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Nation in a mess

The Himalayan Times
19 May 2023

Nation in a mess

It seems that the nation will, sooner or later, face political, social and economic turmoil it had never experienced in the last six decades of its political history considering the shameful act and involvement of former ministers and high level bureaucrats in fake Bhutanese refugee scam, on-going public protest against the accused leaders in the streets, international communities’ concern about this scam and behind the screen political acts of the senior leaders of big parties’ to save the accused leaders. It remains to be seen how the government and the big parties will handle this chaotic situation. If they fail to properly address this scam as expected by the people and the international communities, the situation might go out of their hands.

The other recent verdict of the Supreme Court (SC) regarding Resham Chowdhary’s life imprisonment is going another political issue for the government to handle in the days to come “SC sentences life imprisonment to Chaudhary on Tikapur carnage” (THT, Page 1, 17 May). The Nagarik Unmukti Party lawmakers have demanded the government immediately make the Lal Commission’s report about the Tikapur incident public within three days and fulfill its commitment to release Chaudhary, who is the patron of the party, from jail.  He was convicted of masterminding the 2015 killings by the Kailali district court in March 2019.

Likewise, the SC has issued an interim order to the government asking it not to implement its much controversial plan to provide two lakh rupees  each to the disqualified Maoist combatants at a time when the nation is on the way to bankruptcy. “SC orders govt not to distribute money to disqualified Maoist combatants” (THT, 16 May, Page 1). Another interesting political event to note is that the KMC Mayor Balendra Shah, accusing the central level 14 ministries for not providing cooperation and support for the functioning of local affairs in the last one year, has asked the federal government for its support and coordination. “Kathmandu Mayor calls for cooperation from federal government” (THT, 17 May, Page 1). Was it the intention of the federal government to make Balen a failed mayor?

Rai Biren Bangdel
Maharajgunj
 

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