Nepal, March 1 -- As the March 5 ballot nears, news surrounding major political parties' election agendas-or a lack thereof-has hogged the headlines. One after the other, parties have come out with their election manifesto. The major traditional parties possess well-established operational histories, but also suffer the ignominy of a series of false promises. The new ones are making tall promises. Confused voters find it hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, although this election cycle has proved that there has been a marked increase in voters' ability to see it for what it is. Deep down, they would much prefer if politicians would stop selling pie-in-the-sky optimism and stay grounded in the reality of what is possible.

It is easy...