Thakur has directed his party's Labour Minister, Sharat Singh Bhandari, to prepare to resign
KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 13
In light of the government's plan to present the recently issued six ordinances to both houses of Parliament for approval, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party-Nepal (LSP-N) Chair Mahantha Thakur has stated that the land ordinance cannot be accepted.
Addressing a cadre gathering in Sarlahi on Thursday, Chair Thakur stated that the government's land ordinance cannot be accepted and that a protest would be organised.
"The land ordinance will not be accepted under any circumstances," he stated. "The central government has encountered a moral crisis. We opposed the land ordinance. They came and took over the riverbanks and forests. We did not attempt to overthrow the government, but a moral crisis has developed. We were in government until now, but after opposing the ordinance, we experienced a moral crisis."
He stated that there was no discussion with them when the ordinance was introduced and that he opposed it at the coalition meeting prior to its introduction.
Thakur has directed his party's Minister for Labour, Employment, and Social Security, Sharat Singh Bhandari, to prepare to resign. "Our ministers have been told that if they do it within a day or two, they will be removed from the government," he said.
It has also been discovered that the approval of the ordinance is taking time due to a lack of a majority in the National Assembly and the refusal of other political parties supporting the government, such as the Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal (JSP-N) and the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party-Nepal, to support the land ordinance.
The government requires 30 lawmakers' support in the 59-member National Assembly, but the Nepali Congress has 16 seats and the CPN-UML has ten. The upper house member Anjan Shakya, who was nominated by the president, is a CPN-UML supporter who could vote in favour of the legislation. However, the government would require the support of three legislators.
The government was counting on JSP-N, which has three seats in the NA-enough to ensure ordinance passage-but JSP-N decided yesterday not to support the government's land bill.
JSP-N Spokesperson Manish Kumar Suman stated that the NC and UML sought his party's support for the recent ordinances, but his party cannot support the land ordinance because it could result in the destruction of the Chure range and forests. The land ordinance proposes to distribute land to people who have not been identified as landless.
"This demonstrates who the government intends to benefit from this ordinance," Suman explained. He stated that the land bill should be repealed, and that for his party to support other bills, the government and ruling parties must be willing to amend the contents of other ordinances.
Meanwhile, leaders of ruling parties-NC and CP-UML-have expressed concern over the LSP-N decision to oppose the ordinance put forth by the government.
Shyam Kumar Ghimire, Chief Whip of NC, stated, "Either you leave power or become opposition. You cannot oppose the decisions of the Council of Ministers while in office."
Senior leader of the NC Bimalendra Nidhi said that if the ordinances were not passed by the Parliament, it would be bad for the government.
"The government has overwhelming majority in the HoR but when the government decided to issue ordinance it should have taken pre-consent from other political parties whose support can ensure passage of the ordinances," Nidhi said, adding, "the government's made immature decision by issuing ordinances without seeking prior consent of other political parties."
He said there were some leaders within the ruling parties that oppose the issuance of ordinances.
The six ordinances are as follows: Ordinance to Amend Some Land Acts, Ordinance to Amend Economic Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility Act, Ordinance to Amend Some Nepal Acts Related to Improving the Economic and Business Environment and Promoting Investment, Ordinance to Amend Some Cooperatives Acts, Ordinance to Amend Privatisation Act, and Ordinance to Amend Some Nepal Acts Related to Good Governance and Service Delivery.
