KATHMANDU, Nov 1: Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Kumar Thapa has criticised the government’s working style, saying it cannot ensure good governance by interfering with democracy, press freedom and citizens’ fundamental rights.
Addressing the party’s ‘Opposition Monitoring Programme’, Thapa said recent government decisions and incidents across the country had raised serious questions about the way the government operates. He made it clear that the Nepali Congress would not accept any action that goes against democratic values and principles.
Thapa said the opposition has a responsibility to hold the government accountable and protect the fundamental principles of the democratic system. He said the Nepali Congress would play a strong opposition role to fulfil that responsibility.
“Recent government decisions and incidents in the country have raised serious questions. If the government crosses the line on democracy, citizens’ fundamental rights and press freedom, the Nepali Congress will not remain silent. We will play a strong opposition role to hold the government accountable and protect democratic values and principles,” Thapa said.
Journalist arrests require results, not statements
Thapa said the incident in which police entered a media house and arrested journalists must be treated seriously. He remarked that deploying police to a media organisation to arrest journalists reminded him of the interventions against media outlets during the royal regime.
According to Thapa, the deployment of police to media offices and the arrest of journalists have raised serious questions about press freedom and democratic practices. He said differing statements issued by the police and remarks released by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat had created further confusion.
UN Working Group condemns Bhutan for arbitrary detention and HR...
Thapa said the government should not close the matter by issuing a general statement and demanded that it make the facts public. He called for an impartial investigation to establish who ordered the arrests, under which law police carried them out and who should be held responsible.
“We want results, not statements,” he said. “We want answers and results that establish why it happened, who did it, how the law was used and who is responsible.”
He stressed that issuing an official statement about the incident would not be enough. The government must demonstrate accountability by identifying those responsible and taking necessary action against them.
Personal wishes of government officials cannot become the law
Thapa said the law must guide the government’s authority, warning that placing the personal wishes and orders of those in power above the law poses a danger to democracy.
He said state institutions do not exist to carry out the private orders of individuals or government officials. Under the rule of law, all state bodies must operate in accordance with the Constitution and existing laws. He said the arbitrary exercise of power was unacceptable.
“The government’s authority must be guided by the law. The idea that the wishes of people in government constitute the law cannot be accepted in a democracy. State institutions are not organisations that exist to follow anyone’s private orders,” he said.
Thapa said the government must respect legal procedures, institutional standards and citizens’ rights in all its activities.
Ruling party cannot claim credit for good work and avoid responsibility for wrong decisions
Thapa also questioned the role of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). He said no political party could claim credit for the government’s achievements while avoiding responsibility for its controversial or wrongful actions.
He said the party leading the government must accept political responsibility for its decisions and activities. It cannot associate itself with government actions only when they serve its interests, he added.
“No political party has the right to claim credit for the government’s good work while avoiding responsibility for its wrong actions. The party leading the government must take political responsibility for all of its activities,” Thapa said.
He made it clear that the ruling party must remain politically accountable for both the government’s successes and failures.
Questions raised over arrests of government employees
Thapa also questioned the incident in which police reportedly arrested government employees from their workplaces and took them to the Prime Minister’s Office.
He said authorities must investigate and take action against employees who commit wrongdoings in accordance with existing laws and established institutional procedures. Deploying police to arrest civil servants while bypassing the procedures followed by state institutions and administrative bodies is not appropriate, he said.
Thapa stressed that no one is above the law and that the government must ensure all its actions comply with established rules and procedures.
Reiterating the Nepali Congress’s opposition to what he described as arbitrary government practices, Thapa said the party would continue to monitor and challenge the government to protect democracy, press freedom, citizens’ rights and the rule of law.
