Performance of ministers from Nepali Congress (NC) in the Pushpa Kamal Dahal government has been criticized inside the grand old party.
Many speakers in the central committee meeting held from Thursday-Saturday at Sanepa, to review the performance of government in a year and NC ministers in over eight months, have blasted the performance of the government and NC ministers.
NC Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka leads the NC delegation as deputy prime minister (DPM) and defense minister in the government that also includes Minister for Law. Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dhan Raj Gurung, Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, Foreign Minister NP Saud, Health Minister Mohan Basnet, Industry Minister Ramesh Rijal, Urban Development Minister Sita Gurung, Youth and Sports Minister Dig Bahadur Limbu, and Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Surendra Raj Acharya.
The central members complained that the NC ministers could not work in a result-oriented manner and meet the people’s expectations. They also expressed unhappiness with the NC ministers for lack of coordination with the party.
The NC ministers provided oral and written briefings about their respective works but could not convince the NC central members with their excuse that they could not work as they wish as it is a coalition government, and the resources and means were limited.
Many central members also demanded change of NC ministers in the government but the meeting did not take any decision to that regard as NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba was not ready for that.
Central member Pradip Paudel pointed that the leaders had nothing to tell the people during the month-long campaign ‘NC in community’ starting from Monday. “We don’t have any subject to tell the people. Should we only defend the government and leadership?” he questioned.
He also accused Deuba of not criticizing the government due to fears that he would not get support to become PM as part of the deal in the ruling coalition to take turns as PM. “We’ll face difficulties in the next election if we don’t change the working style of the government and ministers.”
He also asked the party leaders whether the people recognized NC as a party complicit in corruption or the one starting a campaign to end corruption. “There is deflation and anger in people.”
General Secretary Gagan Thapa also expressed disappointment with the performance of government and added that he NC ministers should be able to give a list of their eight achievements in the eight months. “Let us set targets about the works we will do in the government. And change the ministers if they fail to meet the targets,” he stated. “Other parties have time to talk about Mission 2084. But we cannot say that as we are in the government now. Let us, therefore, work for quality health, education and other sectors.”
He also lashed out at some ministers who complained that the party could not publicize the good works of the government pointing that not just the party but every citizen would laud the good works of the government.
DPM Khadka claimed that the government was doing alright. “The narrative saying nothing has been done is wrong. The ministers are doing alright. They have not been mired in any scam,” he stated. “We would also discuss about the grievances about performance with the PM.”
NC Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak opined that both the narratives that the government had done everything right, and it had not done anything were wrong. “Both of these are extremist views. There is no alternative to the coalition now. Let us make it more effective and active.”
Deuba does not want to change the ministers now despite PM Dahal recently seeking list of new NC ministers. “Deuba may have suspected that the PM was asking for new ministers every year as part of the strategy to not leave the post of PM. He has therefore asked to wait for now,” an NC office-bearer close to Deuba told Setopati.
Chief of Publicity Department Min Bahadur Bishwokarma said that Deuba told PM Dahal that he would discuss about changing ministers later pointing that NC was soon holding mahasamiti meeting and National Assembly election was also around the corner.
