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I still remember the smell of the classroom and the chalk dust in the air when my social studies teacher, Chudamani (CM) Kharel sir, gave us an assignment that felt impossibly large for our teenage brains. It was 15 years ago. He asked the whole class to draft a political manifesto.
At that time, I did not know much about the world. But I remember scribbling down the name for my imaginary party: 'Democratic Party.'
Why? It was not because I had read Locke or Rousseau. It was because, back home, my father kept a framed picture of BP Koirala. I had seen the book Atmabrittanta resting on the shelf like a sacred text. To my young mind, 'Democratic' simply meant good things: Freedom to speak, good schools, hospitals, and the liberty to do what we liked. I did not fancy the concept of communism, mostly because it seemed rigid and gray compared to the colourful freedom I imagined.
Today, I live thousands of miles away. I have seen the world change over the last three decades, not just in Nepal but globally. I have a Voter ID somewhere in a drawer in Kathmandu, but I have never cast a vote in a Nepali election. And truth be told, I will not vote on March 5 either.
But as I watch my younger brother become 'Pro-RSP' and hear my uncle argue for the King, while remembering my mother's leanings toward the Maoists and my aunt's loyalty to the UML, I realise we are often voting for people, not ideas. We vote because 'Dad did' or because 'Girlfriend's father joined the party'.
With a new generation of Gen Z voters preparing to stamp the swastika, I feel a nostalgic duty to offer a brief crash course. We need to talk about the political spectrum and, more importantly, how to actually use your vote.
TWO VOTES: CHARACTER VERSUS IDEOLOGY
When you walk into that polling booth, you are effectively making two very different decisions.
First, you have the Pratyaksha (Direct) vote. This is where you pick a specific person to represent your neighbourhood. Honestly, for this vote, the 'ism' or philosophy matters less. Whether a candidate is Left or Right is secondary to their character. Does this person have the ability to stand their own ground? Are they capable of doing the job?
You need a candidate who is not just a puppet of a central leader but someone with the backbone to speak for your constituency. Here, you vote for the person, not the flag.
Then, you have the Samanupatik (Proportional) vote. This is where the game changes. The Proportional Representation list is a direct fruit of the April uprising of 2006. It was designed to ensure that the diverse voices of Nepal are heard.
This is where you must look at the party as a whole. Do they represent you? Do they represent the Nepal you want to see? If you are voting for a party in the proportional box, you are endorsing their entire worldview. You are telling them, "I agree with your path." This is why you cannot ignore the manifesto.
'BUT MANIFESTOS DON'T MATTER'
I hear the noise and the chatter. People say, "Why do we need a manifesto? Parties have written them for years and never done anything."
It is a valid frustration. We have been let down many times. But let me ask you a counter question: Have you ever read the Constitution of Nepal?
Most of us have not read the constitution page by page. Does that mean we do not need a constitution? Does that mean we should throw it away? Absolutely not. It is the guiding document that holds the nation together, whether we read it daily or not.
The same applies to a political manifesto. It is the identity card of the party. Just because previous leaders failed to follow them does not mean we stop demanding them. If a party cannot even articulate what they stand for on paper, how can we expect them to stand for anything in parliament?
THE CRASH COURSE: LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTRE
To read those manifestos, you need to decipher the code.
The Left (Bampanthi): In Nepal, we use 'Bampanthi' and 'Communist' interchangeably, but we need to educate ourselves. Historically, this side believes the state should play a huge role in ensuring equality. The UML and Maoist Centre claim this space. However, evidence suggests the UML moved toward the center long ago with their 'People's Multiparty Democracy' (Jabaj), participating in a competitive market. They are not the communists of the old Soviet books. They are social democrats with a communist flag.
The Centre: This is the balancing act. The Nepali Congress was once the champion of Democratic Socialism under BP Koirala, a 'Left of Centre' ideology focused on the poor. But since the 1990s, they have shifted. When democracy was restored, they introduced economic liberalisation and privatisation, effectively moving them to the Center Right. Today, they champion the free market more than the socialist welfare state BP envisioned.
The New Centre/Pragmatists: Then you have the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). They often signal they are pragmatic or 'Centre Right', focusing less on ideology and more on delivery. They appeal to the young because they promise to fix the engine rather than argue about the car's colour.
The Right: This is where you find tradition and often a demand for a Hindu kingdom or monarchy. The RPP (Rastriya Prajatantra Party) anchors this space, prioritising cultural heritage and established hierarchy.
DOES IT MATTER?
Yes. It matters because clarity matters.
As a young voter excited to vote for the first time, do not just vote because your relative is contesting. Do not vote because of a viral TikTok.
For your first-past-thepost- vote, pick the person who is capable and has the character to lead. For your proportional vote, pick the philosophy that represents you.
I may not cast a vote this year, but I hope you cast an informed one. Read the manifesto. It is as essential as the constitution you have not read but definitely need.
The author is a researcher from Nepal who combines chemistry and environmental science to solve real-world health problems.
