So much for voting

There have always been demands for restoration of democracy during military dictatorship. And when, after a long struggle and much sacrifice, the democracy is restored and the same people who fought to bring it back often suffer the most. The ruling party and its government functionaries collect herds of sycophants comprising big and small landlords. The old and dedicated party workers are sidelined. Party and bureaucratic positions are distributed among new entrants comprising the same elites who persecuted party workers when the party was not in power. The voters and old workers often cannot even approach the elected leaders anymore. The public service delivery system collapses and public resources and budgets are swallowed by mafias at different layers of the governance machinery.

This describes our current situation. People are reeling under a repressive and unresponsive ruling system. Protests have lost their relevance as there is no redress mechanism. The accountability apparatus has been compromised through legislation to formalise loot and plunder. Some thought that devolution of power to local governments would improve governance and service delivery. But the loot-and-plunder model has merely trickled down from the district to the union council level.

Gulsher Panhwer

Johi