Government completes 100 days without doing any significant work
By Our Reporter
The present government of a two-thirds majority of the two big old parties and a few small ones has completed its 100 days in the office.
Although the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML leaders, while forming the government under KP Sharma Oli of the CPN-UML in a dramatic political development on July 14 this year, claimed that they decided to come together and form the government to maintain political stability, improve the economics and ensure good governance, when the same government completed 100 days on Tuesday, there was no enthusiasm in public and even in the ruling parties about the government activities. Instead, Nepali Congress leaders looks suspicious about the motif of PM Oli in the first 100 days thwarted his three plans.
The first 100 days in office was also not marked even though the official media published supplements highlighting the works of a certain ministers and ministries.
Of course, the government has completely failed to instill hope among the people in 100 days. Instead of working for the people, the government has engaged in petty issues of removing some officials and appointing new ones and introducing ordinance with an ill intention of breaking opposition parties. Prime Minister Oli himself has been dragged into controversies because of his nonsense comments, his efforts to oust Kulman Ghising from the post of the Managing Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority and his verbal exchanges with Kathmandu’s mayor Balendra Shah. Even his attempt to oust Deputy Speaker failed as some NC leaders opposed the move.
The motto of the governance has been under shadow after Prime Minister Oli accepted land donation worth billions of rupees from Min Bahadur Gurung, who is facing a corruption charge, to build the party office. His act has drawn criticism from within his party and he has sought clarifications from three party leaders for their comment on the land received from Gurung. The acceptance of land by Gurung has killed the confidence of the people towards the Oli-led government. It was one of the biggest abuse of authority by PM Oli.
Likewise, Oli tried to introduce an ordinance to break small parties and he called a Cabinet meeting to endorse it on Sunday. But when Nepali Congress leaders objected to it, he had held the plan by cancelling the cabinet meeting. Had he introduced the ordinance when the popularity of his government is diminishing, it could have been a mockery of the slogan of the good governance raised by the ruling parties.
With Oli’s appointment, the external loan of the country has increased further but the revenue has not increased. The capital expenditure has not increased. Moreover, the nature also did not favour him. The heavy rainfall of September 27 and 28 caused a massive destruction of road infrastructure, hydropower project and paddy fields. The government also drew criticism for failing to save lives from floods in Kathmandu Valley.
Now the government requires a big amount to rebuild the roads and bridges. Almost 13 kilometres of the BP Highway has completely been swept away while several bridges have been swept away. But the government has no resource to rebuild them and it has already sought loan and assistance from the international donors.
Although the government made some reforms in Health Ministry, investigated into the cooperatives whose money was embezzled and arrested Rabi Lamichhane and a few others involved in the cooperatives frauds, these activities are not enough to instill hopes among the people.
Moreover, the government has not moved ahead its agenda of constitution amendment which was mentioned as the major reason for the formation of the NC-UML coalition government. They said stability was impossible under the present constitution and constitution amendment was the major agenda. But nothing has been done to this in the first 100 days after the formation of the present government.
