(Candidates for the 21st Falgun election are reaching out to the public with their manifestos. They are presenting their agenda. At this time, Kantipur is launching a special series ‘Kantipur Debate: Citizens’ Manifesto’ to present the people’s agenda to parties and candidates. You too can write a manifesto for this series, focusing on a specific area. We will give space to manifestos that are based on facts, figures, and logic.)

Nepal is on the verge of general elections. Elections are the lifeblood of democracy, which are the ultimate test of the accountability of their representatives and either renew their mandates or punish them by recalling them. That is why the ‘ballot’ is considered more powerful than the ‘bullet’. 

Elections are the ultimate weapon to alert, reject, and remove those who misuse the ‘mandate’ they have given. Abraham Lincoln had said, ‘In the structure of government under which we live, the people have wisely given their representatives little power to disturb them, and have just as wisely arranged to withdraw that little power in a short space of time.’

As he said, this is also an opportunity to withdraw the delegation of power or authority. However, elections must also be fair and meaningful. As sociologist Kenneth Arrow said in his ‘Impossibility Theorem’, the statement that every election elects the wrong representative must be broken. If we can prove that the people are all-powerful, true democracy will be realized.

This election is not as easy as it used to be. The opportunity brought by the great sacrifice and movement of the young Gen-Gs. This was a movement after the French Revolution, whose storm had brought down even the government, which was said to have almost two-thirds of the power, to its knees. The General Assembly of the French Revolution brought about such a huge change in twenty-four hours that the feudal system there ended. Nepal's 'Gen-G' movement destroyed all the established mechanisms in 27 hours.

If we forget the terror of the intruders on the second day, this movement was epoch-making. In this context, Thomas Jefferson, the drafter of the Constitution of the United States, had said, 'It would be a good thing if a revolution appeared in almost every generation.' His words seem to be meaningful in Nepal - different generations have seen revolutions or movements in seven years, seventeen years, forty-six years, sixty-three years and eighty-two years. The previous movement of the youth was for democracy, while the latest movement is for good governance. 

On the one hand, the youth, who were affected by corruption and unrest, took to the streets after shutting down social media. It was natural for the current generation of technology-minded people to agitate with the ideas of the anti-technology (Luddites). Now all the parties are saying that they will go to the elections by addressing the demands of the 'Gen-G movement'. Since the main demand of the Gen-G is good governance, the issue of 'good governance' will be the main topic of debate in this election.

Political parties are currently in the process of preparing their manifestos. All the parties will repeat good governance like a lullaby. However, what needs to be careful about is that 'good governance' should not be limited to slogans that deceive the people. Nor can it be like a business deal made in dreams. Good governance, which is the main concern of the present time, should come with a truly reliable implementation framework. Otherwise, even before this, the parties have shared sweet dreams of good governance that deceive the people. Since this is the main issue at hand, the public will believe it only if it is presented very consciously. 

It is good to understand that if this is taken as a cheap slogan, conscious citizens will give appropriate punishment. While the parties are preparing their manifestos, these words of American politician Bernard Baruch seem worth considering, ‘Vote for the one who promises less, he will disappoint you less.’ Leaders who say they will make Nepal Singapore and Switzerland are the number one fraudsters.

Those who try to deceive the public by giving slogans that are not possible with the resources of this country will now face the wrath of conscious citizens. The first purpose of doing politics and going to the government is to provide good governance in the country. Until four decades ago, the structures created to fulfill internal and external interests through the exercise of sovereignty were called government.

Now the definition of government has changed and the concept of ‘governance’ has come, which refers to the processes and results of government. In another sense, ‘governance’ is a reinvented form of government, which is more systematic. ‘Governance’ has been replaced by a new system of working in a network of formal and informal partnerships for collective benefit, transforming the old state-centered system into a people-centered one.

What is good governance?

If good qualities are added to ‘governance’, it becomes ‘good governance’. It is a process, structure and system that establishes a good relationship between the government and its citizens. ‘Good governance’ is the conscious management of governance structures and increasing the legitimacy of the government. This is the ultimate state of state management. In essence, good governance is the culmination of governance management, where the people feel safe, receive public services easily, and feel that justice has been served.

The World Bank has said that for good governance, public services should be effective, the justice system should be reliable, the administration should be accountable to the people, and there should be capacity in the bodies that formulate policies and implement them. The Commonwealth Declaration of 1991 in Harare has accepted democratic processes and structures, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, fair and honest government and fundamental rights as the foundations of good governance. Since there is a vast body of literature on this, it is very difficult to summarize it in a limited sense. Therefore, it is practical to evaluate it in the experience of the people. It is necessary to discuss its basic foundations, dimensions and the various elements it encompasses. 

Transparency and accountability, people's ownership, equality and predictability are considered its four pillars. In a simpler sense, it can be understood in three dimensions. First - Is the process adopted by the government transparent or not? Second - Does the content of the services provided guarantee justice and equality or not? And, third - Does the service delivered (deliverable) make the lives of the disadvantaged dignified or not? 

If these three dimensions are positive, it can be said that there is 'good governance'. Various international and national organizations have developed various indicators for formal evaluation. The World Bank has six indicators—people's voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. Every year, these indicators are evaluated to show the status of good governance in countries. In addition, Transparency International measures the status of corruption, the World Justice Project measures the status of rule of law, the Public Integrity Institute measures the status of transparency and accountability, and the World Bank's World Happiness Index measures happiness. In addition, many other organizations also evaluate good governance.

A bleak picture of good governance

Even though various organizations make factual assessments, 'good governance' should be sought in the people's experience. Its culmination is like the state of Ram Rajya, where all the people are happy and content. The existence of good governance in the kingdom of the Bajji caste is mentioned in the 'Ashtakatha' of Buddha. They say that all the people there participate in making state policies and practice direct democracy. There is no 'good governance' in Nepal.

This is proven by facts and the people's experience. However, those who hold the reins of power spread the illusion that they have given Ram Rajya. If there is good governance, there is no need to be deceived. The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, 'A swan does not need to be bathed to become white, and a crow remains black even if it is not painted black.' 

The World Bank has shown Nepal's good governance as weak in all six indicators in the 'World Governance Index, 2023' published annually. Nepal's score is negative in all six of its indicators. This bank shows the status of good governance as positive and negative. Transparency International's 2024 report showed Nepal's score in the 'CPI', which measures corruption, as 34th and 107th.

Those with a score of less than 50 are placed on the list of corrupt countries. Nepal is ranked 68th in the World Hunger Report, 2024, 146th in the Human Development Report, 2024, 109th in the Global Innovation Index, 2024, 92nd in the World Happiness Report, and 69th in the World Justice Project report, 2024.

Among these, Nepal's position in the World Happiness Report and the World Justice Project report is better among the SAARC countries. The 2025 report of the World Economy organization seems to have placed Nepal's good governance status (governance rating) in the 'C' category with 45 points. It categorizes the state of good governance in 5 categories from 'A' to 'E'. Overall, the state of good governance is precarious, which has become a matter of concern for all Nepalis.

What can be done to promote good governance?

The perception of the Nepali people seems to be much more negative than the factual basis provided by various reports. If those in power betray the hopes of the people, their silent revolution of disappointment can explode like a fire of chaff, which can destroy not only the government but also the political system. The 'Gen-G' movement of some time ago was such an explosion. The heat of that movement has now led Nepalis to new general elections. If this too fails to give a ray of hope to the people, it will invite an even bigger movement. 

Currently, new and old parties are in the process of preparing their manifestos. The manifestos of political parties are such documents in which parties try to gain trust by expressing promises, pledges and commitments for policy reforms. To restore the lost trust of the people, they try to give a 'symbol of trustworthiness'. However, due to the fiercely competitive electoral system, parties have been giving slogans that seem impossible, which increases the aspirations of the people.

Voters want to see promises fulfilled, but as Gerry Strokker said, ‘Politicians make dirty deals that disappoint rather than fulfill the aspirations of the people.’ That is why there is no point in writing long manifestos by parties. Simple and very concise promises are enough. It is enough to provide a practical framework for ending the widespread misrule in the country and providing ‘good governance’. 

If good governance can be promoted, other things will start fulfilling themselves as its by-products. Therefore, the essence of the manifesto should be ‘good governance’. Without making big theoretical statements, how can the people get public services without suffering and harassment? How can justice and equality be guaranteed? How can the behavior and style of public officials be transparent and accountable to the people? How can corruption be strictly controlled? There should be a credible commitment from the parties on such matters. 

First of all, promise to free the institutions that test good governance from politics. The judiciary and constitutional bodies are supposed to check, balance, and self-regulate the government. How will arrangements be made to make these bodies autonomous, including their appointment process and administrative and functional independence? Explain that.

It is seen that it is necessary to expand the jurisdiction of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority by amending the law on corruption control. In the last parliament, it was seen that the top leaders of the party blocked the provision that the Authority could investigate decisions of the Council of Ministers other than policy-related ones. It is not that there are no good governance laws, regulations, and other policy-related provisions; if only these were implemented, a lot of improvement could have been achieved. Promise to strictly implement these policy provisions. 

The Good Governance Act seems to be state-centric. It should be amended to include representation from civil society and the private sector and necessary provisions for federal good governance should be added. The Good Governance Act and Regulations provide for a monitoring committee chaired by the Chief Secretary and a steering committee chaired by the Prime Minister. In addition, a 'Good Governance Commission' has been formed under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. In this way, the structural arrangements are sufficient and the laws also seem to be sufficient. The main problem is implementation. 

सुशासन आयोगमा विज्ञहरू राख्ने व्यवस्था हुनुपर्छ । हरेक मन्त्रालयमा सुशासन एकाइ गठन गर्ने ऐनको व्यवस्था अनिवार्य लागू गरिनुपर्छ । सरकारी सेवामा देखिएको ढिलासुस्ती, सेवाग्राहीको राजनीति, भ्रष्टाचार रोक्न व्यावहारिक नीति लागू गर्ने समयतालिकासहितको कार्ययोजना दिइयो भने त्यो विश्वसनीय हुन सक्छ । ‘जनताद्वारा जनताका लागि सेवा’ को अवधारणा समावेश गरेको राम्रो हुन्छ ।

यसमा अग्रपंक्तिमा सेवा दिने कार्यालयहरूको संरचनामा र प्रक्रियामा सेवाग्राही नागरिकको प्रतिनिधित्व गराउन सके नागरिकप्रति सरकारी कर्मचारी उत्तरदायी हुँदै जान्छन् । नागरिक परामर्श समिति, नागरिक कचहरी, नागरिक सिनेट आदि नाममा संस्था गठन गरेर कार्यालयको संरचनामा राखियो भने सेवाको ढाँचा निर्धारणदेखि वितरण (डिजाइन एन्ड डेलिभरी) मा नागरिकको स्वामित्व स्थापित हुन्छ । 

सरकारी सेवालाई ‘डिजिटाइज्ड’ गर्ने अभियान नै चलाउने प्रतिबद्धता आउन जरुरी छ । पूर्वी युरोपको सानो देश इस्टोनियाले ९५ प्रतिशत सेवा ‘अनलाइन’ गरेकोबाट सिक्न सकिन्छ । बेलायतले लागू गरेको ‘लोकल एरिया पार्टनरसिप’ जस्तै स्थानीय तहमा स्थानीय बासिन्दा, जनप्रतिनिधि र सेवा प्रदायकको ‘स्टेरिङ समूह’ बनाएर सेवा वितरण र अनुगमनको जिम्मा दिन सकिन्छ । त्यस्तै कुनै पनि नीतिगत निर्णय हुनुअघि वास्तविक सरोकारवालासँग अर्थपूर्ण परामर्श गर्न ‘नीति परामर्श समिति’ को व्यवस्था गर्न आवश्यक छ ।

सुशासनका सबै सूचकमा सुधार ल्याउन सके मात्रै समग्र सुशासनको अनुभूति गर्न पाइन्छ । सरकारले आफू पारदर्शी र उत्तरदायी भएको सावित गर्न ‘खुला सरकार (ओपन गभर्नमेन्ट)’ को अवधारणाअनुरूप काम गर्ने र प्रक्रियाको पारदर्शिताको ग्यारेन्टी गर्नुपर्छ । भ्रष्टाचार नियन्त्रण गर्न कानुन मात्रै कडा भएर पुग्दैन– शिक्षा र सचेतना, निरोधात्मक व्यवस्था र सजाय– तीनै रणनीति एकसाथ लागू हुनुपर्छ । हङकङ बेलायतको प्रशासनमा रहँदा म्याक्लेहोस गभर्नर भएपछि यी तीनमुखे रणनीति लागू गरेर करिब भ्रष्टाचार मुक्त बनाउन सफल भएको उदाहरण छ । 

सुशासनको केन्द्रीय पात्र कर्मचारीतन्त्रमा सुधार ल्याउन कर्मचारीहरूको मनोबल उठाउने, योग्यताका आधारमा नियुक्ति, सरुवा र बढुवा हुने तथा ढिलासुस्ती, अनियमितता गर्नेलाई कडा दण्डको व्यवस्था हुनुपर्छ । समग्र प्रशासनमा सुधार गर्न ‘उच्चस्तरीय प्रशासन सुधार आयोग’ गठन गर्ने प्रतिबद्धता आउनुपर्छ । नियमनकारी निकायहरूलाई राजनीतिक हस्तक्षेप नहुने ग्यारेन्टी दिइनुपर्छ ।

जनप्रतिनिधिहरूको उत्तरदायित्वको अन्तिम परीक्षण निर्वाचनमा गरिने भए पनि उनीहरूलाई उत्तरदायी बनाउन जनताले आवाज राख्न पाउने मञ्चहरू दिन जरुरी छ । जनतासँग प्रधानमन्त्री, जनतासँग संवाद, जनताको बोली जस्ता मञ्चहरू अबको लोकतन्त्रमा उपयोगी हुन्छन् ।

कर्मचारीलाई महिनामा एकपटक सार्वजनिक सुनुवाइ गर्नैपर्ने र कार्यालय प्रमुखले दिनको आधा घण्टा सेवाग्राहीको गुनासा सुनुवाइ गर्ने व्यवस्था गरियो भने सार्वजनिक सेवा वितरणमा अकल्पनीय सुधार आउन सक्छ । भ्रष्टाचार दुरुत्साहन गर्ने आर्थिक, सामाजिक, सांस्कृतिक मूल्यहरू र मानवीय प्रेरक तत्त्व– व्यक्तिगत स्वार्थ, लोभ जस्ता कुराहरूमा सुधार ल्याउन समय लाग्छ । यसमा क्रमिक सुधार ल्याउन शैक्षिक संस्था र प्रशिक्षण–पाठ्यक्रममा नैतिक शिक्षा राख्नुपर्छ ।

निबन्ध होइन घोषणापत्र

दलहरूका घोषणापत्र जनतालाई सपना बाँड्ने झूटको पुलिन्दा बन्दै गएको विगतको अनुभव छ । अहिले जनताको चेत धेरै माथि उठिसकेको स्थिति छ । त्यसैले यसलाई विश्वसनीय बनाउन गरिएका वाचाहरूको कार्यान्वयन गर्ने समयतालिकासहितको घोषणापत्र आएको राम्रो हुन्छ । यसमा सिंगापुरका ली क्वान यूको उदाहरणबाट धेरै सिक्न सकिन्छ ।

उनले आफ्नो आत्मकथा ‘फ्रम थर्ड वर्ल्ड टू फस्ट वर्ल्ड’ मा भनेका छन्, ‘सन् १९५९ को जुनमा पद तथा गोपनीयताको शपथ समारोहमा हामीले निजी तथा सार्वजनिक जीवनमा स्वच्छता र इमान्दारिताको प्रतीकस्वरूप सेतो सर्ट र सेतो पाइजामा लगायौं । जनताले हामीबाट गरेको अपेक्षा पनि यही थियो । त्यो अपेक्षा पूरा गर्न हामी प्रतिबद्ध थियौं ।’ उनीहरूको त्यो प्रदर्शन कुनै नाटक थिएन र व्यवहारमा उतारेर नै देखाए । अहिले सिंगापुर एसियाको सबभन्दा कम भ्रष्ट र विश्वकै तेस्रो भ्रष्टाचार नहुने देशमा स्थापित भएको छ । 

हाम्रा राजनीतिक दलहरूले कम वाचा गरुन् र त्यसलाई पूरा गरुन् । अनि मात्रै राजनीतिप्रति जनताको विश्वास आर्जन हुन्छ । लम्बाचौडा र बौद्धिकता छाँट्ने दस्ताबेज चाहिएको छैन । जनतामा जाने एक रुपैयाँ बिनाचुहावट एक रुपैयाँ नै जनताले पाउँछन् भन्ने बचनबद्धता दिए मात्रै पुग्छ । सचेत नागरिकले पनि घोषणापत्रको व्यावहारिक कार्यान्वयनको खाका हेरेर कसलाई मत दिने हो निर्णय गर्नुपर्छ ।