5 E. Assessment (the critical paragraph for long answers)

Parties are indispensable and distrusted — the paradox of modern democracy (E.E. Schattschneider: "modern democracy is unthinkable save in terms of parties"). Nepal's parties brought down autocracy twice (2046, 2062/63), led the peace process and constitution-making — yet suffer chronic deficits: dynastic and centralised leadership, weak internal democracy (despite Art. 269(4)), factionalism, finance opacity, and cadreisation of state institutions. Reform agenda: enforce internal-election and audit norms, democratise candidate selection, regulate party finance publicly, and deepen intra-party inclusion — making parties worthy of the constitutional privileges (PR list control) they enjoy.