Rabi defends ordinances, calls them essential for legal reforms

KATHMANDU: Ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane has defended the government’s decision to issue ordinances, arguing that they were being introduced to make necessary legal reforms.

Speaking at an informal meeting of the RSP’s parliamentary party on Wednesday, Lamichhane said the ordinance is being brought within the legal framework. “In the past, ordinances were introduced to split parties or detain opponents. The current move is neither to harm anyone nor to benefit anyone, but to carry out essential reforms,” he said. “Unless we correct the unnecessary politicization and flawed appointments of the past, it will not be possible to meet public expectations from this government.”

He added that the government was facing difficulty in taking important decisions as several constitutional bodies and commissions are lying vacant. “The government cannot afford to wait indefinitely,” he said. “A degree of proactiveness and humble political assertiveness is necessary to meet public expectations.”

Commenting on the eviction of squatters, Lamichhane said that people living in high-risk areas have been relocated after repeated notices. He said the government is acting responsibly in data collection and management.

“We are concerned about providing safe housing to people forced to live near sewage lines and flood-prone areas. It is the duty of this government to care about its citizens,” he said. “The government will soon address the squatter issue throughout the country by forming a special commission. No one will be rendered homeless in the process.”