The stability of the govt hangs in the balance due to the fissure among coalition partners
Three ministers of the newly-formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) pulled out of the government on Sunday after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal refused to reappoint RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane as home minister.
The RSP will, however, continue supporting the government from outside till the presidential election slated for March 9. Those who quit the ministerial posts include Shishir Khanal, DP Aryal and State Minister Toshima Karki. Lamichhane had to quit the post of deputy prime minister and the home portfolio following the Supreme Court's verdict, which invalidated his citizenship certificate, and also revoked his election to the HoR from Chitwan Constituency-2. PM Dahal is learnt to have asked Lamichhane to wait until the full verdict of the apex court is out for his reappointment as home minister.
Rabi is also facing charges of holding dual passport of Nepal and the USA at the same time. Rabi was hell-bent on getting the home portfolio back to influence the investigation relating to holding dual passport. PM Dahal had offered him another ministerial portfolio instead of the home ministry to avoid the conflict of interest, but Rabi refused to compromise.
Lamichhane insisted that his party wanted the home portfolio because that was part of the power sharing deal among the parties supporting the coalition government.
A joint meeting of the RSP's parliamentary partyand central committee decided to pull out of the government following the PM's refusal to offer him the home ministry.
During a press conference, Rabi said he held dual passport as a Non-Resident Nepali but claimed that he never misused them. Lamich-hane was appointed as deputy prime minister and home minister on December 25 when Dahal took oath of office and secrecy from the president. Although RSP's walk out from the government would not affect the coalition government, it has created fissure in it within one-and-a-half months of its formation.
The stability of the Dahal-led government hangs in the balance as other coalition partners, including the CPN-UML, a major ally, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which has openly raised voices against federalism, are suspicious of the PM over his proposal to elect the president on a "consensus basis".
During the press conference, Rabi also accused media outlets of running baseless stories against him to "influence the court" decision on the citizenship and passport issues. He also threatened to gherao the major media offices should they publish baseless allegations against him in the future. Various media organisations issued an outcry over his venomous and naïve statement against the free media outlets. The media outlets had simply unearthed the truth, which was proven right by the apex court. As a leader of the fourth largest party in the parliament and a former mediaperson, Rabi should maintain minimum decency while expressing his displeasure with the media.
He can hold public office in the future if the competent court of law clears him of holding dual passport.
If proven guilty, he would be barred from holding any public office in the future as holding dual passport is akin to moral turpitude. The RSP had emerged as an alternative force within a short period of time, but its leadership has pushed the Young Turks to brinkmanship.
Child marriage
Orientation for religious leaders to curb child marriage in Tulsipur, Dang is a good initiative that could show very positive results. The Women, Children and Social Development Section of Tulsipur Sub-metropolis has initiated the campaign by involving religious leaders, faith healers and priests in 10 wards in a bid to prevent under-age marriage in the local communities. Marriages are largely mediated by the religious leaders in the local Tharu community, hence, their cooperation is vital to discourage child marriage. As part of the campaign, the priests of Kalika Temple and Krishna Temple in Tulsipur have said they would conduct the marriage ceremony only after going through the citizenship certificates.
Religious leaders and faith healers have also been used in the past to promote health in the country. In the 1980s, jhankris, or faith healers, who have great influence in the community, were used in Dolakha district to promote male contraceptives as well as oral rehydration solution. The religious leaders and faith healers, who enjoy high esteem in society, have the moral obligation to abide by the laws of the land, and should cooperate with the local government in preventing child marriage.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 7, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
