Absent MPs: A growing concern for democracy

Voters don’t just vote—they demand answers from their representatives, expect them to voice their concerns in Parliament and actively listen to them.

It was a pedestrian morning. A few people were sitting in front of a tea shop in Pipara Bazaar, Rautahat. A newspaper was open, hands still clutching mobile phones, and a conversation about politics was raging on. The talk included the government, elections, development and a question about one absent person—“Where is our MP?”