National
Coalition partner flays policies, programmes
The UCPN (Maoist), a key coalition partner in the government, has criticised government’s policies and programmes, saying that it has failed to bring a concrete plan “to conclude the peace process”.The UCPN (Maoist), a key coalition partner in the government, has criticised government’s policies and programmes, saying that it has failed to bring a concrete plan “to conclude the peace process”.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the policies and programmes were incomplete and that no concrete plan was put forward through the policies and programmes to conclude the peace process.
The reservations from the UCPN (Maoist) come days after it signed a nine-point deal with the CPN-UML to keep the coalition intact. In the deal, the two parties, however, have agreed to address concerns related to war era, aiming at concluding the peace process.
Government’s policies and programmes were presented in Parliament on Sunday—two days after the two parties signed the nine-point deal.
“Country will plunge into crisis if we fail to conclude the peace process,” said Dahal in Parliament on Wednesday.
Withdrawing war-era cases and granting amnesty are some of the key concerns that the UCPN (Maoist) has been raising, saying that “unless these issues are addressed, peace process cannot be completed.” Dahal also took exception to government plan to hold local elections in November/ December, saying that there should be political consensus among the parties for the polls. “Elections can be conducted only after the local body reconstructing commission submits its report. “It is not possible to go to polls without resolving present political and constitutional crisis,” said Dahal.
He also said that a national consensus government was a must to resolve all the problems facing the country.
Dahal, however, hailed some of the provisions of the government policies and programmes.
He claimed that the policies and programmes intend to diversify international trade. “Developing a self-reliant economy and improving the service sector are also some of the genuine concerns raised by the document,” said Dahal. “Taking big infrastructure projects like Tarai-Madhes Prosperous Irrigation Project, Rasuwagadhi-Lumbini Railway and Kathmandu-Tarai-Madhes Fast Track are some of the important programmes of the incumbent government,” he added.
The government document will be put to vote for endorsement on Friday after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli responds to the queries raised in Parliament.
Useless projects: NC leader
Nepali Congress leader Arjun Narsingh KC on Wednesday claimed that the government policies and programmes, which were presented by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari in Parliament on Sunday, were “nothing but a collection of useless projects that will never materialise”.
Speaking at Parliament on Wednesday, KC, referring to government’s announcement to construct helipads in every VDC, said such plans will never succeed. Lawmakers of the ruling CPN-UML, however, defended the government’s policies and programmes, saying “they are pro-people” and aim to boost the economy of the country, thereby creating job opportunities to hundreds of
people.