HoR session: Lawmakers demand clarification on Nepal's alleged support to GSI

Kathmandu, Sept 4: During a meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) today, some lawmakers demanded that the government clarify its alleged support for China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI), reportedly expressed during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s recent visit to China.     

Taking time during the session, the lawmakers also sought the government's stance on the Prime Minister’s participation in a special military parade organized in Beijing on Wednesday, marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance.     

Rajendra Prasad Pandey of the CPN (Unified Socialist) stated that his party wanted clarity on whether Nepal's support for the GSI was official or not.     

“The statement issued by the Chinese side following the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chinese President claimed that Nepal has supported the GSI,” he said.     

He further argued that the Prime Minister’s participation in the parade contradicts Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy and the principles of Panchsheel (five principles of peaceful coexistence), and urged the Prime Minister to clarify the matter in Parliament.     

Pandey, however, thanked the Prime Minister for raising concerns about the India-China bilateral agreement on developing Lipulek as a trade transit point. He urged the Prime Minister to maintain this position during his upcoming visit to India.     

Likewise, Dhawal Shumsher JB Rana of RPP also drew the government’s attention to Nepal’s alleged support for the GSI, warning that if the support is official, it could have serious consequences for the country.     

Similarly, Ashok Kumar Chaudhary of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) said his party does not oppose the approach of regulating social media. Emphasizing the need to bring such platforms under legal oversight, he called for diplomatic efforts to enforce the court’s verdict on social media regulation.     

He also accused of government’s shortcomings in disaster management and disease control, stating that it was unfortunate that the source of the recent cholera outbreak in Birgunj has yet to be identified, even though it has been more than a week and a half since the outbreak began.(RSS)