Corruption and Crime rising rapidly, NCP government reckless: Former Minister Lekhak

Reporters Club Event: Senior leader of the main opposition party Nepali Congress and former Minister Ramesh Lekhak has opined that the public has been disappointed with the ongoing state of affairs. “It is desirable to be and remain in power and it makes one look good with everything around it, but just being in power does not lead the nation to prosperity. The former Minister was speaking at a special press interaction program organized at the Reporters Club.

The people of Nepal are frustrated, they provided a majority government for the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), it has been 22 months, and nothing concrete has happened. The nation has not progressed in the pace required”.

“Our nation is going through a period of extreme lawlessness, and the people are shouldering the burden of high taxes. The general masses are suffering, individuals return empty-handed because the price of essential vegetables have skyrocketed and is out of reach.

The implementation of the constitution has not been fully materialized, and the rights that are enlisted have not been secured, these are not only my opinion but it has been said by the chief ministers (CM) of all the seven provinces”.

“The CM’s have also said that the current government has failed to administer and provide rights according to the constitution and the spirit of federalism. The taxes collected are going to corrupt channels. From the local levels, the money given for development is being misused for personal gains.

In an area of the far west, the budget was allocated in millions for controlling floods but nothing was done, the government is being highly irresponsible. The bills that are being presented in the federal parliaments are in dispute. There is no consensus, and the government which has a full majority is doing nothing about it. Crime and corruption have rapidly increased, and this government has been a total failure”.

“The people are not only dissatisfied but angry, and the end result will be disastrous for the system. The government has failed but now the people have started to question the entire system, which may pose an existential threat”.

“The people are also slowly losing faith in the newly promulgated constitution. Contempt and frustration among the general masses is continuously on the rise, the government while on the other hand continues in an autocratic manner without taking into considerations the aspirations of the people. These factors will prove to be a big disaster for the future and it is a matter of grave concern.

The former Minister also added that the issue of transitional justice will be settled soon”.

“We have had the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in the past which brought the interim constitution in place, it was a historic achievement under the Nepali Congress and I am proud of that fact. Transitional justice will be accelerated with amendment to the laws and bringing it to a concrete conclusion”.

He also spoke of the necessity to balance the position of the Speaker of the House which is now empty, and the Deputy Speaker allocated to different genders and political parties. Lekhak was of the opinion to support the constitutional provision of diversification in the positions while seeking political consensus in the entire process. He opined to move in line with what is enlisted in the constitution.