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Why vote? This is the question many people are asking on the eve of the May 13 local election. Pratik Ghimire of ApEx put the same question—plus a few more—to Ila Sharma, former commissioner at the Election Commission.

Why is local election important?

It is important to decentralize the centralized power. Without local elections, there won’t be any local governments, which will deprive us of government services at our doorsteps. It is also crucial for local development because the respective villages know what model of development is necessary in their areas, not Kathmandu.

Why should people vote in local elections?

By voting we elect our representatives so that they can govern us. If we don't vote, there will be no grounds to complain against the incompetence of the ruling representatives. So to send progressive candidates, who you think can bring about meaningful reforms in your area, you must vote.

What is the historical trajectory of voter turnout in Nepal?

Studies suggest that the voter turnout of developing countries is better than that of developed countries. We have a similar case here. We have a good voter turnout. People in developing countries are mostly fed up with the political situation and incompetence of their leaders. This encourages them to vote and try alternative leadership.

What reforms do you advocate in our electoral system?

There are a lot of things. We can write a book on it. But the important ones are curbing electoral expenses, guaranteeing inclusiveness, and adopting an electronic voting system.

Our constitution says that there should be at least one female candidate for the post of mayor/chairperson or deputy mayor/vice-chairperson. But it also says, this provision only applies if a single party fields candidates for both the posts—and it does not apply to a coalition of parties. This has significantly undercut the participation of female and other marginalized communities.

Likewise, if electronic voting were introduced, no vote would be wasted.

Also, there are issues of incorporating ‘none of the above’ (NOTA) voting option on ballot papers and ensuring voting for Nepali immigrants. 

How would you compare Nepal’s grassroots democracy, say, with the same in the rest of South Asia?

On paper, we offer a lot of promise. But in practice, there are many things that need to be improved. Yet, compared to other South Asian countries, we are doing well as our grassroots democracy is more powerful than that of India or Bangladesh.

Balen Shah, an independent mayoral candidate for Kathmandu Metropolitan City, is a rapper and structural engineer. While Shah is certainly popular among young Nepalis, it remains to be seen how he fares in the May 13 vote. Kathmandu has almost 300,000 voters and Shah’s main competition is said to be against Srijana Singh of Nepali Congress and Keshav Sthapit of CPN-UML. Samikshya Baskota of the Bibeksheel Sajha Party, Madan Das Shrestha of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and two other independent candidates—Sushil Thapa and Sunil Sayami—are also in the fray. With the mayoral race in Kathmandu heating up, Pratik Ghimire of ApEx talked to Shah. 

What inspired you to contest local elections? 

As an engineer, I have worked with many municipalities on various projects. This gave me a chance to analyze local bodies’ budget structures and works. Almost 70 percent of a local government’s budget is engineering-related, but that isn’t utilized fully due to lack of knowledge, vision, and incompetence. I realized I could better utilize the budget than most other candidates in question. This is why I registered my candidacy. 

Explain your key agendas for a better Kathmandu. 

We will focus on the basics that a metropolitan city must have. They are, primarily, health (physical and mental), education, and solid waste management. We will also work on drinking water, heritage, transport, tourism, open spaces and greenery, insurance, security, etc. 

We have planned an ‘idea bank’ where the public can bring entrepreneurial ideas and our government will help them financially. Similarly, our local products will get 10-20 percent space in marts and shopping malls. 

For drinking water, we will rely on the traditional-scientific way of water harvesting. For waste management, a dedicated team will be set up to oversee waste segregation. Nearly 70 percent of the solid waste Kathmandu generates is organic, which could easily be turned into organic fertilizers. We have clearly mentioned all these plans (as well as the underlying processes) in our manifesto. 

Photo: Saroj Baizu

Do you have any plans on registering a political party? 

No. While I do believe in a multi-party system, I also believe that local bodies don’t need political parties. Elected representatives should be busy working for people’s welfare. So a social reformer with a proper vision and action plan should lead at the local level. The third tier of the federal government should be free of political parties.  

How do you view your rivals in this race? 

We all know they have no proper agenda, as has been proven by recent mayoral debates and public interactions. They talk about beautiful Kathmandu, but they are yet to explain what they mean by ‘beautiful? 

I, on the other hand, have analyzed real data, shortlisted problems, researched applicable solutions, and prepared a blueprint for everything. We are talking about the processes that will give us results. 

If you win, what changes can we expect in Kathmandu after five years? 

The basic but notable things. When you step out of your house, you have to face dozens of hassles such as unsafe roads, traffic jams, and pollution. These things contribute to your mental fatigue. Similarly, community schools will prioritize children’s skill development and offices will adopt digital technology for swift, efficient services. If I win, you will see a hassle-free Kathmandu Metropolitan City. I will implement tried and tested plans for this city. 

Video interview (Engineers Vlogs with Balen Shah) here.

Covid-19 cases are surging in different states of India. The country’s positivity rate, which indicates the spread of the disease, has gone up to three percent from 0.5 percent—within a week. As Nepal shares a 1,850km-long open border with India, there is a risk of a coronavirus resurgence here as well. With local-level elections knocking on the door, political campaigns and rallies could also fuel the spread. Pratik Ghimire of ApEx talked to Dr Anup Subedee, infectious disease consultant at Medharma CliniX. 

Can we predict the next covid wave in Nepal based on what is happening in India?

Cases in India directly impact Nepal, as we saw in the previous waves. But till this point, the new covid cases in India are yet to be thoroughly examined. So it is difficult to predict what will happen. Indian officials claim no new variant has been detected, but I doubt there has been enough research.  

Is the next wave the most likely scenario in Nepal?

If the new cases in India are of the current Omicron (BA.2) variant, there is a low probability of an outbreak, as two waves of a single variant are rare. An increase in new cases is not a new thing, as the covid trend suggests a rise in such cases every few months. This is both predicted and expected. 

Yet, every six months, we have seen a new variant too. If that happens, it could result in the next wave. But again, it is too early to predict because we have little information as of now. 

Could upcoming elections help with the spread of coronavirus? 

Hard to say. But mass demonstrations and political campaigns that took place in Kathmandu during the Delta variant surge had played a key role in previous outbreaks. So elections this time could also have an impact, as there will be more than usual mobility of people. Nepalis working in India will come home to vote. This could lead to the virus reaching various corners of the country. Everything depends on which variant it is—the old one or the new. 

Right now, we don’t have many cases, so there is nothing to panic about. But that also suggests we might not have conducted enough tests. Further, the Health Ministry doesn’t have real data. It is important to fill these gaps because we can’t prepare and fight effectively without real data. 

What do you suggest?

The holding centers and quarantines should be in working condition. We rushed to set up the infrastructure only after the pandemic hit the country. By that time, it was too late. So preparation is important. 

To some extent, our incompetence has also invited trouble. The vaccine campaign looks dormant at the moment. Many people don’t know the current vaccine situation in Nepal. There are eligible people who are yet to get the jabs. Some have refused to take them, but the government should convince them. Also, the vulnerable groups have not gotten their booster doses. Many have not even taken the second dose. 

Again, we have no proper data to track things down. For the current variant, the vaccines that are being given to Nepalis are fine, but there could be better options. The authorities should focus on importing more effective vaccines. 

How long do we need to keep taking booster doses?

Booster doses should be routinely administered unless a vaccine that provides lifelong immunity is invented. We should also import the most effective vaccines like Viral Vector (AstraZeneca) and RNA (Moderna, Pfizer). Novavax is also effective.

Enroll in an eight-day training and get a certificate at the end of the course. There, you are now qualified to get a Rs 300,000 interest-free bank loan to start your own business. Sounds too good to be true, but it is. 

This is what Changunarayan Municipality in Bhaktapur district has been offering to its unemployed youths. 

Mayor Som Prasad Mishra says the entrepreneurial scheme has so far transformed the lives of 150 local youths. 

The local government here has introduced several social programs that have become boons for its residents. 

A student admission scheme for girl students is another popular and successful endeavor. It was introduced to encourage girl’s education.

Under the program, the municipality sets up bank accounts in the names of all girl students going to local community schools, and contributes Rs 4,000 to each account annually. The money saved in their accounts can be withdrawn once they reach the age of 20. 

“The money can be used to fund their higher education,” Mishra says. “This scheme was launched also because they do not want the girl students to marry early, at least not until they have received a decent level of education.” 

Changunarayan Municipality was formed by merging the erstwhile village development committees of Changunarayan and Nagarkot. It is a home to several historic and tourist sites. The township has nine wards.    

In the last five years, says Mishra, most of these local units have built their own office buildings from where they have been offering efficient services to the locals. 

“The municipal building is also in the final phase of construction. The building could have been completed much earlier, but we had to shift our focus after the Covid-19 pandemic,” he says. 

A municipal hospital, with over 25-bed capacity, was brought into operation during the pandemic. 

Much of the works carried out by the municipality and its ward offices in the last five years were focused on building their own and public infrastructure, such as upgrading the existing roads, opening new tracks, setting up health posts, and installing water supply lines. 

Mishra says a total of 36km road was asphalted, another 36km was graveled or reinforced, and nearly 70km-long new tracks were opened in five years.

The municipality also expanded the water supply lines to thousands of homes. 

“Only 4,000 homes had a water supply facility when we got elected five years ago. We have managed to raise this number to 12,000,” says Mishra. He adds the remaining 2,ooo homes will also soon have the water supply facility.

Deputy Mayor Bina Bastola says in the initial days, they had faced several challenges in the absence of proper infrastructure and local laws and regulations. 

“There was a state of confusion. We started our work by raising taxes from local brick factories and sand mine operators,” she says. 

Soon enough the newly elected representatives found their bearings. From there on, they have been working with confidence and conviction. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, Bastola says, Changunarayan Municipality worked exceptionally well to help out its distraught residents. 

She is particularly proud of the programs that were implemented for women employment and empowerment. 

“Many women not only got employment as a result, there was also a marked decrease in the incidents of domestic violence,” she says. “Contrary to the judicial committees in other parts of the country, which mostly receive cases of domestic violence, we get cases concerning property and inheritance.” 

Besides women, Bastola adds, the municipality has also introduced various schemes targeting its senior citizens. 

Changunarayan Municipality also took major steps to conserve its forests and vegetation, which make up 20.5 percent of its total area. In forests around Nagarkot and Muhanpokhari areas, the concerned local units planted various species of herbs. Tree saplings were also planted in and around the Changunarayan temple area. 

Chief Administrative Officer Hari Prasad Chapagain says in the last five years, they prioritized the development of infrastructure and streamlining of public services by incorporating information technology. 

“Changunarayan introduced various successful programs in the last five years. Our works were rewarded when our municipality was ranked the 10th best municipality in the world in the Open City Incubator Program of the New York University School of Engineering,” he says. “This changed the way other municipalities around the country perceive us.” 

‘Pandemic shifted our focus. we still achieved a lot’ 

Som Prasad Mishra, mayor of Changunarayan Municipality 

How do you assess your term? 

It was challenging and rewarding at the same time. We were the first elected local representatives after the country adopted the federal model. So there was a dearth of local laws, human resources, and infrastructure. It took us a year just to set up a system. We had just found our rhythm and were fine-tuning our services when Covid-19 struck. The pandemic forced us to shift our focus. Suddenly, health, education and employment became our pressing priorities. We got to work as per our plan for only two years. But, I must say, we achieved a lot in those two years. We accomplished many tasks related to infrastructure, such as roads, schools and health posts. 

What are the things that Changunarayan have done differently compared to other local bodies? 

Our program targeting youth employment was very successful. It helped many unemployed young people, including those who lost their jobs to the pandemic and those who were planning to go abroad for employment. We created job and business opportunities for our youths at home. We also introduced a special scheme for girl students to encourage them to stay in school and get higher education. Besides, Deputy Mayor Bina Bastola also played an active role in bringing various programs for women empowerment and employment, which have become quite successful. We also did a lot to improve our services to the people through the use of technology. Changunarayan was rated as the best performer in the Open City Incubator Program run by the New York University School of Engineering and named the world’s 10th best municipality. Most recently, we have been working to set up an open data portal. Changunarayan has done a lot in terms of incorporating technology in its services compared to other municipalities.  

Are there any particular public grievances that you would like to share? 

Well, there are people who come to us seeking personal favors, mainly concerning jobs. But we cannot fulfill the wish of one particular person. We may have also failed to work in favor of those individuals who had helped us a lot during the elections. But that aside, we have tried to do the best to our ability to build a better system. There are also complaints concerning water supply lines, or road connectivity not reaching some homes.