Kathmandu, September 4 

Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Kumar Thapa today urged the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) to relieve Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from the responsibility of the executive head as he was not in the pink of health. 

Speaking in the House of Representatives today, Thapa said the government had not informed the House about the PM’s health but media reports indicated that his health was improving. The PM, who underwent kidney transplant 12 years ago, is undergoing treatment in Singapore to enhance the function of his kidney. 

Thapa said he wished PM Oli well but if he required to go abroad for treatment frequently, then the ruling NCP should replace him with another capable leader of the party.  

“We all know that there are other capable leaders in the ruling party who want to become the prime minister, Thapa added.  

“It is not good for the prime minister to go abroad after 10-12 days for treatment and try to run the country with teleconference,” he said.  Thapa said PM Oli was old and it would be better if he sought retirement on the ground of age.  

Thapa said it was important for the PM to remain in the country as his role in protecting the country’s sovereignty and security was crucial. “The PM performs such an important job that he cannot remain out of the country for too long,” Thapa added.  

He said the Nepali Congress made a mistake allowing an old man to remain the PM and the ruling NCP should not repeat the same mistake. But he did not name the NC leader who he thought was allowed by the party to remain the PM even when he was too old for the post. “I respect the PM for making sacrifices for the country but nobody has control over his/her body. I wish the PM speaks from the rostrum with the same zeal when he returns from Singapore after undergoing treatment, as he did before,” he added.

A lawmaker of the ruling NCP Surya Prasad Pathak took a potshot at Thapa, saying, “Some people say Oli  should resign from his post, but we know that if he rules for five years, the country would leap forward in terms of development and that will put the existence of other parties at risk.”