National
In Kaski, electoral mood in overdrive
Candidates have ramped up their election campaigns in Kaski. With just 10 days remaining for the local polls, which is taking place after 20 years, most candidates are busy meeting the voters these days.Lal Prasad Sharma
Candidates have ramped up their election campaigns in Kaski. With just 10 days remaining for the local polls, which is taking place after 20 years, most candidates are busy meeting the voters these days.
They are conducting door-to-door canvassing and election rallies in different parts of the district. The electoral mood is in overdrive, and not just for the candidates and the political parties. The mood has also caught the public. Conversations about election, politics and parties are taking place everywhere these days.
The people the district are excited to cast their votes and elect local representatives to run their village councils, municipalities and cities. They believe that by electing one of their owns to run their areas, there will be little chance of corruption, more accountability, reduced administrative hassles and all-round development.
“Whoever are elected at the local bodies, they won’t be someone who are unacquainted with our place and its problems. That’s why this election matters to us all. We hope the elected officials will incorporate the concerns of all sides and bring development projects and facilities to make Pokhara more beautiful and more liveable,” said Manju Gurung, a voter from the lake city.
One of the major reasons why many people are looking forward to participating in the upcoming election is that they expect corruption and bureaucratic rigmarole to end with local representatives in charge. They want swift and hassle-free services, which they feel sorely missing at their local bodies staffed by government-appointed bureaucrats for the last two decades.
Tek Bahadur Pariyar of Madi Village Council said he was hopeful that corruption will end once local representatives take over after the election.
“We have faced many difficulties in the past. Services were slow, bribery was rampant and the officials rarely listened to our grievances. We hope such cultures will end for good after this election,” he said.
Chitranath Paudyal of Hemja said they had to visit the district headquarters just to get their documents signed because the appointed government staff rarely stayed in the village.
“It was always, us, people who suffered. There was no accountability at all. We expect the situation to change after the election,” he said.
UML leader files independent candidacy
Uday Shrestha, the CPN-UML Syangja district vice-chairman, has filed his nomination for the post of Waling Municipality mayor as an independent candidate after the party refused to grant him the ticket to contest for the position. The UML has fielded Punay Prasad Aryal as its mayoral pick. A party member said that Shrestha was denied the ticket because of severe factionalism. He claimed that Shrestha did not get the ticket though he was more favoured candidate. Shrestha had garnered 75 votes against 64 received by Aryal during a poll conducted by the party to decide the mayor candidate recently. Mohan Regmi, another party leader, had secured 54 votes.
Candidate commits suicide
A woman candidate for CPN-UML, who had filed her nomination for ward member in Dhunibesi VDC-3, Dhading, committed suicide on Tuesday.
Bina Mijar, 35, of Dhunibesi-3, had registered her nomination from the CPN-UML under the party’s women and Dalit quota. It is learnt that she took her life following a dispute with her family over election expenses. She hung herself in her house on Tuesday night.