Democracy is not just a game of winning elections. It is also a ritual of fulfilling promises made to citizens. An election manifesto is a public contract that any party or candidate puts before the public, which shows their political vision, development plan, and clear thinking towards nation-building.

But the irony is that, not only in the case of Nepal, but in most democratic countries of the world, election manifestos are considered only as moral obligations, not as legally binding documents. This is why, after winning the election, leaders ignore the pages of their manifestos. Policy plans and promises have become just a ‘clever way to win the trust of the people’.

As a result, a cycle of deep disappointment, ‘we have been cheated again’ pain and a deep distrust of the entire political system has spread among the people. Our society is now sending a message through the Gen-G movement and others – now citizens are not just ‘vote banks’, but also seekers of accountability. The main lesson shown by this movement is that citizens must have the right to review the promises made by leaders, otherwise democracy will become merely traditional.

Binding promise

Making election promises a legally binding document is to start a new chapter of accountability in democracy. This forces leaders to stick to the manifesto not only in elections, but throughout their entire tenure. If a party or leader tries to escape without fulfilling what is written in the manifesto, citizens or civil society groups should be able to take it to the Supreme Court through legal means. This will activate the legal mechanism along with the people on the basis of ‘promissory justice’.

If such a system is implemented, parties will not dare to raise ‘populist’ slogans alone. Instead, they will be forced to make real, measurable and time-bound promises. This will protect the state from empty promises and instill a political culture of ‘delivery’. In this situation, the people become ‘stakeholders’ not only at the ‘ballot box’ but also in every decision of the government. When the people can push their government to fulfill its promises, their participation, trust and political stability become stronger.

Review rights

A ‘Promise Monitoring Commission’ can be established to make the right of citizens to review public promises effective. This commission, established as a constitutional or statutory body, will regularly monitor the implementation of the government’s manifesto. It will publish a public report. Every budget and policy decision will be weighed against the manifesto. Moreover, the very essence of this right is access to judicial review.

A system where any citizen or group can go to court to force the government to fulfill its promise is essential. If the government fails to fulfill its promise without a realistic and legitimate reason, the court can issue the necessary order. Similarly, there should be a provision for the Election Commission to punish parties or candidates who make false promises—such as fines, disqualifications, or bans from participating in future elections. This also discourages political dishonesty.

Implementation challenges and practical solutions

While this concept is attractive, practical challenges abound. Manifestos are often written in complex language, which is difficult to measure legally. To solve this, the Election Commission should make a rule that manifestos should be written in a ‘smart’ format. ‘Smart’ means that manifestos should be written that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. 

Similarly, the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary is also an important challenge. The court should only review with judicial restraint, without unnecessarily interfering with the policy powers of the executive. Another important aspect is the ‘saving clause’. If unforeseen circumstances like a pandemic, natural disaster or economic slowdown arise, the government should have the flexibility to partially change the promise. But this should only be possible with transparent and credible reasons.

Current elections and citizen awareness

Elections have been announced in Nepal for 21 Falgun. Parties will once again start making unrealistic promises like free electricity, employment for all, and relief everywhere. But people are now starting to question such empty promises. This is the warning shown by the Gen-G movement – ​​the people will no longer remain silent. They are seeking the right to review public promises. This time’s election is not just a test of forming a new government, but also of rebuilding political credibility. If parties continue to repeat their promises to deceive the people, another movement is certain. But if we institutionalize the right to review promises in a legal manner, Nepal’s democracy can become an exemplary practice in the world.