Balen: His challenges and strengths

Changing a long-established bureaucratic culture is one of the hardest things for any leader.

Balen Shah's election as Kathmandu's mayor three months ago broke the myth of the invincibility of big political parties. Balen contested the election as an independent candidate. He did not have money, big business connections, ground-level organisation, and an army of goons—the primary tools the parties use to entice voters, intimidate opponents and buy votes. How did he do it? The answer is simple. Nepali voters were tired of “political lifies”—political leaders who never retire, have outlived their usefulness, treat their parties as their fiefdom; are corrupt, incompetent, and bereft of a moral compass.