Time to review the achievements of federal republic: Kamal Thapa

KATHMANDU, Feb 25: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chair Kamal Thapa has asked the big political parties to review the achievements of federal republic and reassess the possibilities of restoration of monarchy in the country.

“Time has come to review the 12 years of period after the establishment of federal republic and rethink about the possibilities of revival of monarchy in the country,” said Chair Thapa at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Tuesday.

“What have the country and the people achieved so far? Nothing… since the declaration of Nepal as secular state and abolishment of monarchy a decade ago,” added Thapa, who was known to have shared a quite good relationship with former King Gyanendra Shah.

Thapa was also the home minister of the Gyanendra appointed government following the suspension of parliament in February 2002. The King had suspended the parliament and forced martial law citing the civil politicians were unfit to handle the Maoist insurgency.

But the April uprising in 2006 following the 12-point historic and unprecedented agreement between the then CPN (Maoist) and the Seven Party Alliance, the King returned the power to the people and reinstated the House of Representatives—which later abrogated Nepal’s status and Hindu kingdom declaring the country as secular state and abolished the monarchy in 2007. The federal republic was established in May 2008 which formally ended the 240 year long royal rule in the country.

“Why is there no stability? Where is change? Why is there the voice of disintegration? Where did the new Maoist rebellion emerge from when he peace process should have ended?,” said Thapa.

“We had warned that the 12-point peace accord between the seven parties and Maoists was a bad omen.”

“Republic, secularism and federalism were established without informing the people. It is therefore, time is ripe now to review the achievement of the political change the uprising brought,” he added.

Thapa-led RPP has been lobbying for the restoration of Nepal has Hindu state and revival of monarchy. He recently submitted a 22-point demand paper to Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, in which he has asked for a direct national referendum on federal republic. He however says that his voice is not for king but for a royal institution.

“The federal republic has only given birth to wrongs and corruption instead of realizing positive change. The new system has failed. Thus, now is time to revive kingdom in the country,” he said adding, “Our party demands a round-table discussion on these issues.”

Thapa further said that if the government fails to address the 22-point memorandum, the agitating party will launch people’s struggle from mid-March.

On the occasion, Thapa also asked the government to form a high-level investigation commission to probe into the assets of the politicians and bureaucrats since 1991.

He also underlined the need to nationalize the assets kept in foreign banks by Nepali nationals and immediately freeze bank accounts of those individuals suspected in money laundering, and called for taking legal against those found involved in illegal transactions.

He also urged the government collect all the taxes including the 38 billion capital gain tax due with the Ncell as per the order issued by the Supreme Court.

He further urged the government to take action against those individuals involved in the embezzlement of 1.35 billion in the procurement of two wide-body aircraft. Several government officials including Tourism Minster Rabindra Adhikari has been implicated in the wide-body purchase scam.