By Basanta Parajuli
Narayangadh, Jan. 5: Home Minister and Standing Committee member of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Ram Bahadur Thapa 'Badal' said on Monday that the leaders willing to become the new prime minister should not escape from election.
Speaking at a meeting of the party cadres organised by the Nepal Communist Party, Chitwan, in Bharatpur, Home Minister Badal said that the new prime minister could be chosen only by the new members of the House of Representatives who will be elected from the upcoming mid-term election.
"If the parties and leaders present themselves before the people with positive thoughts, genuine policies and leadership, the public will definitely choose them," said Badal. "Now, as the government has already announced the snap poll, I call everyone eyeing the position of the prime ministers to take part in the election."
He also added that the present party leadership could not be changed without holding its general convention. "As much as the prime minister requires people's vote, the party chairman also requires party workers' vote to assume the position. General convention has to be held for it. Prior to the general convention, no one has the moral ground to remove anyone from the party leadership."
He asserted that the 19-page allegations registered by chairman Prachanda in the NCP office sowed the seed of dispute in the NCP. "The 19-page letter had called the leadership to surrender by vacating both the positions of the Prime Minister and party chairman. Can the leadership elected from a general convention surrender on the basis of demands of a single committee?" Badal asked.
Stating that currently the party cadres of the NCP were against factionalism and division, the Home Minister said that the intra-party rift would only weaken the party.
Speaking at the same programme, Chief Minister of Lumbini Province and Standing Committee member of the NCP Shankar Pokharel said, "The party can move forward in unity along with chairman Prachanda if the allegations made against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli are withdrawn."
"Chairman Oli has not taken any departmental action against Prachanda. Thus, if Prachanda rectifies his doings, the party can still move forward in unity," CM Pokharel said.
He added that the Prime Minister having a two-thirds majority in the federal parliament had the right to dissolve the House.
"Reaching out to the public for a fresh mandate in a democratic nation cannot be perceived as a dictatorship," he said, adding that the House dissolved by the Prime Minister having two-thirds majority could not be restored.
Claiming that the government had done a lot of developmental works, CM Pokharel highlighted that the three international airports which are under construction were coming into operation soon and the reforms were done in the health sector.
NCP leaders Kashinath Adhikari, Aananda Pokharel and Sita Poudel among others also addressed the meeting.