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Democracy is a difficult task
One
thing is the vision; another thing is the practicalities of democracy.
Women Welfare Association have had their first election to the
board
By Malene Lærke, Communication Advisor Community Radio Madan
Pokhara
It is
the annual meeting at Women Welfare Association, WWA, in Tansen,
Palpa district. The more than a 100 women in the hall at Red Cross
are excited. After having listened to long speeches for one and a
half day it is time for what they came for namely the first
election to the board of WWA in the twelve years the organisation
has existed. This is for many of the young women their first
experience with democracy and how it is practised through an
election.
The
decision to start having an election for the board was taken
because WWA is a membership based organisation. The present
leadership has also realised that the organisation needs to build
up second generation leadership to continue developing WWA. Before
that the practise was that the board members got up on the stage
and declared they would continue the work in the board and the
audience did not speak against it.
“In
the beginning the board members were very reluctant to let this
election happen. They spoke strongly against it. They were afraid
of not being elected again because it gives status in the
community to be a member of the board but after many meetings they
began to realise that an election would be a good idea and that
other people should get the opportunity. This is a member based
organisation and to be that in reality the board members have to
be democratically elected,” says programme coordinator in WWA,
Yubaraj Basyal.
Democracy is a process
In all
there are 15 seats on the board. The 18 candidates are fighting
for seven seats. According to the constitution 6 candidates have
already been elected from within the previous board and another 2
seats are reserved for Delis and ethnic groups.
All 32
women groups under WWA have had visits by staff and have been
taught about democracy. The members were told that this was an
opportunity for them to elect who should make the policy of WWA.
In all there are 822 members of WWA. The 32 groups were asked to
select three people who should represent the group at the annual
meeting. Among the three chosen members one was elected to run for
the board.
“We
have made a great deal out of explaining the process. Many
illiterate people on the grass root level do not know what
democracy is and what it means and what it implies,” says Yubaraj
Basyal who has been involved in the practical matters of the
election.
“Before the election we formed an election committee with
representatives from the different bodies of WWA and included a
participant from Nepal Lawyers Association in case any legal
issues should arise,” explains Yubaraj Basyal.
Back
in the hall the candidates present themselves on stage stating
their name. The old board members confidently walk up on the stage
- one even sings a song - and they begin to make speeches. The new
candidates on the other hand are shy; some of them stop in the
middle of a sentence and quickly sit down. People are laughing and
clapping.
Initially the candidates were not supposed to get on stage. WWA
had deliberately decided that the candidates should not make long
speeches. Instead all were encouraged to write down their
statements and put them up on the walls.
“If we
gave the chance to give a speech on the stage the new candidates
would not have a chance. The old board members have grown
confident through the training they have received through WWA and
they have a strong voice which the new candidates cannot match.
Basically, we wanted to give equal opportunity to all,” states
Yubaraj Basyal.
A very
difficult process
Back
in the hall everything is chaos. Five minutes before the election
is set to begin it is discovered that one of the candidates on the
ballot is in Kathmandu. Those not present cannot run for election,
thus an employee from WWA have to rush to the office to make 100
new copies. It is discovered that a box for the voting papers have
to be made and the election committee quickly begins to assemble
one from an old carbon box while a new problem is arising: a room
for voting to secure privacy has to be found. It is not possible
to find a room, but a table is put in a stairwell on the rooftop.
The women gather on the rooftop, they sit in small groups and
discuss and programme coordinator Yubaraj Basyal adds a cross on
his list every time one of the women has cast a vote.
The
women see it as a privilege to get the chance to cast their vote.
- This
is so good, says Narayami Khumal. – We don’t know what an election
is but now we can experience it first hand. This is very important
for me because I want good leadership in the organisation. We have
no education and no development but this gives me a voice to I can
be heard, she says.
-
Before we did not know the rights of women but now we know and we
are also taught the systems within an organisation, adds Manju
Suraj.
Each
woman has to vote for seven candidates and that takes time. One
more room is needed. Different solutions are discussed and
rejected. Finally two boxes are placed on the table to divide it
in two, so that two women can vote at the same time. That solution
is quickly rejected however; the women in the room keep talking
about who to vote for. A room is found downstairs but rejected
because there is no electricity. DW Sussi Utoft is doing her best
not to throw a fit and while waving about with her arms she
utters: - This should have been arranged yesterday.
The
women are patiently waiting and the WWA employees are sweating. A
minor problem of the pen to mark the ballot paper running out of
ink is quickly solved. The women, after having cast their vote,
want to go back to their group while staff tries to lure them
downstairs for tea and snacks.
“Have
you seen the small pieces of paper they bring with them? Do you
know why they want to go back to their group?” asks Sussi Utoft.
“In
each group they have decided who to vote for but in order to
remember the names they have written them on a note they pass on.”
Another room is found but then the problem with keeping track of
who has voted has to be solved first. The solution is to send the
women downstairs after being registered on the list upstairs. All
women rush downstairs to vote. The initial difficulties are over.
Now it is time to wait patiently for the election to end.
How to
count votes in a democracy
The
boxes with the voting papers are carried into the hall. The women
sit impatiently in the hall when a heated discussion begins. The
group members want the votes to be counted in public by the board
members. Some of the candidates are afraid that there will be
fiddled with the votes if they are not counted in public and they
want to observe the process. The arguments fly across the hall,
but the box are finally carried to a separate room after the women
has been ensured that things are done the right way.
“We
simply cannot sit and discuss in public whether a voting paper is
valid or not. It just doesn’t work,” says Sussi Utoft.
While
the votes are being counted the women entertain themselves with
singing and dancing. They sing about the hardship of women’s life
in Nepal while they swirl around the floor.
After
an hour of counting the result is announced. Of the seven seats up
for election three new members is elected and four former board
members are re-elected. The two nominated seats went to a new
member and an old member respectively. Dismay spreads in the
crowd.
“This
was a bad election,” an old woman says while waving her hand in
the air to push the new board away.
“There
should be more new members on the board. This is no good,” she
continues and shakes her head. But the voice of the people has
spoken and in two years she will be a new chance to make her voice
heard and elect new board members.
Asked
about the lessons learned from the election, Yubaraj Basyal takes
his time to think about the answer.
”Generally I think it was a good election and we did the best we
could. We will learn from the mistakes we have made,” he says.
Taking a pause he adds grinningly: “Next time I will make sure
that we have a computer in the hall, so that we can print new
voting papers immediately and avoid having to run back to the
office. It takes too much time.
DW
Sussi Utoft hopes that in particular the staffs have learned a
lesson about the principles of secret voting and vote counting.
“I
also hope the members have experienced what it means to exercise
their rights in a democratic process - that this has given them
confidence and a feeling of ownership. One of the most important
learning, I believe, has happened among the old board members.
They seem to have realised something about being responsible,
legitimate and accountable representatives in an organisation of
822 women,” she concludes.
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