Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar has said a directly elected executive head is not suitable for the country. 

Introducing a form of government with a directly-elected president or prime minister will be like ‘walking the opposite direction’, he said, talking to journalists at a press conference in Biratnagar on Tuesday. 

He added that it was futile to talk on that topic as the country had already opted a form of government in which the power has been decentralised to the local levels.

“There was a long struggle in the country against the centralised governing system. The newly promulgated constitution drafted by Constitution Assembly decentralised the power from Singha Durbar to towns, villages and wards,” said Gachhadar, who rejoined the Nepali Congress party recently. 

He added that it would not be a good idea to centralise power once again to the directly elected executive.

In a different context, DPM Gachhadar said that he had not given up on his demand for carving out a separate state by incorporating Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari districts.