CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Hit Bahadur Tamang has said that the Nepali Congress made a serious mistake by joining the government led by KP Sharma Oli.
Speaking at an interaction program titled “Reinstatement of Parliament or Elections” organized by Reporters Club Nepal on Tuesday, Tamang said that if the Nepali Congress had withdrawn its support on the 23rd (of Bhadra), the political situation would have allowed Congress, as the largest party, to lead the government. However, he claimed that Sher Bahadur Deuba missed the opportunity to become Prime Minister due to KP Oli’s political blackmailing.
He said, “If the government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ was allowed to continue, there was fear that Arzu Deuba and other leaders could be jailed. So Oli blackmailed them—either support my government or face legal action. Because of this blackmail, they joined the government. Had they withdrawn their support after 23 innocent students were killed, Sher Bahadur Deuba would not be in such a situation today.”
Tamang further stated that the Maoist Centre does not see any alternative to elections now. However, he stressed that the government must ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections where citizens can participate without fear, and political parties and civil society must be assured of credible election management.
“Political parties and civil society must be convinced that elections will be fair, citizens can vote freely, and the process will be peaceful. The state mechanism itself must build that confidence—including in the context of the new generation (Gen-Z),” he said. “There is no alternative to elections because parliament has already been dissolved. Without parliament, elections must be held within the constitutional deadline, regardless of any challenges.”
He expressed doubts about the election environment, raising concerns that those accused by the Gen-Z movement have not been brought under investigation, security personnel’s weapons were seized during protests, and escaped prisoners are still at large.
Tamang also said that the demand for a directly elected executive raised by the Gen-Z movement has been a long-standing agenda of the Maoists for the last 20 years. He accused KP Oli of pushing the country into the Gen-Z uprising by dissolving parliament hastily instead of resolving the demand for a directly elected executive through constitutional amendments.
He proposed forming a roundtable conference to revive parliament, amend the constitution, and adopt a directly elected executive system. “If a roundtable conference is held to ensure a constitutional arrangement for a directly elected executive head, followed by immediate dissolution of parliament, that would be a good solution,” he said.
He held former Prime Minister Oli responsible for the Gen-Z movement, during which 76 people lost their lives and property worth billions was destroyed. He also reiterated that the Nepali Congress made a grave mistake by not withdrawing support from the government even after 23 innocent students were killed during the Gen-Z protests on Bhadra 23.
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