KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Secretary and Member of the House of Representatives Yogesh Bhattarai has called for an investigation into Maoist Centre Chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ over his role in the controversial “cooling-off period” clause in the Federal Civil Service Bill.
Taking to Facebook on Sunday, Bhattarai said serious concerns have been raised about Prachanda’s recent comments regarding the provision, which regulates the transition of civil servants into politics. Bhattarai argued that Dahal himself should be investigated for three key reasons.
Bhattarai’s remarks come in response to a statement made by Dahal at a public event on Saturday, where the former Prime Minister said that CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli should be investigated in connection with the bill.
Countering that, Bhattarai wrote, “You were the Prime Minister when this bill was registered in Parliament. The cabinet meeting chaired by you approved the submission of this bill, which did not contain any provision for a cooling-off period. This clearly shows that you were not in favor of such a provision at the time.”
He further questioned Dahal’s current stance now that he is in the opposition, asking, “How did the ghost of a cooling-off period suddenly emerge?”
Bhattarai also reminded that Dahal is a senior member of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives, which initially recommended including a cooling-off period.
“But why was this provision reversed when the committee’s report reached Parliament?” he asked. “As the senior-most member of the committee, doesn’t this raise ethical questions about your conduct?”
Bhattarai’s comments add to the growing political friction over the bill, which has drawn criticism for potentially allowing civil servants to jump into politics without any buffer period, raising concerns about the politicization of the bureaucracy.
Comment