Over a month after the formation of the interim government, people from various walks of life have started raising questions whether the Sushila Karki administration is deviating from its principal task of conducting parliamentary elections on March 5.

Some of the decisions have made people doubt whether the election government is really committed to holding the polls on schedule or is wasting precious time. Some observers including former election commission officials and experts, however, said it is too early to doubt the government’s intention. They argue that five months is sufficient to conduct the elections if the time is utilised properly.

But leaders from political parties have accused the government of deviating from its major responsibility and taking unnecessary decisions.

During a consultation meeting organised by the Election Commission on October 16, representatives of various political parties expressed their dissatisfaction, saying that the Karki administration had failed to create an environment conducive to holding the polls.

Despite repeated assurances from both the government and the Election Commission, political parties have voiced scepticism about the prospect of free and fair elections.

Multiple experts that the Post talked to expressed similar concerns about the government’s lack of focus on creating an environment for the polls. They said that while the government has yet to hold serious dialogue with the major parties, it is taking decisions such as terminating appointments made by the previous administration. It has given credence to suspicions that the government is diverting its energy from its core mission, they said.

Within days of being appointed minister for energy, water resources, and irrigation, Kulman Ghising transferred Hitendra Dev Shakya, who was appointed the head of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) by the former government in place of Ghising, from the utility. It was perceived as a revengeful move by Ghising.

Similarly, a Cabinet meeting on October 16 decided to recall 11 Nepali ambassadors appointed by the previous administration.

While Karki has failed to give full shape to her Cabinet, she has shown interest in recalling ambassadors even from some important destinations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, said a former diplomat.

On Friday, Nepali Congress spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat questioned the rationale behind recalling the ambassadors while also accusing the government of shying away from its main responsibility.

“The government should have been focusing on holding the elections on time,” Mahat told reporters. “But it has shown deviation by taking decisions such as recalling ambassadors appointed by the earlier administration.”

Experts argue that weakening an important administration like the foreign affairs especially in such a sensitive period raises doubts about the government’s priorities.

“It was not the right decision for the interim government to recall ambassadors at such a critical time,” said Geja Sharma Wagle, a political analyst. “The government must focus on its prime objective, which is to hold the elections on time.”

Wagle added that it may still be too early to conclude that the government has deviated from its responsibility. However, he expressed concerns that the administration has not yet done enough to create a favourable environment for the polls.

Political analyst Uddhab Pyakurel offered a slightly different perspective. He argued that the current situation cannot be viewed through the normal lens. The Karki government, he said, emerged from the Gen Z movement, which had delegitimised traditional parties and some acts done by their governments. Therefore, for Pyakurel it is unsurprising that those parties are reluctant to recognise the interim government.

While Pyakurel agreed that recalling ambassadors at this time can be questioned, he suggested the government might have lacked confidence in its ability to present itself internationally through representatives closely tied to political parties.

“Having said that, transferring the NEA chief, who was a competitor of the current energy minister, was not a mature decision,” Pyakurel added. “This was certainly not on the agenda of an interim government formed primarily to conduct elections.”

An official at the Prime Minister’s Office also holds similar views to Pyakurel on the issue of recalling some politically appointed ambassadors. Claiming that the government has not deviated from its original agenda, the official said that even among the political appointees there are some exceptions.

Ambassador Shankar Sharma (India), Chitra Lekha Yadav (Australia) and Shivamaya Thumbahangphe (South Korea) have not been recalled. Those ambassadors who cannot represent the government formed after the Gen Z movement were called back, the official added.

“Ambassadors appointed for undue gains were recalled,” the official said, who spoke to the Post on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk about the issue publicly. “In the embassies where officials from the foreign ministry are more effective than the ambassadors themselves were recalled too. The decision to recall ambassadors was made on the basis of merit, with the aim to cut costs.”

The government’s own sense of urgency appears to be lacking. Leaders from the CPN-UML said that the administration has not even initiated formal dialogue with the political parties. When President Ramchandra Paudel is active in facilitating election preparedness, the government, whose role should be more proactive, is not even engaging major political actors, leaders said.

“The President is ceremonial; the institution acts only as a custodian. But it is the government’s responsibility to create the environment for elections, and it has not done so,” said UML leader Mahesh Bartaula.

“The police force is still traumatised after the Gen Z protests. It was the government’s duty to take all the major players—especially the political parties—into confidence,” Bartaula added. “But it has failed to do so.”

In response, Ram Bahadur Rawal, press coordinator to Prime Minister Karki, insisted that the government remains committed to its original objective. He said that apart from conducting the elections, the government has to address the aspirations of the Gen Z movement as well.

“The government has already made significant groundwork to ensure that the election is held in a free, fair and timely manner,” Rawal said. “Much of this work is happening at multiple levels. As far as dialogue with the political parties is concerned, the government is indeed communicating with them, though not all discussions have been made public.”

On Friday, CPN (Maoist Centre) leaders Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Barshaman Pun met with Prime Minister Karki to discuss election-related matters.

Former chief election commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav said that five months is enough time to prepare for the polls, provided that a conducive environment exists.