NC leaders draw criticism over statements on change of government

Published On: April 6, 2020 03:25 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


KATHMANDU, April 6: Leaders of the main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) have drawn criticism over their statements demanding change in government at a time when the country is focusing on tackling the crisis of Covid-19 pandemic.

A week after senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel courted controversy for expressing his view for the need of consensus government to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, joint general secretary of the party Prakash Sharan Mahat has demanded mid-term election after the virus crisis is over.

In an interview with Rishi Dhamala on Prime Time Television on Saturday, Mahat said that given the failure of the nearly two-thirds majority government led by Nepal Communist Party (NCP) to tackle the problem of coronavirus, there should be a mid-term election after the Covid-19 outbreak is over.

Following widespread criticism over his statement on social media, former minister Mahat issued a statement denying he talked about the mid-term election.

"My analysis of possible scenario after the country overcomes the virus problem has been wrongly portrayed by an online media in its headline and has been publicized as if I was demanding the mid-term election," Mahat said in the statement on Sunday.

Meanwhile, NC spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma has clarified that the party is not accountable for the personal opinions of individual leaders.

"NC's institutional stance is clear. We are neither for consensus government nor for mid-term election. All possible support to the government at this crisis with strong caution against dilly-dallying, irregularities and corruption," Sharma tweeted.

Earlier, the party's senior leader Paudel had demanded consensus government in the country to jointly fight against the crisis drawing criticism from the ruling party leaders and the general public.

The main opposition NC, which was badly defeated by the leftist alliance in the 2017 elections, was the ruling party before the federal poll.

Meanwhile, NC President Sher Bahaudr Deuba has called on former prime ministers and appealed them to join hands to fight against the crisis together.

"I have appealed for sincere and unified effort for saving Nepal and Nepalis from the current crisis," Deuba tweeted after his telephone conversation with leaders. The former Prime Minister Deuba called former prime ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Nepal, Jhalnath Khanal, Baburam Bhattarai, Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Chairperson of the council of ministers Khila Raj Regmi to discuss about cooperation in this regard.


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