KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 29
Manju Sharma Ansari, a leader of Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal, has said that some of the party's demands, including the establishment of the Madhes Province, proportional representation and citizenship issues, have been partially addressed.
She said the establishment of Madhes Province comprising eight out of 22 in the Tarai region and implementation of a proportional representation system in all state apparatus, including the elections, had been endorsed by the party.
The party's key demands revolve around the formation of Madhes Province by incorporating all 22 districts in Tarai and full implementation of a proportional representation system in all state organs, including elections.
Yet again, the party continues to advocate for a directly elected presidential system, a complete proportional electoral system to manage election costs and establishment of Madhes Province encompassing all 22 districts, according to Ansari. She further expressed her strong disapproval of nepotism and favouritism in the nomination of candidates under the proportional representation system. According to her, providing unfair advantages to the relatives and family members of the political leaders and their aides should not be tolerated within the PR system.
Ansari, who embarked on her political journey in 1989 by affiliating herself with Nepal Sadbhawana Party, currently serves as a politburo member of JSP-Nepal with working stations primarily in Saptari and Rautahat. She represents the party at the House of Representatives through the PR system.
As a legislator, Ansari sees the Parliament as a place where conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties often take centre stage, overshadowing its intended role in legislative matters. However, she firmly believes that the House should serve as a platform to inspire the citizens towards decency, discipline and cultivation of hope.
In her view, the Parliament must uphold its image by adhering to discipline. It should not deviate from its primary purpose of addressing the concerns of the public and making efforts to address them. Ansari stressed the importance of maintaining decency by the lawmakers in both presentation and performance within the House.
Furthermore, she underlined the need of addressing the practical needs of the people, including legislative requirements.
She alleged the government of increasing the tax rates unusually as it has placed an undue burden on the citizens.
She entered the House anticipating to contribute to the improvement of the nation's politics and economy as well as to the prevention of youth migration by creating job opportunities. She acknowledged that she remained committed to pursuing her goals despite facing challenges.
In the recent time, the lawmaker observed that the level of corruption had increased significantly in each sphere of the society. "Not only leaders, but also bureaucracy is equally responsible for rising corruption in the country," she added.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 30, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
