Nepal’s political arena heated up Thursday as three leading parties—Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), and Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP)—launched their election manifestos ahead of the March 5 polls. A unifying pledge: nurturing peaceful, balanced diplomacy with neighbors India and China.
NC, drawing from its governance legacy, reiterated non-alignment in conflicts or power games. Friendships with all countries, especially neighbors, will rest on parity, respect, and economic reciprocity, safeguarding Nepal’s core interests above all.
UML reinforced its hallmark policy of universal friendship sans foes. Commitments include fortifying neighborly bonds and widening international ties, with zero tolerance for actions harming adjacent nations’ concerns.
RSP, the wildcard with Balen Shah as PM hopeful, unveiled an ambitious ‘balanced, dynamic diplomacy’ framework. Envisioning Nepal as a ‘vibrant bridge’ over its buffer status, the party eyes trilateral economic pacts and connectivity boosts with India and China.
In a candid assessment, RSP notes the duo’s strategic footprints in Nepal against a backdrop of global shifts. Nepal must wield flexible diplomacy to profit from geopolitical changes and neighbors’ economic booms. India’s strides in digital ecosystems, quality builds, formalization drives, and industrial-service harmony serve as models.
China’s concessional loans for elite infrastructure, planned development, and competitive provincialism provide further inspiration. With diplomacy taking center stage in the electoral battle, parties outline paths to harness neighborhood opportunities.
The manifestos reveal strategic continuity from NC and UML, spiced with RSP’s forward-looking tweaks. As Nepal approaches voting day, how it positions itself regionally could redefine its future trajectory amid intensifying Indo-China dynamics.