Kathmandu. Nepal Communist Party (UML) Secretary and MP Gokarna Raj Bista has said that the current session of the Parliament should focus on fulfilling the aspirations of the citizens for development and prosperity. While speaking on a party basis in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, he stressed that political parties and the government should work to overcome the dissatisfaction of the citizens while maintaining the dignity of the Parliament.
Describing the Parliament as a place where the sovereignty of the people is exercised, Bista said that the operation of the Parliament should be restrained, polite and disciplined. “If the parliament can work in a way that inspires hope among the citizens, that will be a sign of respect for the values and trust of democracy,” he said. “The parliament should learn from past sessions and make the current session result-oriented.”
In the context of increasing frustration among the citizens due to the obstacles and disputes seen in the past in the functioning of the parliament, MP Bista expressed the view that cooperation between parties is necessary for the public interest. He was of the opinion that since the forces that want chaos and instability are active, reflecting the dissatisfaction seen among the citizens, the people are seeking guarantees of development and inclusiveness after the establishment of the republic.
MP Bista drew the attention of the parliament to issues such as Nepal’s low economic growth, weak productivity, high trade deficit, increasing dependence on foreign employment, practical irrelevance of the education system, and lack of access to health facilities.
He suggested that the policies, programs, and budget for the coming fiscal year should be formulated to solve the problems seen in the economy and development. ‘The education system is not linked to the country’s production. We are not even self-sufficient in food security. In such a situation, the import-oriented consumption trend has further weakened the country’s economy, Bista said.
Noting that the trend of low capital expenditure and increasing current expenditure has added challenges to economic transformation, he argued that due to these trends, the aspirations of the people for rapid development and prosperity have not been fulfilled. Similarly, he also expressed his views on weaknesses such as lack of coordination between the three levels of government, distortions in the cooperative sector and the slowness of the justice system.
Bista believes that people’s trust in the parliament can be restored only if the current budget session of the parliament can focus on solving problems. He also warned that the parliamentarians representing the parliament should not engage in activities that are against the constitution. Bista said that debate and disagreement are natural in a democracy, but it is necessary to find a solution by incorporating them within parliamentary practice.
Mentioning that the constitution should be amended through the constitutional process and democracy should be further refined, he expressed concern over the recent rise of populism and anarchism. “A situation where people say whatever they want but do not take responsibility for it has been seen in various countries. In the context of Nepal too, there is a tendency to say whatever they want but not put it into practice,” Bista said. “This populism has not been able to fulfill the aspirations of the citizens.”
Regarding the uncertainty over the duration of the current ruling coalition, he said that it is more important to work for the benefit of the people and the country than how long the government will last.
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