KATHMANDU, JANUARY 26
While existing major political parties and emerging political parties are receiving a lot of attention in the wake of the new wave of the Gen Z revolution in early September last year, The Himalayan Times looked back at their previous manifestos (2022 House of Representatives (HoR) elections) and how firmly they stood by them before coming up with a new one to appease voters.
While the old promises have yet to be fulfilled, new ones are expected in the coming days for the HoR election on March 5.
The major political parties that have led or taken part in the governments established since that election are the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN-MC, and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The Himalayan Times has examined the manifestos of these parties in this context. Pushpa Kamal Dahal of then CPN-MC and KP Sharma Oli of the CPN-UML were appointed prime ministers during this time.
The Himalayan Times looked back at their promises and grouped major commitments into five subtopics that they proposed as a top priority during their electoral campaign in 2022.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND ECONOMICS
The Nepali Congress had forecast at least seven per cent economic growth and pledged to generate 1.25 million new jobs in five years. It had predicted that within ten years, remittance income's share of GDP would drop from 23 per cent to 10 to 12 per cent.
By including those who are able to work in the Prime Minister's Employment Programme, the CPN-UML promised to provide employment for at least six months. Additionally, it had proposed a plan to offer jobs to people who have lost their jobs due to uncontrollable circumstances, either as a continuation of their current employment or as an immediate relief until another job is found.
By creating a National Employment Authority and hiring a large number of people, CPN-MC pledged to give two million young people jobs and opportunities for self-employment within five years.
For Nepalis looking for work abroad, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) had pledged to make it free and lower the cost of employment. It had stated that all financial institutions would set aside 15 per cent of their investable funds to encourage entrepreneurship by giving Nepalis returning from overseas simple loans.
In addition to allocating Rs 10 billion for the 'Red Moon and Sun Brand' campaign to promote Nepali goods, it had pledged to increase foreign investment by fifteen times in five years.
It also promised to reduce the number of Nepalis living below the poverty line to zero within the next 30 years.
EDUCATION SECTOR
The Nepali Congress had committed to remove political meddling from the field of education. It predicted that within five years, 80 per cent of schools would have internet access. Similarly, it stated that technical and professional skills would account for 40 per cent of the current curriculum, with training in subjects such as modern technologies (big data, machine learning, and AI) in a changing global environment.
It was also suggested that at least one-third of schools would be converted to technical and vocational programmes. Its manifesto also stated that legal provisions would be made to end the system in which the prime minister is the chancellor and the education minister is the vice chancellor. However, the system remains unchanged.
In contrast, the CPN-UML made promises to provide all schools with physical infrastructure and attain complete literacy within two years. It pledged to put an end to any circumstance in which a child would not be able to attend school or would have to drop out because of financial difficulties.
In five years, the CPN-MC promised to boost education spending and devote 20 per cent of the budget to this area. It had pledged to close the achievement and quality gap between public and private schools and achieve parity in five years. Additionally, it pledged to systematise and eradicate the current injustice in the teaching profession.
However, there were numerous teacher protests calling for reforms during this time.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) had declared that it would advance the teaching profession and regulate the School Education Act. Additionally, it stated that it would set up a financial system that would allow students to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies in Nepal with unsecured education loans backed by government guarantees, which they would eventually earn and repay.
HEALTH SECTOR
With the slogan '3-73', the Nepali Congress pledged to provide free medical care to citizens under the age of three and over the age of seventy-three. They also pledged to guarantee health insurance for all citizens and to treat serious illnesses through insurance within five years. Due to a lack of funding, the health insurance programme is currently faltering rather than growing.
On social security, it had also proposed the slogan 'from womb to tomb.' It also pledged to construct specialised hospitals and health science institutes in every province and to give free, high-quality sanitary pads to all women.
Under the banner of "Healthy Nepal", the CPN-UML had committed to building more hospitals throughout the nation. It had made promises to keep all Nepalis' electronic health records up to date and to give all Nepalis over 40 and those taking medication free, routine checkups. In order to guarantee women's safe reproductive health, it also pledged to give them Rs 1,500 a year for sanitary pads.
In its letter of commitment, the CPN-MC stated that it would apply the idea of socialism in health. It had claimed that by raising the standard of healthcare, it would foster an atmosphere that would entice even foreigners to seek medical care in Nepal.
Additionally, it had pledged to give state security cards to every citizen living below the poverty line within a year and to use those cards to arrange for free basic health and education as well as reasonably priced necessities.
In its manifesto, the RSP pledged to establish a unified payment system that would provide equal access to healthcare services and require citizens to cover all of their own medical costs. In addition, it said that any patient or pregnant woman who visits a hospital emergency room will be required to receive healthcare regardless of their insurance status or financial situation thanks to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Obstetrics Act.
NATIONAL PROJECTS
In its manifesto, the Nepali Congress pledged to finish all ongoing national pride projects. It had pledged to finish the construction projects on schedule and split the 24 hours into three stages. It had promised to increase the population with access to paved roads by 75 per cent in half an hour.
The party had pledged to develop Biratnagar and Nepalgunj airports into regional airports and to give the Mechikali railway line top priority. The production of 10,000 megawatts of electricity in five years was also mentioned.
According to the CPNUML, a metro rail would be investigated in Kathmandu, the Bardibas-Nijgadh section of the East-West Electric Railway would be finished and put into service, and ships flying the Nepali flag would be brought into service using the seaports of nearby nations.
It had committed to running water transportation via Nepal's main rivers from the Ganges to the port in Kolkata and the sea. It had pledged to construct Nijgadh Airport and run Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports to capacity.
The CPN-MC had vowed to move forward with building roads, railroads, and a monorail in Kathmandu along the Bagmati, Bishnumati, and Dhobikhola corridors. Along with waterway development on river systems like the Koshi, Gandaki, and Karnali, it had also promised metro rail in major cities. The problem of producing 8,000 megawatts of electricity in five years had also been brought up.
The RSP had suggested building a 500,000-tonne chemical fertiliser factory. Additionally, it pledged to guarantee that all public infrastructure is accessible to people with disabilities. High-speed internet access was one of the promises it mentioned.
TOURISM
The Nepali Congress had promised to attract two million tourists annually within five years.
CPN-UML had said it would attract 2.5 million tourists annually and create an economy worth Rs 100 trillion with a per capita income that would almost double the current level in five years.
RSP promised to increase tourism revenue to 300 billion rupees within five years. The party promised to provide one-year 'on arrival' visas to 'digital nomads' and 'remote workers' who earn more than $5,000 per month.
EXPERTS' OPINION
Experts have pointed out that political technocrats' unrealistic and populist goals have resulted in the failure to deliver on their promises.
Binay Mishra, a political analyst and assistant professor of political science at Tribhuvan University, stated, "Unrealistic populist slogans and a hung parliament, which led to compromise in post-election alliance formation, caused failure in the implementation of their manifestos."
According to Mishra, political technocrats create the manifesto, while lobbyists and interest groups that fund politicians oversee its implementation.
"These interest groups and lobbyists are policy brokers, business communities that always seem to garner state favours," he explained. "Corrupt practices and misappropriation are systemic issues within the bureaucracy that is actually tasked with implementing the manifesto."
He stressed that solutions to these pertinent issues are not singular. "It requires a systemic overhaul," he told THT. "You need to improvise on three-dimensional problems. that is, citizen-politician-bureaucracy." He highlighted that citizens must be made to stimulate the demand side of accountability. "In fact, the supply of accountability and responsiveness from elected officials is low because there has been slight demand," he said.