Miscellaneous
Money, power had role in candidate selection: Ex-prez
Former president Ram Baran Yadav has stressed the need for maintaining balanced and respectful relations among the executive, legislature and the judiciary for institutional development of democracy.Rastriya Samachar Samiti
Former president Ram Baran Yadav has stressed the need for maintaining balanced and respectful relations among the executive, legislature and the judiciary for institutional development of democracy.
“Respect among the three [state] organs is necessary to strengthen democracy and the constitution envisages the same,” Yadav said at a programme organised by the Sushil Koirala Memorial Foundation on the local level elections and constitution implementation. The former president said the constitution would be fully implemented only after elections to the House of Representatives and the State Assemblies.
Commenting on the bad practices that grip the elections, Yadav, who hails from Dhanusha, said people dedicated to their parties and those having lasting contributions were not fielded as candidates. “Instead, crusher industry owners and those with cash got the chance,” he said, calling for an end to the anomalies.
“There were reports that a person spent or donated up to Rs5 million to get the ticket for a ward chair and up to Rs10 million for a chief/mayor,” said Yadav, warning that if the current situation persisted, people with honesty would not get opportunities to compete in the elections.
Former chairman of the Council of Ministers Khilraj Regmi was of the view that implementation of the constitution would not be possible without realisation of the rights granted to the people by the charter introduced two years ago.
Foundation President and NC General Secretary Shashank Koirala said the local level elections constituted implementation of the constitution. The polls had contributed to institutionalisation of democracy.
The foundation was established last year in the name of the late Congress president and prime minister Sushil Koirala.
Former speaker Subas Nembang accused the government of expanding the Cabinet in the aftermath of the elections in gross violation of the election code of conduct.
National Human Rights Commission member Mohna Ansari recalled the significant contribution of the late Koirala to promulgating the historic constitution.
Experts on constitution Bipin Adhikari and Bhimarjun Acharya urged the political parties to be serious about implementation of the charter drafted by the people’s representatives.