this as a 'method to attract the public,' while others call it a 'tendency to repeat the old things by changing the name.'

The tradition of publishing electoral manifestos before elections is long-standing. In previous elections, such documents released by parties were generally called 'Manifestos' (Ghoshanapatra). However, this time, parties have presented their documents under new and varied names.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has released a 'Pledge Letter' (Bachapatra) along with '100 Bases for Policy Departure for Transformation.' RSP Chairman Rabi Lamichhane stated that they brought out the 'Pledge Letter' with the objective of making direct promises to the voters, not just declarations. RSP released its pledge letter from Karnali.

Similarly, CPN-UML has published its manifesto, resolving to fulfill the national aspiration of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali.' UML has presented its document as the basis for development, prosperity, and stability.

The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) brought out a 'Commitment Letter' (Pratibaddhatapatra) with the resolution: 'Good Governance and Employment, Preparation for Socialism; Defense of Nationality and Democracy is Our Responsibility.' Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal stated that the commitment letter was brought out to express commitment along with the people's resolution.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress today unveiled a 'Vow Letter' (Pratigyanapatra) with the pledge to bring 'National Prosperity through a Transparent, Accountable, and Democratic Government.' President Gagan Thapa stated that the vow is made with a vision to work directly, not just make resolutions or commitments. He informed that after unveiling the vow letter in Janakpur, an interaction program was also organized in Kathmandu.

Although parties have released documents under various names, the understanding among many seems to be that the intent is largely similar. It is being commented that just as different names are given to the same product to attract consumers, parties are presenting their agendas under different titles.

Political analyst Krishna Pokharel compared the parties' manifestos to a proverb. According to him, regardless of the name, the main thing is implementation. He stated that there should be a review of how many commitments made to the public during the election were fulfilled. He mentioned that in developed countries, there is a practice of paying attention to whether leaders fulfill their promises to the people long after, and focusing on implementing commitments after forming the government. He noted that while there is a culture of the public questioning if commitments are not fulfilled, such a practice is weak in Nepal.

According to him, the tendency to forget promises made during elections after the elections are over has been recurring. He stated that since this election is taking place under different circumstances and the political situation is also changing, we have to wait and see whether the parties will implement their commitments this time.

Another political analyst, Bijaykant Karna, also stated that changing the name alone does not bring substance. 'The name is not the big issue; the work must be done,' he said, 'but it looks flimsy. They are going to the public with various names to woo voters; this is nothing more than attraction.'

According to him, in the past too, parties went to elections making various resolutions, declarations, and commitments. But there seems to be no clear review of how many of those were implemented. He stated that before bringing out a new manifesto, the implementation status of the previous commitments should be made public. However, he alleged that instead of doing so, they are trying to burden the voters with a new manifesto again.

The process of releasing documents by parties continues as the election approaches. However, the interest of the voters seems to be focused not on the names, but on the implementation. As the election campaign intensifies, the question of how much the parties will translate their promises into practice continues to be raised.