The most important and most interesting word for the state, people and political parties is democracy. Its past, present and future are discussed globally. Democracy itself is a comprehensive, multifaceted and continuous system. Hardly any state can remain outside the democratic system and culture. Some states may have dormant democracy, while others have advanced democracy. Even in countries with powerful democratic governance systems in the world, its institutional weaknesses, political polarization, development, changes, challenges and positive and negative effects of information technology and social media have given rise to serious debate on democracy in the world political scenario.

A study of the global development, practice and status of democracy does not show a very satisfactory picture. Democracy is being established as a strong system for developed and large nations. Democracy is still in a struggling stage for small and poor countries in the third world. The situation of democracy in South Asia in particular is not only mixed, but is gradually becoming challenging. India, considered the world's largest democracy with a long history, has raised concerns in recent years about freedom of expression, influence over the media, and the rights of minority communities. Bangladesh recently held elections. However, the credibility of the elections and the repression of the opposition have been the subject of repeated criticism. Sri Lanka saw political change through a civil society movement after an economic crisis. However, economic instability and the challenge of governance reform remain there.

Similarly, in Pakistan, the balance of power between the military and the elected government is still unstable. Bhutan has a unitary monarchy. Afghanistan currently does not have a democratic system. Overall, democracy in South Asia is 'alive but under pressure'. Elections are being held, governments are changing, but institutional strength, the rule of law, and civil liberties are relatively weak. According to a report published by 'Freedom House', in recent years there have been unexpected crises in democratic practice around the world. David Stasavage's book 'The Decline and Rise of Democracy' reveals the fact that the biggest threat to democracy lies within the forces within the country itself. This is also a serious warning for modern democracy.

Nepal's democratic rhythm

Nepal is also on the path of struggle for democracy. In the context of the future of a landlocked, underdeveloped and growing democratic system like Nepal, the issue of what the democratic culture and practice of its neighboring and friendly countries are has important meaning. The democratic system that Nepal achieved after three decades of political struggle is still not free from questions. Despite achievements such as the constitution, federalism, republicanism and periodic elections, a common curiosity has arisen in the minds of the common citizen - is our democracy on the path of reform? Or is it being pushed towards crisis? How much is democracy working for the country and the people? This topic is of interest.

Constitutionally, Nepal is not a backward country in terms of democratic structure. Sovereignty lies with the people. There is multi-party competition. Freedom of expression is ensured. And, all three levels of government are in operation. However, democracy is not just a structure, it is also behavior and results. Practical democracy is weak. It is natural for trust in democracy to decline as the governance system is not as expected. The real test of democracy is not only in the ability to win elections, but in the changes seen in the lives of the people. Democracy is not just periodic elections. The issue of how much improvement has been made during the periodic period is important. Local, provincial and federal elections in Nepal have been relatively peaceful and technically successful. However, the questions of post-election governance reforms are serious.

Internal democracy of parties

Political parties are the carriers of democracy. How much have political parties transformed to make democracy sophisticated, effective and timely? This issue is important. The structure of political parties from the center to the local level helps to make democracy dynamic. The life of democracy is concentrated in the veins of the organizations of political parties. Which tightly binds society and politics in a dynamic and interconnected manner. The Constitution of Nepal, the laws related to political parties, and the statutes of political parties themselves have made provisions for the assimilation of democracy. To what extent have the parties adopted these legal provisions? This issue is important.

The internal democracy of the main political parties in Nepal is not particularly reform-oriented. Nepal's large and mature democratic party, the Nepali Congress, has changed its leadership and policy after holding its historic second special general convention with great struggle. The CPN-UML held a general convention, but due to prohibition, it could not pass on its leadership and policy to the next generation. The Nepali Communist Party, despite uniting with various parties, did not want to refine its new policy and leadership. The National Independent Party, which calls itself a new and alternative party, also did not prioritize the timing of its general convention. Even though the case related to cooperative fraud and money laundering against the party's leadership was pending in court, there was no debate in the party for a leadership change.

Political parties, the main pillars of democracy, are at the center of criticism today. Internal democracy within the party is weak. The decision-making process is focused on a limited number of people. There is a lack of generational transfer in the leadership of some parties. Democracy cannot be institutionalized when power, factions, and self-interest dominate over policies and ideas. If political parties do not self-examine, they are at increasing risk of being portrayed as the protectors of democracy, not as the cause of the democratic crisis. The reform of democracy is directly linked to the institutional reform of the parties. If political parties themselves only formalize the culture of democracy, but do not actually practice it, the crisis of democracy is certain to deepen.

What kind of accountability and transparency?

The government has said that it will maintain good governance through governance reforms. Another major challenge to democracy is the quality of governance. Corruption, irregularities, slowness, and lack of accountability have weakened the trust of citizens in the state. That is why the Gen-G rebellion took place. Democracy itself has reached a turning point when the state's effective presence in the problems and crises of the people is not seen. Democracy is a system of governance based on the sovereignty of the people. The significance of this system is established only when the governance is transparent. They are accountable to the people for their decisions and actions. However, 2 ministers have had to be dismissed within 26 days of the formation of the government. Such cases seem to pose serious challenges to transparency and accountability.

Although government ministers and people's representatives have made their assets public, the common people are curious about the source of their assets. There is no accountability for that. The culture of administrative secrecy, impunity, political interference, and weak monitoring systems have weakened democratic practices. The recurrence of corruption and irregularities is a result of this. It is also the responsibility of the people to continuously monitor transparency and accountability by electing fearless public representatives. Reforms can only begin with a sense of moral culture and responsibility from political leadership. Democracy is not just a process of winning elections, but also a continuous practice of winning public trust. Only when transparency and accountability are established can public trust be meaningfully won.

The situation in which citizens receive clear and timely information about state policies, plans, budgets, decision-making processes, and implementation status is poor. Those in power have been found to ignore the principle that they should be accountable to the people for the results of their decisions, policies, and actions. In a democracy, responsibility is also mandatory along with authority. After representatives are elected through elections, they cannot become autocratic. They are constantly monitored through parliament, courts, audit bodies, media, and civil society. Accountability is the assurance that if there is a mistake or misuse, there must be questions, investigations and action, which is based on good governance and public interest.

The practice of inclusive democracy

The practice of inclusive democracy in Nepal is the result of a long political struggle and social movement. The Constitution (2072) has accepted the principle of proportional inclusion as a fundamental feature. The Constitution has made clear provisions for the participation of women, Dalits, indigenous peoples, Madhesis, Tharus, Muslims, people with disabilities and citizens from backward areas in the political and state machinery. However, if you look at the faces of the candidates for proportional elections, you can see the representation of prestigious families. In some districts, there are up to 17 people's representatives, in some areas there is no real community representation. Inclusive participation is maintained in the recently formed Council of Ministers. However, there is still no inclusion from the Dalit community. There is only an agenda of apology.

The federal parliament is mixed with an inclusive face. Whether the real community, class, and geography are represented by putting forward the relatives of the leader, wealthy businessmen, artists, and popular faces from athletes? Does this help inclusive democracy or does it further encourage oligarchy? Socio-economic inequality has become another major challenge for inclusive democracy. Inclusive democracy needs to be linked not only to political representation but also to inclusive development and social justice. Democracy can become equal, just, and meaningful for all Nepalis only if inclusiveness is assimilated into values, norms, and consciousness. There is a risk that the practice of inclusive democracy will be limited to numerical representation rather than qualitative representation. This is the subject of the review.

The rise of digital democracy

The rapid development of information and communication technology has given a new dimension to the practice of democracy. Democracy, traditionally limited by social media debates on political issues, is today being connected to the daily participation of citizens through digital means. Where technology has reduced the distance between political consciousness, governance and citizens, making democratic practice more direct, open and participatory. Digital democracy is citizens' access to information and freedom of expression. The internet, social media, online platforms and mobile technology have given citizens the opportunity to respond immediately to policies, decisions and public debates. Citizens can continuously ask questions, make suggestions and create pressure. This has oriented representative democracy towards participatory democracy.

The increase in power monitoring through citizen campaigns and youth activism is a positive sign for democracy. However, when this awareness transforms into despair, exodus and disillusionment with the system, it becomes a threat to democracy. Along with the opportunities of digital democracy, the challenges are also profound. Excessive use of social media, misinformation and disinformation have affected the truth of the content. It seems to be a political trend and strategy to influence the community through confusion, rumors, and vindictive speech to go viral on social media. Political and emotional polarization is increasing intolerance and division in society. Therefore, should technology be made a powerful tool for democracy or a source of confusion and polarization? This issue depends on the discretion of the user.

The influence of populist trends

Democracy is a system of governance based on people's participation. However, in recent times, the influence of populist trends within democracies has been increasing globally. Populism has presented itself as the 'true voice of the people' and has increased the tendency to spread distrust towards established institutions, procedural democracy, and expertise. This trend has posed a serious challenge to the basic values ​​of democracy. Populism has weakened the level of clean political debate. Instead of policies and principles, person-centered politics, emotional speeches, and debates focused on social media have replaced public debate and the culture of consensus.

योगदान, अनुभव र योग्यताको समिश्रण हो– राजनीति । सेलिब्रेटी, पत्रकारिता, कलाकारिताको ग्यालमरको लोकप्रियतावादबाट राजनीतिमा प्रवेश गरेको व्यक्तिले कति संवेदनशील र जिम्मेवार राजनीति गर्न सक्छ ? यो प्रश्न अहिले चौतर्फी उब्जिएको छ । ‘हाउ डेमोक्रेसी डाइ’ पुस्तकका लेखकद्वय स्टेभेन लेभिटस्की र डानियल जिब्लाट साथै ‘दि डेथ अफ डेमोक्रेसी’ पुस्तकका लेखक बेन्जामिक कार्टर हेटले सत्ताकेन्द्रित स्वार्थले लोकतन्त्र निर्वाचित जनप्रतिनिधिहरूबाटै खतरामा रहेको तथ्य उजागर गरेका छन् । लोकतन्त्रको अन्त्य प्रायः एकैचोटि हुने सैन्य ‘कू’ तानाशाही घोषणाबाट होइन, बिस्तारै कानुनी प्रक्रियाकै आवरणभित्र हुन्छ । यस्तो अवस्था आधुनिक लोकतन्त्रहरूका लागि गम्भीर चेतावनी पनि हो ।

निष्कर्षः

लोकतन्त्र पूर्ण उपलब्धि होइन । तर, निरन्तर सुधारको प्रक्रिया हो । नेपालको लोकतन्त्र आज चुनौती र अवसरको संक्रमणकालीन अनि निर्णायक मोडमा उभिएको छ । कुन बाटो अवलम्बन गर्ने भन्ने विषय संविधानले मात्रै होइन, नेतृत्वको नैतिकता, संस्थाको बल र नागरिकका प्रश्नहरूले तय गर्नेछ । अन्ततः लोकतन्त्रको भविष्य ‘संकट’ वा ‘सुधार’ भन्ने द्वन्द्वमा मात्रै सीमित छैन । यो निरन्तर संघर्ष र पुनर्निर्माणको प्रक्रिया हो । लोकतन्त्र बचाउने जिम्मेवारी केवल नेताहरूको होइन, नागरिकहरूको पनि हो । जब जनताले सचेत रूपमा प्रश्न सोध्छन्, जवाफदेहिता माग्छन् र सहभागिता जनाउँछन् तब लोकतन्त्र संकटबाट सुधारतर्फ अघि बढ्न सक्छ ।