Democratizing Political Parties

It really boils down to one person, one vote democracy. We have to move towards becoming a federal, multiparty democracy of state-funded parties. That will make Nepal the number one democracy on the planet.

How to get there? Step one, the immediate step would be to make all political parties make their finances public. Step two would be to pass a law saying for the purposes of the constituent assembly elections, the richest party may not have more than 50% more money than the second richest. All the extra money should go to the state.

And after the elections, political parties may not engage in any kind of fundraising activities at all.

Another thing to do is to do with the distribution of tickets. For a party ticket for a political office, party members at the said level and below should be the only ones who get to decide who will get the ticket.

The third thing to do is to demarcate the various layers of government based on population. It has to be about one person, one vote democracy. Otherwise you end up with a Maoist party that has one Madhesi on its central committee, you end up with a UML that has one Madhesi on the central committee.

Key is to have all constituencies for the lower house based on equal population.

If we can do these three things, we end up with democratic parties. Otherwise right now Congress MPs are subservient to Girija because Girija is the one who decides if you will get a ticket or not. Girija is the one decides how much money he will give you during election time. So a Congress MP's career strategy ends up being subservient to Girija. That ends up being the gameplan.

How To Get There?

The goal is obvious. But no political party is gearing towards it. It is because the party leaders like it that power inside the parties is concentrated in their hands.

The people positioned to push for a democratization of parties are the civil society folks. They have been relentless on the issue of a republic, and that is great. To that list they should add the agenda of party democratization.

Have this simple three point plan. And stick to it.

Inclusive Democracy Comes From Parties With Internal Democracy

Lack of democracy inside parties is the reason Nepal has not been an inclusive democracy to date. A lot of ethnic disenchantment will go away if parties will become democratic.

In The News

Nepal celebrates first `Lokatantra Day` Zee News, India
India seals border with Nepal for state polls PeaceJournalism.com, Nepal
Nepal:Protesters burn down two Red Cross vehicles PeaceJournalism.com, Nepal
Yechury to be chief guest of Nepal Democracy Day celebrations Hindu, India
OHCHR-Nepal marks Jana Andolan achievements, challenges, one year on ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland
Nepal's former rebels struggle to enter the fold Jane's, UK
Edmund Hillary in New Zealand hospital after fall Pravda, Russia
Democracy brings no respite for Nepal's Gurkhas India eNews.com, India
Edmund Hillary hospitalized after falling during a visit in Nepal Mounteverest, NY

Maoists to Blame for CA Poll Delay: Bijukchhe Himalayan Times Bijukchhe said national and international forces exerted "moral" pressure on Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to defer the date of the CA polls, as the Maoists have devised a strategy for capturing booths. Bijukchhe said that the Maoists had held several councils of war to finalise a strategy for how to capture booths. ..... the Nepali Congress (NC) did not want the CA polls held until the unification of both the NC and NC (D) ...... "The CPN-UML wants to go to the CA polls after leading the government itself and the Maoists also have the same agenda." ...... Though there is a need for wider discussion with the people over the issue of a federal system the parties are not doing so ..... Bijukchhe said, "If all leftist forces work for the welfare of peasants and workers, unification is not impossible."

Police refuse to register case against MPRF Kantipur
Madheshi MPs again disrupt House, sitting deferred to Wednesday
माओवादीको विरोधमा बन्द
'जनआन्दोलन जारी छ'
दलभित्रको लोकतन्त्र जनआन्दोलन २०६२/६३ का प्रमुख दुई एजेन्डा थिए- शान्ति र लोकतन्त्रको स्थापना । लोकतन्त्रको एजेन्डाभित्र अर्को एउटा महत्त्वपूर्ण एजेन्डा थियो- राजनीतिक दलहरूको लोकतन्त्रीकरण । ..... राजनीतिक दलहरूको लोकतन्त्रीकरणको काम भने भएकै छैन । ...... नेताहरूले आफूलाई सच्याएर जाने भने पनि देखिने गरी दलहरूमा कुनै परिवर्तन हालका मितिसम्म आएको छैन । ....... जनतामा सार्वभौमसत्ता आइसकेपछि शक्तिशाली बनेका राजनीतिक दल र यसको नेतृत्वले भने मुलुकलाई राम्ररी हाँक्न नसकेको अनुभव यो एक वर्षमा भएको छ । ...... नारायणहिटी राजदरबारका राजा ज्ञानेन्द्र ढले पनि आठ दलभित्र एक-एक ज्ञानेन्द्र स्थापित छन् । ...... पार्टीभित्रको राजतन्त्रको अन्त्य अहिलेको आवश्यकता हो । ...... मुलुकमा शासन होइन कुशासन छ । ...... घुमाइफिराइ राजा नभई देश नचल्ने रहेछ भन्ने अवस्था सिर्जना गर्न दलहरू लागेका छन् ।
जनआन्दोलन र अहिलेको स्थिति
संविधानसभा फेरि धरापमा
पार्टीमा लागेपछि
लोकतन्त्रका लागि राष्ट्रिय जागरण

Prachanda feels seven parties agreed in haste NepalNews left forces should now make republic a basis for their unity. He urged his cadres to be ready for any eventuality while declaring the country republic.
Over 20 MJF activists held for defying prohibitory orders in Gaur The MJF had announced the bandh on Friday to protest what it calls government’s apathy towards its demands that include immediate halt in electoral constituency delineation process and investigation into the loss of lives and property in recent agitations in Terai region.
Yadav vows to take action against sandalwood smugglers

Red Storm Rising? NepalNews A week ago, on April 16, Maoist chairman Prachanda had dangled a carrot to entice the divided leftist lot. "If there is going to be a single Communist Party of Nepal, we will not let Prachandapath pose any obstruction. Let us do away with all kinds of soubriquets we have attached to the names of our parties. There is no use of attaching tail-names to our parties. Let us make one communist party," he had said referring to the existence of myriad communist parties that have attached tail-names such as Marxist, Marxist-Leninist, Unity Center, Masal and so on. ...... absolute red domination is manifested in the 329-member strong legislature parliament where leftist forces including the Maoists, UML, ULF, People's Front (PF), Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) have 182 MPs among themselves while the centrist and liberal democrats have 147 MPs. ...... the communists have mulled forming a 'common front' if not 'single party' to defeat other parties
Yadav vows to take action against sandalwood smugglers Yadav said that Forest Ministry will need maximum cooperation from Finance and Home Ministries to control the smuggling. ..... demanded that a new Nepal be built where everyone can speak out. He said the trend where subordinates cannot speak with their officials has hurt the building of new Nepal. ...... "There is a situation where wardens cannot speak out at director general; where DG cannot speak out at minister; and where minister cannot speak out at Prime Minister," he said referring to his quarrel with the PM. ...... Minister Yadav said that Forestry was one of the most corrupt sectors.