Ganesh KC

On 28th of September, 2022, CIL-Kathmandu, in partnership with Blind Youth Association Nepal (BYAN) conducted a dialog with the stakeholders from diverse sectors to create a favorable milieu for disability-inclusive electoral candidacy and processes, and accessible electoral systems at Hotel Hardik Bagbazar, Kathmandu. The round table discussion was attended by the senior members of different major political forces, disability advocates and campaigners, disability sister wings of political parties, journalists and media personnel, politically active youths with disability and the shortlisted individuals with a disability for the proportionate and direct election in the upcoming provincial and federal election of 20th November. 

 Under the project of ensuring disability electoral candidacy of persons including women, indigenous, madhesis, Tharus, Dalits and other marginalized sections with disabilities, the event was conducted after the lobby and advocacy meetings with major political forces where the memorandum ‘positionpaper’ was submitted to the political leaders seeking their support and approval for including the persons with disabilities as their candidates, and hence leading to their representation in the parliament afterwards. The conference aimed to boost the campaign for inclusion and representation of persons with disability at the decision-making level for which the political leaders were invited to recall and remind their commitments during the visits and publicly repeat their determinations so that they be accountable towards their promises. Meanwhile, the round table meeting also served as a common platform for the attendees/stakeholders to share their experiences, knowledge, learnings and challenges along with plans, policies, and strategies to make the electoral process accessible and representative. A short presentation on the projects of both organizations regarding the election was made by Shudarson Subedi, a disability expert and experienced disability advocate, followed by the presentation of the standpoint of persons with disability and procurement of commitments to contribute and collaborate to the possible extent to include PWDs in electoral processes. The responsible individuals also provided a signed commitment to work for ensuring the representation and access of PWDs in the electoral and political arena.

The dissemination of demands and concerns of PWDs in relation to their access and representation through the approaching election was successfully accomplished through the round table dialog as expressed by one of the attendants. Similarly, the attendants from the media also played a crucial role in publicizing the issues of disability and prioritizing their reach. The participants also shared that the sitting has proved to be a means of pressure in a way that the signed commitments and publicly recorded verbal promises would be the base to remind and advocate if the words won’t be kept at the end.

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On the 25th and 26th of September, training on capacity building and political as well as legislative intervening leadership was provided to the likelier candidates with disabilities. Many of the attendees were shortlisted for proportionate candidacy from their place to the party and the remaining were the regularly active and passionate political and disability advocates. The two-day event was organized with the support of the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives, (CFLI) under the project of ensuring the electoral candidacy of persons including women and other marginalized sectors with disabilities. The two pieces of training were conducted simultaneously for the fifty selected participants attending the orientation, with twenty-five in each program. Both the training was organized in a parallel manner at Hotel Hardik, Bagbazaar, Kathmandu.

The sessions in the training highlighted the art and characteristics of influential leaders, drawing from the stories of prominent leaders, urged the participants to develop the art and skills to raise the issues and voices of disability once they get elected to the parliament, and also reminded the participants to not only be limited within disability sectors but to incorporate the public agendas in the legislature afterward. Similarly, the participants were also educated and alerted on the proper and balanced exercise of power within the democratic practice when the power is obtained. Finally, through the interactive and activity sessions, the review of pre-existing leadership along with analysis of failures and successes of those leaders, the training concluded with the development of short declaration papers from the groups; a manifesto comprising the vision, plans, and strategies of the future leaders. The sessions were led by Shudarson Subedi, a long-experienced leader in the disability movement, disability legal expert and the then president of the National Federation of Disabled Nepal, Mukunda Hari Dahal, a legal expert and experienced advocate for disability rights and inclusion, and Mr. Jagat Nepal, the lecturer of Political science and media person. 

The participants from all over the country provided positive remarks during the feedback session. One of the attendees shared that her perception of the idea of great leaders changed practically,  from the learnings of challenges and struggles of the influential leaders. Similarly, many of the participants appreciated the approach to not limit the possible representatives at the parliament within the territory of disability, and rather urge them to raise their voices and work for the public and their issues and interests as well. Some participants also had their experiences and skills built in developing the declaration paper with proper plans and strategies and expected that the practices would turn out to be effective when they reach the policy-making level in real. In the countries like Nepal, where the practices of misuse or even abuse of authority and political power is found many times, the session on the right utilization of the power in the democratic system would be a lesson to learn for all the potential leaders and people’s representatives as expressed by one of the attendees, who was also shortlisted for the proportionate candidacy.

The sessions were interactive, with the facilitators engaging the participants to share their experiences as leaders or in the mission of becoming leaders, formed different groups to carry out activities to find the specific and effective issues in the decision-making level, also conducted mock sessions to practice the delivery of speeches identifying and effectively expressing the issues of public and of disability sectors. Both of the training concluded on a positive note to empower the potential/future leaders with a disability, especially in the political domain.

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On the 24th of September, CIL-Kathmandu organized two of the remaining meetings of the orientation program among the three. The event was organized simultaneously for 50 participants at Hardik Hotel in two different halls.

As of the event of 6th of September-22, the orientation comprised three sittings where the participants got to learn and get motivated on the importance and role of electoral access and candidacy, as well as political representation in promoting inclusive and accessible developmental process.

The three facilitators Manish Prasai; the disability expert, Shudarson Subedi; the disability rights activist and Kamal Bhattarai; the chief of the gender and inclusion department of Election Commission Nepal, imparted knowledge on existing social and legal provisions, practices and approaches as well as other relevant areas to boost their confidence and motivation to stand as the candidates in both proportionate and directly electing electoral processes.

The interactive sessions were meaningful enough to develop the motivation for the politically interested individuals” as said by  Sunita Thapa, the recommended person for candidacy for the province-level election. Moreover, the participants were also glad regarding the relevance of the activities, since the election is approaching sooner.

The sessions were alternated and conducted for  25 participants each. The beneficiaries, who were the potential candidates, or the politically passionate individuals commented that the issues raised would be useful for their future endeavors to raise their views and voices, once they get uplifted politically.

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On the 26th of September, An interaction was organized with the Joint General Secretary Jivan Pariyar, and the team of Nepali Congress to draw attention to disability integrative electoral access and candidacy for the upcoming federal and provincial elections. The meeting was held at Hotel Hardik, Baghbazaar where Nepali Congress representatives, the disability rights activists and leaders, political associates with disabilities, and youths were present. During the discussion, the president of CIL-Kathmandu handed over the position paper stating the demands of persons with disabilities for their inclusion and representation in the coming election.

The general secretary presented the position paper in the session, followed by the interaction and recommendations from the attending activists. The assistant general secretary showed his concerns and empathy towards one of the marginalized sectors: disability, and repeated his commitment to mainstream and prioritize the persons with disability in the political arena and also to work in promoting the further marginalized groups within the disability movement.

The sitting also proved to be meaningful, as it was utilized to collect recommendations from persons with disabilities for the manifesto framing process by the Nepali Congress. These suggestions and guidance would be included and emphatically considered in the manifesto” as said by MP Kamala Panta. The participants from diverse disability backgrounds and experiences highlighted their specific issues and also the general challenges faced by those with disabilities and urged the party leadership to incorporate those agendas in the manifesto and hence in the implementation process afterward.

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Under the project “Ensuring Disability Inclusive Electoral Candidacy of Women/girls, LGBTQI, Dalit and Ethnic Minors with Disabilities through Capacity Building and Advocacy”, Supported by the Canadian fund for Local Initiatives-CFLI, A team of delegates under the coordination of CIL Kathmandu visited the central office of CPN Maoist Center and held an advocacy meeting with the treasurer regarding the favor for inclusion of persons with disabilities in electoral candidacy on September 13.  Mr. Tek Bahadur Gurung, The President of CIL-Kathmandu, also handed a position paper developed to draw attention and pressure on the access and representation of persons with disabilities at the legislative level.

Regarding the memorandum and the issues raised, the treasurer showed his empathy and willingness to equally prioritize and integrate the persons with disabilities along with other marginalized sections. Reminding the development of proportionate representation after the change in the political landscape, he also repeated the intention of the campaign and force which the Maoist center is emphasizing. In addition, the delegates also requested the party to equally focus on the further marginalized sectors within the disability including the women, indigenous, madhesis, and gender minors with disabilities since their access is yet under priority. Also, the political party was cautioned to properly review the chances of misrepresentations that may occur in the name of disability or other minority sectors.

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