Kathmandu: CPN (Maoist Centre) Deputy General Secretary Barshaman Pun Ananta has commented that Prime Minister KP Oli is walking around saying “I won’t look at the face of the corrupt,” while keeping ministers involved in corruption and state exploitation by his side.
Speaking at the 23rd convention of the party-affiliated student organization All Revolutionary in Rolpa on Monday evening, Pun mentioned that people laugh when they hear Prime Minister Oli say that he won’t look at the face of the corrupt while sitting among corrupt people. “KP Oli has been saying, ‘I don’t commit corruption, I won’t let others do it either, and I won’t look at the face of the corrupt.’ But when people hear him say this while keeping ministers involved in various scandals by his side, they laugh. People say that what Oli actually meant is that he won’t look at the face of the corrupt, but he hasn’t said that he won’t keep them by his side,” Pun remarked. He accused that the overnight agreement between the Congress and UML was made out of fear of the anti-corruption steps taken by the government led by his party’s chairman, Prachanda.
Pun mentioned that the unexpected alliance between the Congress and UML was formed after investigations into the Bhutanese refugee case and the Giribandhu Tea Estate case began, and after the government started reclaiming the government land encroached upon in Baluwatar. He stated that the recent developments have proven wrong the Maoists’ assumption that the Congress and UML would have transformed after the Maoist armed struggle, the joint movement of 2062/063, the peace process, the declaration of the republic, and the constitution-making process through the Constituent Assembly.
“We have brought the old parties, the Congress and UML, who reeked of corruption among the people, this far through the peace process, the republic, and the Constituent Assembly. We thought they might have improved by now. But they are trying to go back to their old ways by serving corruption, irregularities, and intermediaries. We won’t let them return to their old ways. We will hold them accountable,” Pun said. He warned that they would continue to hold the government accountable both in the streets and in parliament to maintain good governance and fight corruption.
In a different context, Pun, who was the Finance Minister in the previous government led by Prachanda, said they are not worried about being out of the government. However, he claimed that senior Congress leaders have started saying that the government will only last a hundred days. “We are not in a hurry to return to the government,” Pun said. “Senior Congress leaders have started saying that the government might last only a hundred days.” He warned that if the government continues to protect elements involved in corruption, state exploitation, and intermediaries, the people will chase them away. Pun stated that the political winds from Bangladesh have started blowing in Kathmandu and other major cities, urging the government to continue the anti-corruption campaign initiated by their party’s government.
In a different context, Pun mentioned that Rolpa has made great strides in development after the peace process. He noted that all 71 wards of the district have been connected to the road network, electrification has been completed, dozens of modern school buildings have been constructed, and many projects like irrigation and embankments have been undertaken. He also mentioned that they are working with a plan to create employment opportunities within the district through agricultural production.
