Valley
Infrastructure, clean environment remain a powerful appeal to voters
As people voted on Sunday to elect their local representatives, development issues including good roads, safe drinking water, quality education and healthcare remained on top of their priority lists.Anup Ojha & Manish Gautam
As people voted on Sunday to elect their local representatives, development issues including good roads, safe drinking water, quality education and healthcare remained on top of their priority lists.
A majority of the voters in Kathmandu Valley, irrespective of age, expect their representatives to work on affordable education and health systems, while prioritising on better transportation system, roads and other basic utilities.
Mohan Maya Shrestha, 88, who was accompanied by her son and daughter-in-law, cast her vote at a polling centre on the Nepal Telecom Office premises in Babarmahal. “I want a candidate who will work to clean Bagmati River so that my granddaughter can go and play on the riverbanks like I did during my childhood,” said Shrestha, referring to the poor state of the holy river today.
Having exercised his franchise for the first time, 21-year-old Prajwal Karki said people in Kathmandu are deprived of basic needs, including clean drinking water, fresh air to breath, better transportation facilities and enough open space. Karki said he wants a representative who can fix the mess of this city.
Laxmi Pradhan, 29, who voted at Bishalnagar polling station, said now she can make her leaders accountable if they do not deliver on their promises. Pradhan, who had voted for one of the conventional political forces in the second Constituent Assembly elections in 2013, said he had cut a deal with a new force this time around. “I believe I cast my vote for the right candidate. Yet, whoever wins, I have the right to make that person accountable and directly reach out to the leaders if they don’t keep their words to make this city better,” he added.
The motto of “road, water” also remains a powerful appeal to voters in Lalitpur.
Bhawakumari Thapa, 85 of Dhapakhel said an elected representative should be able to maintain social harmony and work towards the overall development of the area. Another octogenarian voter, Bur Maya Maharjan, echoed Thapa stressing on building back and promoting the traditional Newari culture of the area. On his way to the polling station at Harisiddhi on Sunday morning, Ditish Maharjan, 25, said that he wanted a candidate who can develop his area. “I want a candidate who can ensure our rights and someone who is always with the people,” he said.
Experts, however, believe that many voters might be reiterating the same development thoughts and issues that the political parties have been projecting. “The problem with the current development debate is that it cannot be sustained by the current political system,” said Suresh Dhakal, a sociologist. “Our politicians are so detached from their politicial ideologies that they use big promises to gloss over their flaws.”
However, these types of tactics do not work like they used to, according to Dhakal. Voters, especially those in the urban areas, are becoming more “sophisticated” as a result of greater information in the system. “The growing political consciousness can make their representatives more accountable,” he said.
There were also many voters who expressed their frustration for not being able to be part of this historic election after failing to register themselves on time.
Sneh Rajbhandari, waiting outside the voting station at Mary Poppins Pre-primary School in Babarmahal, said she regretted that she could not vote. “I was away in India. I tried to register my name online, but it didn’t work,” Rajbhandari said, expressing hope that the people in the area voted for a candidate who can restore the glory of the historic Kathmandu valley.