.
First of all, how do you evaluate the donor conference?
This Conference took place in the background of a huge catastrophe, the likes of which we had never imagined. Thousands were killed and millions rendered homeless. So there were doubts from certain sections about whether Nepal would be able to rebuild and whether we would be even able to hold this conference. In the initial days, we were not sure whether it could be held in Kathmandu, for safety concerns. Aftershocks were continuing. But we overcame this challenge by assessing the situation objectively.
The huge participation of representatives from neighboring countries and donor community has proved that Nepal has friends. Those who could not come to Nepal for the conference have also stood by us in these difficult times. UN Secretary General pledged to help Nepal from the moment the earthquake struck. So did Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I was away for Bandung Conference then. PM Modi called me and expressed his readiness to help Nepal in every possible way. Chinese and the US presidents also committed to help us.
But there were also concerns about possible misuse of reconstruction funds.
There are concerns. But let me assure you, reconstruction funds won't be misused. I have seen for myself the misery and hardship people face at the grassroots during the 2013 election campaign. They want accountable government. So I started the practice of making government expenditure public online. I will not let the reconstruction fund be misused.
Why the delay in appointment of the Chief Executive Officer of National Reconstruction Authority?
Resolution season
I am worried about whether I will be able to appoint a competent, independent, neutral and visionary person in this post. There is a wrong impression among some that 'reconstruction fund' is going to be misused because this body is under PM. But the PM cannot mobilize the fund on his own. Nor is there a chance of only political cadres benefitting from it. This fund is going to be mobilized through National Planning Commission. As for the CEO, you may rest assured NRA is going to be led by a competent, fair and visionary personality.
What is the progress on constitution? Do you think we will get it within mid-July as promised?
There is no reason to doubt the trajectory of new constitution. It has already entered a process. Every Committee of the Constituent Assembly is working on war footing. There is not a moment to waste. You might consider the constitution done and dusted. No force can stop it now. There is no time like now to reconstruct the country and take it on the path of development and prosperity. The recent disaster has only added to the urgency. Our commitment is peace, development, democracy and prosperity and there is no better time to institutionalize them.
What is the progress on local elections?
Let the constitution first come. Then we will sit and discuss local polls. After all, we all had agreed to hold local elections right after CA II polls. We all had expressed this commitment in our election manifestos. Now we regret not holding local elections. With local bodies, relief and reconstruction would have been far easier and smoother. I had told Prachandaji that we should hold local elections right after CA II polls. In fact, I told everyone but they did not seem so keen on it. Now we suffer. If we had local polls, our cadres would be engaged in local politics. This would have benefited the parties as well.
You have been in the office for one and half years now. How do you look back on your tenure?
I cannot tell you whether I am lucky or unlucky. Personally, I am not the kind of person who wants power and post. I did not enter politics so that I could became a PM or a minister. Even Girija Prasad Koirala and Krishna Prasad Bhattarai had wanted me to become minister at one time. But I declined saying that I wanted to devote my life to politics and democracy. Now, it seems, the time has tested me. A peculiar situation demanded my role (as PM). Sometimes it feels like time is experimenting, testing how much I can do. I feel like product of a peculiar situation. No one is born PM. I lacked administrative experience. But despite this, we could hold mega international summits like SAARC and Donor Conference.
Nature seems to have treated my tenure rather cruelly. Jure landslide killed hundreds of people last year. And this great tragedy followed in less than a year. So it hurts to see this happen. I have heard complaints against government. Yes, we could not respond to quickly because our institutions were not prepared. In fact, our institutions have not been developed yet. We spent most of our time fighting for rights and democracy. Yet, we reached almost everywhere with our rescue and relief teams, though in the initial days our response was not swift.
This criticism against the government was basically city-centric. In the villages, people had no complaint. I had a moving experience in Jharlang village of Dhading. It was in total ruin. Students and guardians had come to receive me. They were sorry that they had no garlands to offer me. It almost brought tears to my eyes. Here they had almost everything yet they were concerned about hospitality.
Back to the Donor Conference. How has it added to government's confidence for reconstruction?
In a way, it has. There was doubt about who would come. About 300 delegates came to Nepal to announce aid and to express solidarity. I feel proud that we have friends who care about us. It is a pleasant feeling. I have a dream for Nepal's villages. Every village is equipped with facilities like electricity, school, health posts, and drainage system and every house is earthquake resistant. The success of the Conference is the indication that this dream can be a reality.
Youth had amazing involvement in rescue and relief. How should the country tap their energy?
This participation reflects on resilience of Nepali people. This was also indication of realization among youth for preparedness and safety. The huge public participation also helped bring more aid. We are not a country without potential. We had rivers. But we equated an agreement with foreign countries for hydro development as 'selling the rivers." This notion has changed now. Nepal has huge potential for development. Let the constitution come and I am sure our youth will tap all such potential. Time will come when foreigners will come to Nepal for jobs. I am very optimistic about the future of Nepal and I pin high hopes on new generation. Despite the recent tragedy and political instability, I see bright future for Nepal. Our best days are ahead.
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