PM Prachanda will not quit, says his close aide; Opposition demands resignation

Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' will not quit, his close aide said on Thursday, amid the Opposition's demand for his resignation over the stunning disclosure that an Indian businessman settled here "once made efforts" to make him the premier that stirred up a storm in the Himalayan Nation.

Communication and IT Minister and Government spokesperson Rekha Sharma said the Prime Minister will not resign over his remarks about Sardar Pritam Singh during a function to launch a book, ‘Roads to the Valley: The Legacy of Sardar Pritam Singh in Nepal' here.

In his remarks, Prachanda had said that Singh, a pioneer trucking entrepreneur in Nepal, played a special and historic role in enhancing Nepal-India relations. "He (Singh) had once made efforts to make me the prime minister," Prachanda said.

"He travelled to Delhi several times and held multiple rounds of talks with political leaders in Kathmandu to make me the prime minister," Prachanda said.

The remarks have stirred up a storm and drawn criticism from several quarters. The Prime Minister did not say something that required him to resign, Sharma said while briefing the media about the Cabinet decisions on Thursday.

She said the Opposition demanded the Prime Minister's resignation at a time when Parliament was about to pass a bill relating to punishing loan sharks. The opposition demanded the PM's resignation only to divert the attention of the Parliament, she added.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's secretariat issued a statement, saying his remarks were "misinterpreted."

"There were efforts to fulfill political interests taking advantage of the remarks, and the matter had drawn 'serious' attention of the secretariat," according to the statement issued by the Prime Minister's Press Advisor Govinda Acharya.

The secretariat accused major opposition parties of obstructing parliament in the name of the said statements attributed to the Prime Minister. As a result of the obstruction in parliament, the ordinance to bring the bill to criminalise the usury practice has been annulled depriving the victims of justice, reads the statement.

"We would like to offer deep sorrow over the annulment of the ordinance, and are committed to take necessary initiatives in favour of the victims of loan sharking." Prachanda's party - CPN (Maoist Center) - said that it was concerned over the propaganda by the opposition about the Prime Minister's statement on Sardar Pritam Singh.

The ruling alliance has expressed concern over the act of opposition parties, including the main Opposition party Communist Party of Nepal-(Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPNUML), in parliament, terming it 'non-political' and 'non-parliamentary'.

A meeting of the ruling parties at the PM's official residence Thursday reached the conclusion that the opposition parties stood against the government efforts to ensure justice to those affected by the usury practice contributing to aborting the government's plan to present the 'Bill to Amend some Nepal Acts including the Civil Code2080 BS'.

"Any party or member in parliament is allowed to criticize the public statement of the Prime Minister, but the way major opposition parties chose to protest was against parliamentary norms," said CPN (Unified Socialist) Vice Chairman Rajendra Pandey.

The House of Representatives meeting was postponed until Friday, following the disruption by opposition parties— the UML, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) — over Prachanda's remarks.

The members of the main Opposition Communist CPN-UML and the RPP shouted slogans that “a Prime Minister appointed by New Delhi does not have the right to continue in the post”.

The CPN-UML disrupted the National Assembly meeting on Wednesday also, demanding the prime minister's resignation. Speaking in the lower house, UML lawmaker Raghuji Pant said, “The PM should resign on moral grounds. We don't need a prime minister appointed by Delhi.”

Not only the opposition, but the ruling parties have also expressed their dissatisfaction with Prachanda's statement. (PTI)