By Ranju Kafle
Kathmandu, Jul.24: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has reiterated his commitment to ensuring COVID-19 vaccines to all people in the country.
“Do not worry, everybody will get vaccine very soon,” he said while addressing the meeting of the House of Representatives on Friday.
The Prime Minister further said that he would focus on managing vaccines for all people and save their lives from the pandemic. “No matter how expensive they are, we will purchase the vaccines for the people from anywhere they are found,” he said.
The Prime Minister also said that the government would work hard and show visible achievements although it has a term of only a few months.
Prime Minister Deuba also reminded the House regarding the provision of Article 76 (5) of the Constitution.
Referring to comments of former Speaker and deputy leader of the main opposition CPN-UML Subas Nembang, Prime Minister Deuba asked why the Article 76 (5) was inserted in the Constitution.
Earlier, while congratulating Prime Minister Deuba, former Speaker Nembang said that generally people vote and the party appoints the Prime Minister, but this time a court verdict appointed the Prime Minister.
He said that the Supreme Court had put a question mark on the existing parliamentary system.
“Practice of appointing the prime minister from the court is anarchical,” the former Speaker said, adding that the court violated the provision of balancing powers among the executive, legislative and judiciary. Nembang said the sovereign people should not be disappointed for no reason. Getting mandate from the people is a democratic process, not autocratic one, he added.
Prakashman Singh, leader of the ruling Nepali Congress, said that people were not satisfied with the previous government and the Nepali Congress was the appropriate party to deal with the difficult situation. “We will deliver well and show achievements to the people,” he said.
Similarly, Haribol Gajurel, leader of the ruling CPN-Maoist Centre, said that getting a new Prime Minister from the verdict of the Supreme Court was an achievement of the political parties against autocratic activities of outgoing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. “An uneasy situation has appeared because of unconstitutional behaviour of former PM Oli,” he said.
Lawmaker Anil Kumar Jha of Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal demanded relief for the victims of natural disasters and inundation and COVID-19 vaccines for the people. “Farmers are failing to get fertilisers and the people are awaiting COVID-19 vaccines and the government should focus on these issues,” he said. According to him, people are expecting good governance from the new government.
Similarly, RJP-N leader Mahendra Rai Yadav expressed dissatisfaction over the former prime minister and the government led by him. “An ordinance was issued to break our party and the House was dissolved time and again, which were not correct acts,” he said, adding that the new government needed to work responsibly instead of playing plots against others.
Rajendra Lingden, leader of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, said that there were errors in the Constitution. “We ourselves wrote the document, but it could not provide stability in the country, I think only a directly elected Prime Minister can push the nation towards political stability,” he said. Lingden stressed need for good governance, political stability and rule of law in the nation.
Durga Paudel from Rastriya Janamorcha Party said that the government had a huge responsibility of establishing rule of law in the nation. “Ending political anarchism is the big responsibility of this government,” she said.
Next meeting of the House of Representatives is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon next week.