Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is striving to bring fringe parties and independent lawmakers into the ruling coalition after the current alliance failed to secure a clear majority in the November 20 elections.
A coalition securing 138 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR) can form a government. The five parties in the incumbent ruling coalition command only HoR 136 seats -- two seats less than the required number to maintain a majority.
In this context, PM Deuba apparently seems to be trying to induct the CK Raut-led Janamat Party and Resham Chaudhary-led Nagarik Unmukti Party into the coalition to form a government with a clear majority.
In view of the situation of the government collapsing when any of the ruling parties pulls out of the government, PM Deuba seems to be trying to secure much higher seats than needed to claim a simple majority in the HoR.
Therefore, the government decided to introduce an ordinance to amend the Criminal Code 2017 to ensure the release of leaders and activists of three parties imprisoned in criminal cases. One of the three leaders is Chaudhary, who is serving life imprisonment after being convicted of the Tikapur carnage.
The cabinet meeting held on Sunday decided to introduce an ordinance to facilitate and elevate Chaudhary-led Unmukti Party and the Janamat Party to power.
The government is also preparing to free leaders and cadres of Netra Bikram Chand 'Biplav'-led Communist Party of Nepal through the ordinance.
Meanwhile, PM Deuba has drawn flaks after preparing to introduce an ordinance to acquit the culprit of the Tikapur incident that left eight people, including a toddler and Senior Superintendent of Police Laxman Neupane and other security personnel, dead.
The NC president has been flayed by the general secretaries of his own party and the leaders of the opposition. Stating that the government's move to bring an ordinance is inappropriate, demands are being made to rescind the decision of the Council of Ministers.
NC general secretary duo Bishwa Prakash Sharma and Gagan Thapa have unanimously called on the government to rectify its move and repeal the cabinet decision meant for freeing imprisoned leaders of other parties.
NC leader Pradeep Poudel, who was a candidate for the post of general secretary from Deuba's faction in the party's 14th General Convention, has also toed Sharma and Thapa's line to protest the government's move of introducing ordinance to the release of convict of Tikapur incident Chaudhary.
Poudel, who is also a newly elected HoR lawmaker from Kathmandu 5, said the move of introducing ordinance was wrong – then and now. "If old practices and trends are repeated again and again, how will change be realized," he wondered.
NC's Poudel viewed that all issues should be resolved through the parliament. "Let's find a proper solution to all the issues through the newly elected parliament, not through a hasty ordinance."
After the government move to introduce the ordinance, CPN (UML) leader Bhim Rawal remarked that the Deuba-led government was heading towards a whirlpool of malpractices adopted in the past. Rawal reminded that Deuba had caused many scandals in the past as well just to cling on to power.
Rawal recalled that PM Deuba gained notoriety in the past as well by creating a jumbo cabinet and influencing lawmakers in various ways.
Rawal said, "It is a betrayal of the country and the people on part of the coalition government."
UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli's confidant Gokul Prasad Baskota also sharply criticized the government's move to set free Chaudhary.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) Chairman Kamal Thapa also expressed serious objection to the ordinance. "The ordinance aimed to be brought to acquit the accused of serious criminal cases on the eve of the convening of a new parliament is objectionable," Thapa said, adding, "Such actions that make a mockery of democracy should be stopped immediately."
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Spokesperson Mohan Shrestha also slammed the government for moving ahead with the ordinance plan. "This move is start of power-centric dirty politics embraced by a caretaker government."
"It is unfair, immoral and objectionable for the caretaker government to bring an ordinance with malice when a fresh mandate has come from the election and the new parliament session is set to begin in a few days," Shrestha said.
He wondered why an ordinance to free Chaudhary now when the Deuba-led government came to power one and a half years ago.
President of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Ravi Lamichhane also lashed out at the government saying it has violated the rights of the new parliament by deciding to introduce an ordinance.
"What was such emergency that could not wait for the next couple of weeks," Lamichhane tweeted, "This ordinance must be withdrawn immediately as it violates the new mandate and attempts to encroach upon the rights of the new parliament. This move is the height of political shamelessness."
