By Our Reporter
Nepali Congress president and the leader of the main opposition party Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the Maoist Centre severely criticised the government while addressing the special session of the parliament on Monday.
Addressing the special session of the House of Representatives on Monday, Deuba said that the present government led by KP Sharma Oli had totally failed.
“If we evaluate the period of three years after the formation of the government, the government led by KP Sharma Oli has totally failed, he said.
He also urged Prime Minister Oli to ask himself whether the present situation to seek a vote of confidence has derived because of mathematical ego, political anarchy, ill governance and corruption. “A man can run away from others but not from himself,” he said.
Recalling that Nepali people have achieved a federal democratic republic system based on a pluralistic multiparty competitive system, Deuba asked whether the system achieved through people’s sacrifices is functioning as per the democratic system and the Constitution. He further asked whether the democratic system and Constitution are safe from those who are running the state.
He accused the government of not taking measures to control and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the government ignored the warning of experts that the country would hit by the second wave of COVID-19 even though his party had expressed commitment to cooperate with the government to control the pandemic. He also said the government failed to bring vaccines against COVID-19.
“Now it has been made public that the vaccines were not brought because of the commission. It is a heinous crime and extreme form of immorality and irresponsibility on the part of the government to resort to corruption while purchasing medicines to save people’s lives,” he said.
He said the process to violate the constitution began right from the formation of this government. “The Prime Minister dissolved the House of Representative in an unconstitutional and undemocratic way, which we strongly opposed. The Supreme Court reinstated the House stating the dissolution contradicted the Constitution,” Deuba said.
He said that the Prime Minister did not resign on moral ground after the SC reinstated the House.
Likewise, Dahal also accused Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of dissolving the House of Representatives unconstitutionally.
Addressing the special session, Prachanda asked the PM “Have you had the moral right to seek a vote of confidence from this House?”
He also said that the Prime Minister had no respect for the verdict of the Supreme Court.
Stating that the Prime Minister should have sought a vote of confidence within 30 days after the March 7 verdict, Prachanda said, “Then you were telling us why we have not withdrawn support. We did not withdraw our support fearing that you will again dissolve the House.”
“Your decision to seek vote looks dramatic, calling special session looks like a drama, why did you not seek a vote of confidence from the regular session.”
He also asked Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli as to how he (Prachanda) was a national problem.
He asked, “Who is the national problem, you or me? Am I a national problem for proposing you for the post of Prime Minister?” he asked.
A few weeks ago, there were media reports that the Prime Minister called Prachanda ‘ a national problem’. Dahal also accused the Prime Minister of becoming egoistic after becoming the Prime Minister and said, “You are a big orator, but you say one thing and do the other.”
Drama in the UML, less chance of alternative government
The Nepal and Khanal-led faction of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal United Marxist and Leninist (CPN-UML) did not resign on Monday as they were claiming earlier.
Had they resigned en masse, a new alternative government could have been formed. As ousting Oli from the government has been their only goal, it was widely expected that at least 20 lawmakers of the group could resign before the voting began in the House. Although they did not attend the Special Session of the House, it is not known what prevented them from resigning or what assurances they got from Oli.
Earlier, the faction and the Nepali Congress and Maoist Centre had agreed to work together to oust Oli. Accordingly, they have their separate common candidate for the National Assembly election and had agreed to create a situation in which an alternative government of NC, Maoist-Centre and the Upendra-Baburam faction of the Janata Party –Nepal could be formed.
But when the UML leaders of the faction in a dramatic development did not resign, not only the chance of forming a new government has been missed, but also Oli was allowed to have upper hands.
It is not known what led to the last hour drama in the Nepal-led faction of the UML.
Again, constitutional appointment through ordinance!
The Constitutional Council (CC) has recommended names of the office bearers to be appointed in the vacant posts of various constitutional bodies.
A meeting of the CC chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday recommended the names of the office bearers for the Public Service Commission, the Election Commission and other constitutional bodies.
Earlier, President Bidya Devi Bhandari had issued an ordinance to amend the provision of the Constitutional Council for the appointments in the constitutional bodies. As PM Oli tend to avoid the parliament, he has been resorting to one ordinance after another to appoint his men in key posts.
The meeting recommended Madhav Prasad Regmi (Jhapa) in the vacant post of chairman of the Public Service Commission and Madhav Belbase and Bir Bahadur Rai as its members.
Similarly, Dr. Hari Poudel and Dr. Sumitra Shrestha were recommended in the vacant posts of the commissioners in the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
Likewise, Sagun Shumsher J.B.R has been recommended for the commissioner in the Election Commission. Bipin Raj Niraula and Sudha Kumar Jha have been recommended as members of the Natural Resources and Finance Commission.
Jaya Ghimire and Sabitra Kumari Sharma Tiwari were recommended for members of the National Women Commission. Sundar Purkuti has been recommended for a member of the National Dalit Commission, Dr. Ram Krishna Timalsina as the chairman of the National Inclusive Commission and Pushparaj Timilsina and Man Prasad Khatri as its members.
Similarly, Surya Bahadur Gurung has been recommended as a member of the National Indigenous Nationalities Commission, Abha Kumar as a member of the Madhesi Commission, Dr. Uma Shanker Chaudhary as a member of the Tharu Commission and Mohammad Samsul Haque (Sarlahi) as a member in the Muslim Commission.
JSP performs double standards
As speculated, the Mahanha-led faction of the Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal has again exhibited its double standards. The faction that took to the streets against the dissolution of the House of Representatives, however, chose to stay neutral in the voting in the House of Representatives to support Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. It also made it clear that it would not support forming a new government.
When 15 lawmakers close to Mahantha and Rajendra Mahato stayed neutral, others voted against Oli.
Chief of India’s main international intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Samanta Goel, who visited Nepal in October last year and prompted Oli to dissolve the House, is believed to have brought Oli and Mahantha, the foes of the past, together.
Now it is believed that Oli and Mahantha have reached an agreement that the latter would not support the formation of an alternative government so that Oli could become a minority government again. The faction that stayed neutral has already made it clear that they would not support Deuba’s move to form an alternative government.
When Mahantha-led faction remains neutral, no new government could be formed, and Oli had decided to seek the vote of confidence under the same design.
Obviously, Oli who violated not only the Constitution but also democratic values and practices during his three years’ rule wants to end the present system in the Indian design, and it is not unnatural to see the growing friendship between Oli and Mahantha, who is widely believed to be working in the instruction of New Delhi. Or Mahantha and Mahato act as per the instruction of India.
As a result, it seems India was protecting the ‘nationalist’ government of Oli, and again it wants to have the same ‘patriotic’ man to lead a minority government.
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