By Our Reporter
In the three-day Central Working Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress that concluded on Saturday, most leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the government as well as ministers from the Nepali Congress (NC).
The meeting also grilled the ministers inducted from the NC.
It was reported that Health Minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet and Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat received more criticism than other ministers in the meeting.
Youth leaders like Pradeep Paudel and general secretary duo Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma emerged as the biggest critics of the party leadership as well as the government. However, the party did not reveal officially the statements of the leaders who criticised the ministers and the government as a whole. However, while reviewing the performance of the government in a year and NC ministers in over eight months, the leaders blasted the poor performance of the government and NC ministers.
Nine Ministers from NC led by Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka are in the present government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal. They include Khadka as Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Defense Minister, and Vice President Dhan Raj Gurung as Minister for Law. Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Party spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat as Finance Minister.
Foreign Minister NP Saud, Health Minister Mohan Basnet, Industry Minister Ramesh Rijal, Urban Development Minister Sita Gurung, Youth and Sports Minister Dig Bahadur Limbu, and Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Surendra Raj Acharya are from the NC.
The central members complained that the NC ministers could not work in a result-oriented manner and meet the people’s expectations. They also expressed unhappiness with the NC ministers for lack of coordination with the party.
The NC ministers provided oral and written briefings about their respective works but could not convince the NC central members with their excuse that they could not work as they wished as it is a coalition government, and the resources and means were limited.
Many central members also demanded a change of NC ministers in the government but the meeting did not take any decision in that regard as NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba was not ready for that fearing that changing ministers could prevent him from becoming the PM.
Central member Pradip Paudel accused party president Deuba of not criticizing the government due to fears that he would not get support to become PM as part of the deal in the ruling coalition to take turns as PM. “We’ll face difficulties in the next election if we don’t change the working style of the government and ministers,” Paudel was quoted as saying.
General Secretary Gagan Thapa also expressed disappointment with the performance of the government and added that the NC ministers should be able to give a list of their eight achievements in the eight months. “Let us set targets about the works we will do in the government. And change the ministers if they fail to meet the targets,” he stated.
He also lashed out at some ministers who complained that the party could not publicise the good works of the government pointing out that not just the party but every citizen would laud the good works of the government.
DPM Khadka claimed that the government was doing alright. “The narrative saying nothing has been done is wrong. The ministers are doing alright. They have not been mired in any scam,” he stated.
Deuba does not want to change the ministers now despite PM Dahal hinting that he was going to reshuffle the cabinet.
It was said that Deuba may have suspected that the PM was asking for new ministers every year as part of the strategy to not leave the post of PM.
Likewise, the meeting decided on the candidates for the National Assembly election based on the standards of maintaining geographical, ethnic and regional balance and the candidates should possess the capacity to contribute to the parliamentary front, and a clean image.
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