Democracy as arithmetic

From the centre to the provinces, political parties have turned democracy into a mindless race for power.

Nomenclature is not the only thing Koshi Province is heated over at the moment. For the past month, it has been a centre of much political consternation, even affecting national politics, as top leaders of major parties are deeply invested in the race to make and break governments in the province. Uddhab Thapa has come back to power, riding on the back of the magic number of 47, in a 93-strong provincial assembly, after getting Baburam Gautam, the Speaker, to resign from his post.