Local Level people's participation and Inclusive Democracy

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Local level politics is where the people can become directly involved. The
success of democracy depends on citizens experiencing that their engagement
can make difference and improve their stored and of life. Today, democracy
enjoys an almost unchallenged global position which is hardly matched by any
other world view. More people than ever before are governed by elected
reprehensive. Nevertheless democracy and efforts to build democracy still face
challenges. The perception that democracy has failed to improve people's life
is prominent in this regard. In some parts of world this perception seems to
lead to declining support for democracy. Democrat constitutions such as
legislatures, executive branches and political parties are scan as in effective in
representing and full filling the atizenry's demand for economic and social
progress. Evers in countries or regions where democracy was believed to have
deep roots, popular discontent with lack of economic and social development
had led to the emergence of populist and extremist politics.

The quality of governance is best assessed at local level where more

power obviously resides with national governments; Local bodies are directly
exposed to the people's attention. This is where concerns and protests are to
be felt first and where citizens are likely to become personally involved in
politics. Such involvement is being considered vital for democracy to succeed.

In this context local governments are important as they represent the

tier of governance to which citizens turn to meet their immediate needs. The
incomplete nature of many democratic translations in recent years combined
with the concern that dinogralie systems are not delivering Socio-economic
development efficiently and quickly has led to a renewed sense of Urgency.

Democracy is sustained by meaningful local elections through which

people can appraise the performance of their representatives. Direct
citiznmaintaining a high quality democratic political system local participation
is the cornerstone of all modern notions of citizenship. This is the level where
institutions and decision making procedure allow for an immediate sense of
personal involvement. This is where the voices of ordinary individuals can be
heard most easily. Doing so is essential because democracy is about more than
elections it involves meaning full dialogue, debate and discussion when trying
to solve problems. Such deliberation takes more than not only listening to
citizens complaints but it also involves a give and take discourse among all
interest groups concerned.

Such participation allows understanding the complexity of community

affairs. Informed and educated citizens make democracy-discussion making by
people possible and effective participation deses the gap between the political
ehte and member of community. If is not enough if only technoburo crates
understand the complexities of social life.

It has been said that too much emphasis today is placed on representative than
direct democracy and that adversial modes of discision making have
suspreseded more co-operative approaches. Indeed election compaigns and
vocal differences between political plate frarms can creatie a distance
between citizens and public officials. There phenomena can also give rise to
tension among different social groups. AS a consequence aranage citizen may
become aplthetie and withdraw from political life.

Many experts of governmentce argue that the legitimacy of local

government mustfutions is in delene and tat there is widespread skeptilization
concerning tha ability of local political parties to represent and to ordinate
diverging interests one indicative of citizens withdrawal from political life is
low voter turnout of has been sun that there was overall participation in
competitive elections across the globe rose steadily befweer 1945 to 1990. But
after 1990 onward with the influx of a host of competitive election in nearly
democratizing states the average for elections held has dipped back to 64
percent. Inclusion and participation are essential for building the trust and
accountability needed for citizen confidence in the quality of local democracy.

Local democracy thus facilitates political education in general by

allowing for immediate interaction and personal involvement. Ultimately,
Informed and educated citizens is the babe of democracy in the sense of
decision making by people. This has been clearly demonstrated by last people's
movement in Nepal. Had not been so, much talked about, meaningful
democracy of 21st century democracy of royal regime could not have collapsed
so easily. Today union is on Creases road of must institutelizing the inclusive
democracy for the governmence of county. Let us hope good sense of vision will
prevail in our leadership at least in this time.