Janamat Party Innovates ‘Right to Recall’ Practice: Members Evaluate Representatives through Voting

In a groundbreaking move, the Janamat Party has pioneered an innovative approach to democratic governance by introducing a process akin to the “Right to Recall” for its local-level people’s representatives. The party has initiated a unique evaluation method, urging its members enlisted on the local voters’ list to cast their votes utilizing the party’s ID card to assess their elected representatives’ performance.

This transformative undertaking is spearheaded by the Janamat Party, aiming to enhance accountability and transparency within its ranks. Dr. Sharad Singh Yadav, the party’s spokesperson, elucidated that the voting mechanism serves as an internal “Right to Recall” practice. This process entails scrutinizing various aspects, including the level of accomplishments attained subsequent to the election of party leaders at the local level, the satisfaction of citizens with their representatives’ work, and their conduct.

Dr. Yadav elucidated, “Through this method, the activities undertaken by our party’s people’s representatives will be subject to voting. The citizens’ preferences will determine their favored representatives.” Despite the absence of a constitutional provision for the “Right to Recall” in Nepal’s legal framework, the Janamat Party has embraced this unique evaluative approach to foster democratic engagement and accountability.

The distinctive system introduced by the Janamat Party underpins its commitment to participatory democracy and member empowerment. Those receiving subpar evaluations in the voting process will be accorded an opportunity for improvement; however, expulsion from the party remains a potential outcome if progress is not achieved, as highlighted by Yadav.

Emphasizing the pioneering nature of this practice, Dr. Yadav proudly declared that the Janamat Party is the first political entity in Nepal to implement such a system. The voting initiative is open to all active party members who joined the organization until May 13.

In the context of the local-level election, a notable total of 97 people’s representatives were successfully elected under the Janamat Party banner. As this groundbreaking evaluation process unfolds, the Janamat Party’s innovative approach may potentially set a precedent for increased accountability and citizen engagement within Nepal’s political landscape.