Kathmandu — Civil society leaders have raised serious concerns, saying the coalition government led by Balendra Shah and backed by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is showing signs of authoritarian rule and undermining democratic values and civil liberties.
In a joint public appeal signed by 28 prominent figures, they have called for an immediate halt to what they describe as “authoritarian practices” by the government.
The signatories argue that recent actions—including forced eviction of squatter settlements, governance through ordinances bypassing Parliament, and reported moves to restrict unions and organisations—reflect a shift away from democratic norms. They pointed out that during the eviction drive, two people reportedly died by suicide and that vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, postnatal mothers and children, faced serious human rights violations. They stressed that proper resettlement and housing guarantees must be ensured before any displacement.
The appeal states that deploying security forces overnight against unarmed citizens without giving them time to relocate, and restricting journalists from reporting on the ground, amounts to an extreme form of authoritarian conduct.
The civil society group also criticised the government’s decision to suspend parliamentary proceedings and rely heavily on ordinances even after calling for a session, arguing that such actions weaken parliamentary democracy and constitutional governance.
They further expressed concern over reported attempts to restrict student unions and trade unions based on political affiliation, saying this directly violates Article 17 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to association. They also accused the government of attempting to control universities through ordinances and increasing interference in the judiciary under the pretext of ending politicisation.
The statement, signed by Nilambar Acharya, Khagendra Sangraula, Kanak Mani Dixit, Sushil Pyakurel, Narayan Wagle and others, urged the government to respect federalism and avoid centralising power. It also said the current administration is deviating from its election commitments and a 100-point reform agenda.
Civil society leaders have called on the government to return to democratic practices and ensure that governance remains within constitutional limits.
People’s News Monitoring Service
Login to add a comment