KATHMANDU: Minister for Communications and Information Technology and government spokesperson Prithvi Subba Gurung has said that government employees should not be allowed to form party-affiliated organizations in a democratic system.
Speaking at an interaction program on Tuesday titled “Using the Right to Information for Reliable Journalism,” Gurung argued that while such affiliations may have been justifiable during the struggle against autocracy, they are no longer appropriate under a democratic framework.
“Back then, we all united in the fight against autocracy. But now that we have democracy, employees should not be allowed to organize under party banners,” Gurung said. “This practice is obstructing our bureaucracy from delivering good governance.”
He also criticized the ongoing agitation by the Nepal Teachers’ Federation, suggesting that political affiliation among employees weakens institutional integrity and merit-based governance.
“If a minister wants to promote meritocracy, can he? No. Because these affiliations interfere,” Gurung added. “If we fail to reform this now, we risk not just the dignity of our institutions, but the credibility of our democracy itself.”
Comment