KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 11
President Ramchandra Paudel has shared that abuse of authority is not a minor mistake, it is serious challenge upon state's legitimacy and social justice.
Addressing a special programme organised here today on the occasion of the 35th Establishment Day of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), President Paudel the CIAA should pay attention to maintain good governance by fulfilling the assigned responsibilities.
He expressed the view that state's authorized bodies should work making people assure that no one could be exempted from legal accountability in the pretext of power and position.
President Paudel argued, "Abuse of authority is not only the violation of law, but also a serious blow on citizen's trust, faith and future. It damages the bridge of trust between the state and citizens."
"When public power is used for personal interest, state's trust on citizens as well as citizens' trust towards state becomes weak. It creates mistrust towards the rule of law, weakens faith in the law and undermines fundamental values of democracy," he underlined.
The President mentioned that corruption could be rooted out if hunger of power, position and property wealth is controlled.
It is possible to combat and prevent corruption if good conduct, integrity, impartiality, transparency, and fearlessness are embraced as a way of life, the President said, adding that he wished to see greater effectiveness in policy, methods, technology, and attitudinal reforms, as well as the development of discipline and good conduct as a system.
Stating that accessible and efficient service delivery for citizens and the proper functioning of the Constitution through good governance are the desired goals of the Constitution, the Head of State said that voices have repeatedly been raised urging the authorities concerned to fulfill these aspirations.
He made it clear that the recent youth movement was a demonstration of such expressions and desires, and called on everyone not to ignore these voices.
The President asserted that the fight against corruption is not the responsibility of any single institution; rather, it is a shared responsibility of all state apparatuses, political leadership, the bureaucracy, and civil society. According to the President, the fight against corruption will achieve its goals only through the joint commitment and coordinated actions of all these bodies.
"The struggle against the abuse of authority is ultimately a struggle for justice, equality, and good governance. Through this struggle, we can restore citizens' trust in the system, strengthen democracy, and hand over a clean, competent, and reliable state to future generations."
Strong political will is the first condition for combating corruption, the Head of State said, adding that he believes positive changes in the work culture of political officials will also guide the administrative sector toward greater accountability and integrity.