KATHMANDU, Feb 16: Opposition members and some leaders of the ruling parties have expressed their dissatisfaction over the performance of the government in the last one year. A day after Prime Minister KP Oli claimed an unprecedented success in laying the foundation to steer the country toward prosperity, Nepali Congress leader Prakash Saran Mahat said on Friday that there was a feeling among people that the leftist government was falling short in delivering on its tall promises.
The former foreign minister said that the Oli government, despite its poll promises of “Happy Nepali, Prosperous Nepal”, was failing to address the problems facing the common people.
“The “Happy Nepali, Prosperous Nepal” was in itself a really good slogan. But the frustration among the common people has grown since the government came to office. Did the country become prosperous? No,” Mahat said while addressing a function on Friday.
At a separate function, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba had also expressed displeasure at the government’s inability to maintain law and order, transparency and good governance. The NC is planning to make its views public on annual progress of the government next week.
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Mahat was especially critical of the economic policies pursued by Oli government, which he claimed was pushing the country toward bankruptcy and adding problems for common people.
“Investment has decreased by 50 percent. The tax rates have been increasing. The interest rates have been rising,” he said.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Oli for the government’s ‘dubious’ stand against the corruption, Mahat claimed that the powerful government was looking too feeble in front of the corrupt, the mafia and syndicates.
“The less we talk about good governance, the better. The gold scam has become a thing of the past. It’s all the same with sugar scam. It’s been told that the CIAA would take over the wide-body jet procurement scam. We are minutely following the development,” he said.
Leaders of the ruling party have also been voicing dissatisfaction at the slow work pace of the government. Nepal Communist Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday urged the government to do more, describing it as the people’s last hope.
“Who will address the issues holding the nation back and when if not now?” Dahal said while addressing a gathering of teachers in the capital on Friday. Dahal and NCP senior leaders including Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal have been criticizing Oli for failing to work as per the expectations of the common people.
Despite growing dissatisfaction among leaders within and outside the party, Prime Minister Oli and his aides appear pleased with what the government achieved in its maiden year. During his address to the nation on Thursday, his fourth since coming to power, Oli had listed dozens of accomplishments which, among others, included institutionalization of federalism, improvement in bilateral ties, introduction of social welfare, foreign employment and youth employment programs, progress made in construction of the Bhairahawa International Airport and Pokhara International Airport and planned projects.
