Lawmakers Lambast Government Over Street Protests, Lack of Good Governance and Transparency

Speaking during the meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) on April 29, lawmakers from different political parties took the government to task over street protests, lack of transparency and good governance. Some even went to the extent of demanding Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s resignation for his failure to placate the protesters. 

After the meeting began, opposition party lawmakers rose from their seats. Subsequently, Speaker Devraj Ghimire gave the chief whip of the main opposition CPN (Maoist Center), Hitraj Pande, the time to speak.

Pande demanded discussions on a proposal of public importance registered in the HoR regarding the movements of teachers (of community schools) and resident doctors of private hospitals whereas Nepali Congress’ Ramhari Khatiwada demanded that the government send teachers back to their respective schools by addressing their demands, given their affiliation with one party or the other. 

He demanded a reply from the newly-appointed Minister for Education and Sports, Raghuji Pant, with regard to this matter. Pointing out that the position of the governor capable of analyzing the financial burden associated with teachers’ demands was lying vacant, Khatiwada demanded an immediate appointment of the governor, 

With reference to the teachers’ protest, Rekha Sharma of the CPN (Maoist Center) said: Instead of bringing the situation under control, the government is acting as an instigator. Rather than being a mute spectator, the government should take urgent steps to resolve this problem. 


While teachers and resident doctors have been staging a protest, government employees are preparing to hit the streets, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi of the Maoist party said, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on moral grounds for failing to bring the situation under control. 

Manish Jha of the Rastriya Swatantra Party objected to the government’s act of putting Rabindra Mishra, a senior leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), behind bars in handcuffs.

He quipped: Why is the government, which talks big about good governance, not making the properties of the prime minister and ministers public?

Whereas Mahesh Bartaula, the chief whip of the CPN-UML and UML lawmaker Thakur Gaire expressed hope that the teachers’ protest will reach a logical conclusion soon as the teachers and party leaders in the government were in constant communication.

‘Half-clad, victims of cooperatives staged a protest in Kathmandu on Monday,’ Roshan Karki of the RPP said, urging the government to not compel the women to stage such protests.