KATHMANDU, Dec 27: Chairman of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal has defended the government’s performance during the first meeting of the winter session of parliament on Wednesday, while main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba went on the offensive against the communist government. 

Addressing the House of Representatives, Dahal claimed that the government has clocked dozens of achievements in nine months including endorsing fundamental rights-related laws, a railway development agreement with China and others, but these had not been publicized. 

“Work could have been done on a war-footing if we had a traditional communist government because every piece of work takes time in democratic systems,” said Dahal. Claiming that the government has succeeded in maintaining balanced relations between neighboring countries and with the international community and minimizing dust pollution and patching potholes in Kathmandu, Dahal complained that such achievements were not given due publicity. 

“First priority of the government and parliament is to implement the new constitution. The government has readied the laws related to fundamental rights and done so in timely fashion and it is now focusing on enacting laws needed for the provinces and amending laws that are against the constitutional spirit,” he said. 

The former prime minister appealed for cooperation from the other political forces including the main opposition party for endorsing various laws needed for the implementation of the new constitution. Stating that differences have surfaced between the forces involved in drafting the new constitution, Dahal urged all parties to defend the constitution as their own child. 

Addressing the House meeting after Dahal, main opposition party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba flayed the government for failing to deliver justice, ensure peace and security in the country, and enact laws for the implementation of federalism, among other things. 

“The government has failed to book the guilty in the rape and murder of 13 year-old Nirmala Panta, it has been torturing innocents to force them to say they committed the crimes and hide the real culprit,” Deuba said. “In view of this how can one say the government is functioning? Is there a government at all?”

Accusing the government of failing to deliver necessary laws for the implementation of federalism, he said people have not felt that there is federalism because of the government’s indifference to law-making. Deuba also took the government to task for not implementing its agreements with medical education crusader Dr Govinda KC despite his repeated hunger strikes. Former prime minister Deuba came down heavily on the Oli government for not settling transitional justice issues.

Deuba criticized the government for its involvement as co-organizer at the Asia Pacific Summit of a controversial religious organization. He also opposed the extravagant publicity for the prime minister during the launch of the social security scheme. 

The NC president vented his ire against the government for replacing the Civil Servants Adjustment Act through ordinance during the prorogation of the House. He claimed that the ordinance included unjust provisions against the career development of civil servants. “Questions have been raised about the purchase of two wide-body aircraft. The government should make all the documents public if there have indeed not been any irregularities in the deal. If not we won’t let go of this issue,” he said.

Another former prime minister and leader of Naya Shakti Party Baburam Bhattarai criticized the government for failing to meet the aspirations of the public. “People have huge expectations from this government. But the government is failing to meet those,” said Bhattarai. He also accused the government of closing its eyes on the wide-body aircraft purchase and on the involvement of ministers in crony capitalism. He lambasted the government for failing to trace the culprit in the rape and murder of Nirmala Panta. 

“The government has claimed to uplift national prestige, but I see only lack of trust in this government on the part of the international community,” said Bhattarai. 

Presidium coordinator of Rastriya Janata Party Nepal Rajendra Mahato also came out against the government, for failing to address its commitment to his party and deliver results. “The government has appeared at the lamp-posts instead of in people’s communities. If the government has done any good work it is the people who will judge it well but the people have not done so,” said Mahato. 

He expressed ire against the prime minister for not addressing their demand for constitutional amendment and for devolution of necessary powers to the provinces. He likewise demanded the hunting down of the culprit in the Nirmala case. 

Rajendra Shrestha of ruling Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN), however,  defended the government and spoke of its progress in multiple sectors. But he expressed dissatisfaction with the government over bringing an ordinance on civil servants adjustment, ignoring parliament. 

Meanwhile, the government has tabled the Civil Servants Adjustment Ordinance at the first meeting of the winter session of both the upper and lower houses of parliament. 

 
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