Nepal, Jan. 22 -- Yesterday, we praised the space even old parties like the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML had created for younger candidates for the March 5 elections. But side-by-side they have also made a great blunder. Despite the constitutional spirit of inclusion and the Election Commission's 33 percent directive for women's representation, the political parties have once again slammed the door in the faces of women. The candidate lists for the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) elections reveal a disheartening truth: In the eyes of the select few men who run the parties, direct elections largely remain a men-only club.

Out of 3,484 FPTP candidates nationwide, a paltry 395 (or just 11.34 percent) are women. The nomination list of the majo...