Situation might warrant an election: NC president Deuba

The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, president Sher Bahadur Deuba has said a situation might come for going for the election to give an outlet to the nation from the present political condition.

Inaugurating the National Assembly and the Statute Convention of Nepal Civil Service Employees Union (Federal) here today, the main opposition party leader said the election could be a compulsion.

"If a new government is formed, it's alright. If not, then we might have to opt for the election. The election could be mandatory," he said, adding that even if the new government cannot be formed under the NC's leadership, the party will have to work for the election and the party's general convention.

The NC president said: "We have to seek an alternative to the present government and both these tasks are in priority."

The NC president's this remarks come when political parties are talking of making power equation to seeking an alternative to the incumbent government.

He said he was not enamoured to become the Prime Minister, "It is not that only I should be the Prime Minister. We should work being based on the realistic ground. The situation is not favourable at present. Let us propose any one else candidate (for the Prime Minister) and I will not compromise on the party's principle," he said.

Former Prime Minister Deuba accused the present Prime Minister of attempting to disturb the system and called on all to stand against such 'wrong tendencies'.

He also gave assurances that his party would make maximum efforts to have the present Civil Service Act abrogated and making it civil service employees-friendly.

Senior leader ram Chandra Poudel said rather than going for the election immediately, the priority should be on removing the present government and then creating the environment for the election.

He stressed that the civil service should be made service-oriented, systematized and transparent instead of keeping it under the influence of the political parties.

NC vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi said the country will have to go for the general election sooner or later as the Nepali Congress was not in a position to form a government under its leadership in the present situation. He added that the party should be taken ahead accordingly.

NC general secretary Dr Shashank Koirala said the situation would not be in favour of the Nepali Congress party unless the present government was unseated.

Party spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma viewed that there was no alternative to taking the country forward on the path of economic prosperity by giving an alternative of the present government as it has lost the people's mandate to rule following the splitting of the NCP.

Party central member Gagan Kumar Thapa alleged the government of rendering the civil service into disarray. He said an alternative to the present government should be sought and the country taken ahead towards election.

Union president Gopal Prasad Pokharel, senior vice-president Surendra Adhikari, former president Subodh Kumar Devkota, among other officials accused the government of transferring and promoting government employees in a biased way and unilateral manner. They demanded that the Federal Civil Service Act, which is under consideration in parliament, should be abrogated as it is against the interests of the employees.

The two-day conclave will hold discussions on various problems of and ways of addressing the problems in the civil service and making it more efficient.

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