New parties, new promises

A solid electoral challenge to the old forces would be most welcome.

A healthy competition between ideas and visions, which vibrant political parties embody, is the beauty of democracy. They are articulators of people’s aspirations and their fortunes turn in line with whether they can capture people’s sentiment and work for public welfare. This is why it is heartening to see new political parties emerge in the wake of the Gen Z uprising. Some new outfits are already registered with the Election Commission, while others are in the process of doing so. These outfits promise to challenge the dominance of the old Parliament’s Big Three—the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre). There is also a lot of excitement around these forces and their participation in March 5, 2025 national polls. And rightly so. People have had enough of the top leaders of the three parties taking turns to rule the country by turns, as if it were their personal fief. Yet these newer outfits must act wisely if they expect public support.