Dahal slams government
Addressing the House of Representatives on Thursday, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the leader of the main opposition party, the CPN (Maoist Centre), started his speech by expressing dissatisfaction at the absence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and senior leaders from the ruling party, the CPN-UML.
Dahal remarked that, as per parliamentary traditions, when a leader of the opposition addresses the House, it is customary for the leader of the largest party and the Prime Minister, to be present. While Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba arrived a bit late, Prime Minister Oli was notably absent.
During an hour-long speech, Dahal voiced his concern regarding the government’s recent decision to issue multiple ordinances. He questioned the constitutional validity of such ordinances as they were brought forward just six before the Parliament was due to convene.
The former prime minister accused the government of taking a shortcut in issuing ordinances and claimed that it demonstrated a lack of proper intention and transparency. He raised questions about the necessity of such ordinances, especially considering that the ruling parties had previously boasted of their strong mandate and two-thirds majority.
Dahal expressed skepticism over the recent ordinances related to land reforms. He questioned whether the new land-related ordinances would ease the process of granting land rights to marginalized communities, including Dalits, indigenous people, and squatters. He warned that the amendments might complicate matters rather than solve them. Dahal also highlighted the discrepancies between the government’s actions and the promises made regarding land rights, emphasizing that the new policies appeared to favor the wealthy and urban elites over the rural poor.
“These amendments seem to benefit the land mafia and real estate developers, while leaving the poor and marginalized people struggling for their basic rights,” he noted.
A significant portion of Dahal’s address was dedicated to the government’s social media regulation bill. He said that while he had long been aware of Prime Minister Oli’s intentions regarding social media regulation, the tacit support of other ruling parties, especially the Congress, to the controversial bill was alarming.
He questioned Congress’s alignment with the government’s move and said, “I know Oli’s intentions, but how can you support such a bill now? Yesterday, you stood against such measures, and today you are supporting them.” He asked the Congress leaders if they really want a country where a citizen is barred from asking questions, from holding government to account.
He accused the government of trying to move forward in an authoritarian manner and intentionally causing distress to the citizens. He added that the government’s political retribution and the misuse of state power had become commonplace
In an attempt to defend himself from allegations related to the controversial ‘Shera Durbar’ incident in Nuwakot, Dahal challenged the government to investigate his possible involvement. “If I am involved in the Shera Darbar case in any way, let the investigation begin,” he said. He further claimed that the government was using the issue to tarnish his reputation, with an aim to find some link, no matter how tenuous, to attack him and his party.
“The government has been working hard to frame me in this case,” Dahal said.
The case involves the alleged illegal possession of land in Nuwakot, which is thought to have been occupied by Dahal’s former private secretary. Following a prolonged investigation, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has concluded that the land should be returned to the government.
Dahal also accused the government of causing hardship to the citizens. He expressed frustration over the government’s tendency to press serious charges even in situations where a simple resolution could have been found. “In situations where things could be settled through discussions, citizens are being shackled and dragged from one district to another, with severe charges being placed. Is this arrogance of power, or fear of the people?”
He also accused the government of trying to move forward in an authoritarian manner and intentionally causing distress to the citizens. He added that the government’s political retribution and the misuse of state power had become commonplace.
He linked this to the incident involving the Pathibhara Cable Car dispute, where the police had fired shots, and the introduction of the social media regulation bill, which he argued was an attempt to legally control freedom of expression. “What is this? Are you above the people’s sovereignty? Are you above the constitution? Are you the masters and the citizens your slaves?”
Further criticism was directed at the government’s treatment of Rabi Lamichhane, the leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), who was suspended from Parliament despite being released on bail by the court. Dahal raised concerns about the political motives behind Lamichhane’s suspension, accusing the government of orchestrating a political revenge campaign.
He addressed the Speaker of the House, requesting a re-evaluation of Lamichhane’s suspension, calling into question its fairness and constitutional grounds. “Even after being released on bail, how can Lamichhane’s suspension be justified? We need to reconsider this issue in light of the constitutional principles of justice,” he urged the Speaker.
Dahal emphasized that the current government’s strength was evident when it came to pursuing political revenge. He argued that the opposition leaders were being unfairly painted as villains despite the lack of evidence.
Lawmaker Sobita Gautam from RSP also expressed regret over the decision to suspend Lamichhane and urged for a swift correction of the decision. “My party and I deeply regret this decision, and I request the Parliament Secretariat to correct it as soon as possible,” Gautam said. “I humbly request that the suspension be revoked.”
“Parliamentary rules have provisions for suspension only if an MP is sent to jail by a court. But the suspension notice was posted without a court case,” she said. “The law was meant to prevent MPs from being targeted unnecessarily.”
Similarly, Sumana Shrestha, MP from RSP raised concerns about the social media bill, which has been registered in Parliament, and highlighted the growing protests from youth against the bill. She brought the issue to the government’s attention. “Protests have started on social media since yesterday. There is a growing voice against the social media bill the government has registered,” she said. “Will the government listen to this voice? I am raising this issue to attract the government’s attention.”
She also suggested engaging the youth for further discussions on the bill. “Invite the youth and let them discuss. We’ve seen that the bill can pass through this House even if they are pushed. What is content creation? The government has brought this bill without even understanding basic social media matters,” Shrestha said.
Chitwan District Court orders release of RSP President Lamichhane on Rs 5.4 million bail
The Chitwan District Court has ordered the release of Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane on bail of Rs 5.4 million in connection with the Sahara Cooperative fraud case.
A single bench of Judge Dayaram Dhakal issued an order to release former Home Minister Lamichhane on bail of Rs 5.4 million.
Senior advocates Sushil Kumar Panta, Jagannath Paudel, Dharmaraj Acharya and Surendra Bahadur Thapa and advocates Ram Chanra Devkota and Dr Narayan Dutta Kandel argued on behalf of Lamichhane.
Similarly, District advocates Rabi Neupane, Sambhu Kumar Basnet, Dashrath Pangeni, Bholanath Niraula and assistant advocates Buddha Bahadur Thapa and Amrit Subedi argued on behalf of Nepal Government.
Likewise, senior advocates Dr Surendra Bhandari, Dinesh Tripathi and Raj Kumar Shrestha and advocates Gopi Lal Devkota, Ramesh Kafle, Ram Chandra Arasi Gautam and Sunita Adhikari argued on behalf of the complainant.
On Tuesday, a case was registered against Lamichhane accusing him of embezzling the funds of Sahara Cooperative.
Ordinances not sufficient to address public issues: Maoist Center Chair Dahal
CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has accused the government of issuing ordinances that serve the interests of specific groups rather than the public.
In his address to the House of Representatives (HoR) today, he criticized the proposed amendments to the Land and National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act. He argued that these amendments would make it more difficult for landless people and Dalits to obtain land registration certificates.
The main opposition party leader stated that the amendments would curtail the rights of landless individuals and those residing unsystematically on land.
He proposed revising the "illogical" systems of land classification and evaluation when providing land to the unsystematic dwellers. He suggested lowering charges for land used by impoverished, rural citizens or for agricultural purposes, while increasing fees for land owned by wealthier people in urban areas and those used for residential purposes.
Dahal expressed concern that the government, through these ordinances, could promote big real estate businesses and land mafias, thus curtailing farmers' rights to sell their land by dividing into plots. He also claimed that the ordinance failed to address the land issues related to the Swargadwari Guthi.
Furthermore, he voiced dissatisfaction with the government's decision to amend the Black-marketing and Some Other Social Offences and Punishment Act, 2032 BS (1975), removing the provision that prevents traders from earning more than a 20 percent profit on goods. He called this move unjust.
He also criticized the proposed amendment to the Health Insurance Act, 2074 BS, claiming it undermines the independence of the Insurance Act. Additionally, he objected to the proposed revision of the Yogmaya Ayurvedic University Act, 2079 BS, which he believed contradicted the university's historic legacy.
The former Prime Minister also questioned why the government had not introduced these ordinances in parliamentary committees for open dialogue when they were under consideration in the Parliament. He expressed concern over the 'suspension' of the previous government's 'campaign' for economic prosperity, good governance, and social justice.
The opposition leader also voiced concern about the treatment of Rabi Lamichhane as the "biggest cooperative fraud," despite the fact that his direct involvement in withdrawing cooperative funds has not been proven. He questioned the constitutional grounds and the justice behind Lamichhane's suspension as a lawmaker, when the court had granted him bail.
He urged the government not to amend the Constitution in ways that violate historic and significant agreements among political parties. "If we need to revise the Constitution, let's switch to a fully proportional electoral system, ensuring 50 percent women's participation and representation of Dalits based on population and preferential rights. Let's move toward a directly elected executive system," he said.
He also called for a fair investigation into the Shera Durbar (Palace) land grab case in Nuwakot, which has been connected to his name. "From this rostrum, I urge the government to begin an investigation, and if my name is involved, let the investigation start with me," he said.
Ship (Operation and Management) Bill, 2081 tabled in NA
Minister for Physical Infrastructures and Transport, Devendra Dahal, has tabled the 'Ship (Operation and Management) Bill-2081' in today's meeting of the National Assembly.
He said although the United Nations General Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 guaranteed equal rights of landlocked countries to the seas, dozens of international conventions have been implemented even after the execution of the Ship Registration Act, 2027.
Minister Dahal mentioned that national flag-carrier ship could not be registered as the Act did not incorporate the provisions of the convention.
The bill was tabled as it was necessary to promote internal water transport by making arrangement of registration and regulation of cruise ships since different capacity of cruise ships are in operation at different rivers in Nepal, added Minister Dahal.