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Nepal PM Oli stands by controversial ordinances despite criticism

"Our concern is not just remaining in power. It is also our responsibility to make our stint successful and result oriented," the prime minister said.

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Nepal PM Oli (File Image)

Despite opposition parties in Nepal raising strong objections to the ordinances brought by the CPN-UML government, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has defended the decision.

At a presser held at the prime minister’s office on Wednesday, Oli claimed the government introduced the ordinances after holding thorough discussions with experts, senior leaders of major political parties and other stakeholders, which found they were necessary for good governance and development.

He also clarified that there were no disagreements within the ruling coalition on the ordinances.
The council of ministers on January 10 decided to forward five ordinances to President Ramchandra Paudel for his endorsement.
On January 13, the president approved four of them, including the ordinance to amend some Nepal Acts related to Promoting Good Governance and Public Service Delivery (2025); the Economic Procedure and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance (2025); the Privatisation (First Amendment) Ordinance (2025); and the ordinance to amend some Nepal Acts related to Improving Economic and Business Environment and Enhancing Investment (2025).

On January 15, the president approved the ordinance related to amend the Land Act, 1964.

“Our concern is not just remaining in power. It is also our responsibility to make our stint successful and result oriented,” the prime minister said. Dismissing claims that Paudel withheld the ordinance related to amending the Land Act, Oli said the president should not issue ordinances forwarded by the government without properly studying them.

“After extensive discussions with top leaders of major coalition partners, experts and stakeholders, the government brought the ordinances because they were essential for good governance and development,” Oli said.

The prime minister also attributed the delay in convening the winter session of Parliament to several bills stuck in various parliamentary committees.

The budget session of Parliament ended on September 16 last year. Currently, many bills which are to be presented before Parliament are being discussed in various parliamentary committees. “We will present the ordinances in Parliament on the first day of the House sitting. We will then bring replacement bills within 60 days and pass them,” Oli said.

However, he did not specify when the winter session of Parliament would commence.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties have accused the government of trying to rule through ordinances, instead of convening a winter session of Parliament.

Six parties, including the main opposition CPN (Maoist Centre), have strongly criticised the government’s reliance on ordinances.
During a joint meeting of opposition parties held at the Maoist Centre’s parliamentary party office on Wednesday, the opposition leaders criticised the government’s move as arbitrary.

The government has disregarded Parliament and its members by issuing ordinances when the House was not in session, Shakti Basnet, deputy general secretary of the Maoist Centre, said.

“Issuing ordinances instead of convening the winter session sends a message of tussle in the ruling coalition,” Basnet claimed.

The opposition parties also urged the government to convene the winter session at the earliest while accusing it of bypassing democratic norms.
Besides the Maoist Centre, representatives from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, CPN (Unified Socialist), Nepal Samajbadi Party, and Am Janata Party were present at the meeting.
 

(Except for the headline, nothing has been changed by Top Indian News in the PTI copy.) 

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