Kathmandu — Former Prime Minister and Chairman of the Nepal Socialist Party, Baburam Bhattarai, has stressed that periodic elections should never be delayed. According to him, the very foundation of democracy rests on free, fair, and competitive elections held on time.
Democracy and Election Integrity
Bhattarai underlined that the strength of democracy depends on respecting the electoral calendar without interruption. “The pillars of democracy must not be weakened in any way. Elections must take place on the designated date, and political parties must take responsibility for ensuring that,” he said.
Expressing skepticism about the country’s major political parties — the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), and Rastriya Prajatantra Party — Bhattarai said internal stagnation remains a problem. “A fourth generation has already entered politics, yet the old mindset and leadership continue to dominate, creating frustration within those parties,” he remarked.
Call for Political Restructuring
Looking ahead, Bhattarai argued that a broad political restructuring is inevitable. He highlighted that meaningful change would only be possible if young people under the age of 28 exert sustained pressure. “Sometimes, in trying to save what’s on the ground, what’s in your pocket may also fall out. That is why I’ve long warned of the urgent need for restructuring,” he cautioned.
The interim government has announced that elections for the House of Representatives will be held on March 5 (Falgun 21). However, major political parties have continued to oppose the dissolution of the House, calling the move unconstitutional.
