KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is facing growing pressure from within his own party, the CPN-UML, to immediately sack ministers embroiled in a recent bribery scandal.
Speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters Club on Monday, UML’s Chief of Publicity Department, Rajendra Gautam, said that party leaders have already urged the Prime Minister to act swiftly against the ministers allegedly involved in bargaining for bribes.
The scandal involves Federal Affairs Minister Rajkumar Gupta, who has been linked via leaked audio to a middleman discussing bribes for appointments. Land Management Minister Balram Adhikari has also been implicated in the controversy.
Gautam made it clear that the party takes the issue seriously and does not want the agenda of good governance to be overshadowed. He confirmed that the Prime Minister has been made aware of the matter and has already met with Minister Gupta to discuss it.
“There is no room for delay. Ministers caught in corruption deals should be removed immediately,” Gautam said. “The Prime Minister must act decisively against those who fail to uphold the dignity of the constitution and public office.”
Gautam also emphasized that ministers unable to carry out the government’s mission or respect constitutional and institutional norms should no longer remain in office.
In a separate context, Gautam addressed the issue of constitutional amendment, stating that unless the government secures a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament: the House of Representatives and the National Assembly, no amendment process will move forward. He clarified that any such move would require broad national consensus.
“The matter of constitutional amendment must be understood in the current legal and political context,” Gautam said. “We need a two-thirds majority to even begin the process, and that will happen only when the numbers align.”
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