Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, at least for now, appears resolute in his commitment to the government-formation agreement between his party, the CPN-UML, and the Nepali Congress.

Prime Minister Oli pledged a smooth transfer of power ‘to ensure political stability’, while giving instructions to government secretaries on Tuesday. Earlier, on Sunday, the prime minister had received ministerial briefings from the secretaries.

Under the July 1 deal between the Congress and the UML, Oli, the UML chairman, became the prime minister on July 15 for a two-year term. As per the deal, he is expected to hand over the premiership to Sher Bahadur Deuba, the Congress chief, after this period.

However, with concerns from coalition partners about whether Oli would honour this commitment, Prime Minister Oli on Tuesday said that he would resign a week before completing his two year-term.

While speaking on the occasion of the 42nd BP Koirala Memorial Day on July 20, Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa had expressed doubts about whether Prime Minister Oli would smoothly hand over the prime ministership to the Congress.

In response, Prime Minister Oli, while addressing government secretaries on Tuesday, pledged that the current coalition would ensure political stability. He urged them to work efficiently with a focus on results.

“I will resign a week before completing my two-year term as prime minister,” Oli said. “After that, Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba will be the prime minister to ensure political stability.”

“There is a confusion about the longevity of this government. I would like to clear the air. This government will not even crumble, let alone topple,” Oli said.

When Prime Minister Oli was trying to ensure the stability of the government, there was a dramatic shakeup in the leadership of the bureaucracy on Monday. His Cabinet decided to reassign the responsibilities of 21 secretaries.

However, Oli, while directing them on Tuesday, said that as the government was formed with the participation of two major parties at a crucial juncture in the country’s history, there is no room for failure.

“When the earlier government failed to deliver, this one was formed with the backing of two major parties,” Oli said while directing the secretaries. “To address the frustration of people, the government should work efficiently and deliver results.”

Oli also said that those receiving salaries from the government should not claim additional bonuses for attending meetings.

Likewise, the prime minister stressed the need to complete ongoing projects rather than start new ones. He also asked them to work out a plan to save the millions of dollars spent on importing fossil fuel and emphasised the need for promoting hydropower.

The prime minister also directed the secretaries to respond promptly to the grievances of the common people.

The prime minister's directives to the secretaries were almost the same as those given by his predecessor.

“With each new government, directing the secretaries has become a ritual,” Umesh Mainali, a former chief of the Public Service Commission, told the Post. “Instead of issuing directives, the government should be working to provide a more working environment for bureaucrats.”

Reacting to Monday’s bureaucratic shake-up, Mainali said a mature leader seldom transfers secretaries without evaluating their performance.

“If the present government was focused on results, it would not have transferred the secretaries of almost all ministries, right after receiving their briefings on Sunday,” added Mainali.

Two secretaries who participated in the discussion with the prime minister, told the Post requesting anonymity that there is no dearth of such instructions from the head of government. “What the bureaucracy needs instead is confidence and favourable work conditions.”

“Our colleagues often face corruption charges simply for following ministers’ instructions,” the secretaries told the Post. “Currently, there is no ministry that hasn’t received an inquiry letter from the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority.”