KATHMANDU: Nepal Samajwadi Party (Naya Shakti) Chairman and former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has said that the continuous obstruction of Parliament is severely damaging the country’s democratic process.
In a conversation with the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), Dr. Bhattarai expressed concern that Parliament has become a venue for party leaders to serve personal and partisan interests rather than solving the issues faced by the public.
“Bills need to be passed, and there are crucial national and international issues at hand. With the budget session underway, Parliament should be focusing on serious economic matters. But instead, deliberate obstruction is undermining democracy itself,” he said.
Dr. Bhattarai reflected on the current parliamentary impasse, leftist politics, youth migration, and economic concerns:
“I am deeply saddened and alarmed by the ongoing deadlock in Parliament over the past several days. Nepal does not follow a traditional Westminster parliamentary system—we adopted an inclusive, participatory model meant to go beyond that. Unfortunately, we are falling short in its practice.”
He criticized the political culture of switching narratives based on power. “While in power, parties claim everything is working fine; once out of power, they claim nothing is. This opportunistic approach undermines the spirit of democracy. That’s why we fought to push Nepal’s democracy forward.”
Dr. Bhattarai pointed out how Parliament has remained paralyzed for extended periods over relatively minor disagreements. “In recent years, proceedings have been stalled for months, halting the passage of vital legislation. We’re now in the budget session, and instead of engaging in constructive debates, obstruction has become the norm. It’s a direct blow to democratic governance.”
Speaking on the economy, he said, “Nepal’s economy has long been stagnant. After the transition to democracy, we should have focused on rapid transformation by fully utilizing our resources. That didn’t happen.”
He described the economy as being trapped in a cycle of internal stagnation and external dependence, saying, “We’ve failed to break free from this pattern, and that’s what we are trying to change.”
Dr. Bhattarai argued that traditional political games and outdated thinking have blocked real progress.
“We have failed to prioritize economic reform. This has created widespread public dissatisfaction and increased the call for alternative politics. There’s a growing sense that the current political system needs structural change.”
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