Kathmandu, October 2
Shram Sanskriti Party lawmaker Dhrubraj Rai has wished the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and the government to remain in power and govern for the full five-year term without bringing down their own government.
Reviewing the monsoon session of the federal parliament, Rai said lawmakers were not in a position to return to their constituencies with enthusiasm.
Speaking at the House of Representatives meeting on Friday, Rai drew the attention of Prime Minister Balen Shah to the situation in which lawmakers had been forced to question the performance of a government with a two-thirds majority.
He urged the prime minister to ensure that a situation in which lawmakers could not find him in parliament despite repeatedly seeking his presence would not recur in the next session.
“As I understand it, the session is coming to an end. It feels like only yesterday that I was jumping around calling for the prime minister to come, but four or five months have already passed,” he said.
“Things went as they did during this session. May the bad things we did, the bad things done by our government and the bad things done in the House all flow away with the festival,” he added.
Referring to the upcoming Nepali festivals, Rai said lawmakers had raised the people’s concerns throughout the session but had not received answers from the head of government.
“Like in Deusi, I say this year went this way. When we come next year, we will have to offer blessings, saying, may you have a golden roof. As a lawmaker standing as a member of the opposition, I wish that the government will be able to properly engage with the opposition, move forward while managing us, and respond to the people’s voices. I want to say this to the government and the ruling party members as the next session approaches,” he said.
Rai also said he had heard that there were disputes within the RSP and wished the party and government to complete the full five-year term.
Saying that he was a student of political science, Rai recalled that the Nepali Congress had secured a two-thirds majority in 1959 and the then CPN (Maoist) had won a majority in 2008.
“It is equally powerful now. This is said to be a country cursed by its own strength. You young colleagues, be careful. You and I have nothing to gain, but if you preserve the power and the government and keep it going for five years, it will be what we and the people have hoped for. I wish you well in this House and hope you move forward positively,” he said.
Rai said ministers had answered some questions, but the prime minister had failed to respond to questions raised in parliament.
“We did not receive many answers to the questions directed to the head of government. We raised many issues concerning the people, but we did not receive answers,” he said. “As the session ends, I am compelled to say that I am returning to the people empty-handed from this honourable House. I am returning to the doorsteps of the people of Bhojpur, but I am not returning with enthusiasm.”
He reiterated that the government was close to a two-thirds majority only in terms of the number of lawmakers it had.
“I am worried about what happened during the protests of September 8 and 9 last year. Houses were set on fire at that time because of the activities of leaders of the old parties, who were accused of corruption and making large amounts of money. Now, I fear it may be difficult for us to prevent our own houses from being set on fire,” he said.
He said activities during the ongoing parliamentary session had created such fears.
“Do not take this multiparty competition and the practice of a multiparty system lightly. This is how parliament works. The opposition and the ruling side put forward their positions, while the ruling side must remain alert and move forward in a way that facilitates the government’s functioning,” he said.
Rai again wished that the government would improve its conduct by the time the next session begins.
“Through the Speaker, I want to tell the head of government and the government that I hope we meet again in three months. Please do not bring down your own government,” he said. “With these wishes, I say again: when the next session begins, there should be no need to create a situation in which the honourable Speaker has to call for such things as are happening now. There should be no statements that force us to proceed in such a manner.”
