Nepal, July 27 -- It was a pedestrian morning. A few people were sitting in front of a tea shop in Pipara Bazaar, Rautahat. A newspaper was open, hands still clutching mobile phones, and a conversation about politics was raging on. The talk included the government, elections, development and a question about one absent person-"Where is our MP?"

This question was not merely about the absence of any one Member of Parliament. In a democracy, electing a representative is more than a political process. It is the beginning of a relationship between the citizen and power. Voters do not cast their vote and then simply sit at home. They expect their representative to carry their voice to Parliament, listen to their questions and demand answers fr...