A total of 3,435 candidates (3,139 male and 296 female) have been registered for the first-past-the-post elections to the House of Representatives and the Province Assembly on November 20. NepalNews spoke to a few of the young people about their views on the upcoming election.
Resh Pokhrel, 25; Graduated
Elections are beneficial as those (leaders) who have lost in the past are motivated to improve this time around, while newcomers have advanced with fresh perspectives. However, I personally don't believe that the timing of this election is appropriate. Even as the country struggles to recover from the earthquake and COVID pandemic, which have caused massive losses to the country's economy and other sectors, the country's leadership appears to be ineffective. Instead of moving forward to recovery, the election atmosphere has been introduced. Development is more important than elections, especially at this time. It would have been preferable if more emphasis had been placed on development. As a young person, I don't have high hopes for the candidates who are emerging now; all I ask is that they complete what they have talked about in their declaration papers.
We can also see well-known people running for office, and I believe they are taking the wrong advantage of their popularity. I believe it would be better to bring forward someone who has knowledge of the basics of development. As we can see, Balendra Shah is from the engineering field and has studied extensively, which is why he easily leads.
Ashish Ghimire, 27; Hotel manager
Personally, I am dissatisfied with how our elected officials have performed over the last five years. As a result, I don't want to see the incumbents run for office again, let alone be re-elected. Women, marginalised communities, and minorities should be politically represented in order to establish a strong democracy in Nepal, but quotas ensuring such people's rights are abused when election time comes. We all know that a single vote can make a big difference, so we should make the most of these opportunities. It is preferable if the election is won by educated and young candidates.
Mamata Pokhrel, 21; Bachelor student
Nepal’s political parties are led by ageing leaders, many of whom are discredited for failing to address voters’ genuine concerns in the past. The parties must understand the priorities and concerns of Nepal’s youth, who constitute a sizable proportion of eligible voters. As we have young mayors who are educated, we need more candidates like them. Rather than being cynical about Nepal’s democracy, we should see it as a way to bring change in the future.
Laxmi Shrestha, 24; Social worker
Speaking of the upcoming election, I don't have high expectations, but it will be difficult for new candidates to live up to the youths' expectations, as Mayor Balen Shah and Harka Sampang did with their positive work. They might feel like it's their time to make a place in people's heart and do something like our mayors did, that is the only expectation I have. And about the women's candidacy, I hope both male and female get the same opportunity and in the name of women empowerment, men candidates are not overshadowed. Concerning the fairness and unfairness of some of the already popular candidates, I cannot judge them, however I hope the best candidate with long-term plans and the willingness to implement them wins.
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