Opposition Lawmakers Confront Cabinet Over Inflation and Governance
Parliamentarians have launched sharp criticisms against the cabinet, citing soaring inflation, alleged collusion in executive appointments, and violent demonstrations targeting democratic institutions.
Lawmakers across political lines have sharpened their scrutiny of the government, targeting issues ranging from consumer hardships to alleged impropriety in high-level administrative appointments and the conduct of recent street protests.
On Wednesday, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) Secretary and deputy parliamentary party leader Padma Aryal condemned the administration’s handling of basic services. Speaking to reporters on the premises of the Federal Parliament building, Aryal urged the government to abandon grand rhetoric and address immediate livelihood concerns, such as containing inflation and resolving shortages of cooking gas, as reported by Ratopati English and Onlinekhabar. Citing her own history of political imprisonment during past movements for democracy, Aryal stated that fear of retribution would not silence her from voicing public frustrations, accusing the leadership of profound indifference to ordinary citizens' welfare.
Scrutiny extended inside the House of Representatives on Thursday, where Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chief Whip Khushbu Oli called for a formal parliamentary investigation into the appointment of the executive director of the Software Development and Operations Centre, an entity operating under the Prime Minister's Office. According to Onlinekhabar's coverage of the parliamentary session, Oli alleged policy corruption and premeditated manipulation in the selection process. She stated that Kiran Timsina, who had headed the task force formed on May 26 (Jestha 12) to draft the governing operational criteria, tailored the rules to facilitate his own eventual appointment.
Oli presented a timeline showing that candidates were shortlisted on September 17 (Asoj 1) and interviewed the following day, after which the cabinet endorsed the appointment. She claimed the decision was kept hidden for five days, citing social media posts and celebratory photos by Timsina with prime ministerial office staff that reportedly surfaced before the formal vacancy announcement. Oli characterized the process as a breach of the Good Governance Act, 2008, while also rebuking the administration for inaction on legislative promises and its handling of citizenship rights for Non-Resident Nepalis.
During the same House session on Thursday, CPN-UML lawmaker Bishnu Maya BK expressed grave concern over violent turnouts during demonstrations held under the banner of the "Gen-Z" movement, Onlinekhabar reported. BK cautioned that inciting hostility against political organizations weakens the constitutional framework, arguing that stability relies on organized ideology rather than anti-party rhetoric. Highlighting major infrastructure achievements accomplished over Nepal's 35 years of democratic practice—including the Mid-Hill Highway, the Melamchi Water Supply Project, and the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project—she condemned physical assaults against elected representatives and the vandalism of parliament premises, urging an impartial probe into the violence.