KATHMANDU: Former deputy general secretary of the CPN-UML, Pradeep Gyawali, has sharply criticised ongoing discussions about a possible electoral alliance between Rastriya Swatantra Party Chair Rabi Lamichhane and Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah.
As speculation grows over Lamichhane and Shah joining forces for the upcoming election, Gyawali made the remarks through a post on social media.
“Ideologically aligned forces coming together is a good thing,” Gyawali wrote, adding in parentheses, “though whether it is ideology or interest that aligns them will be revealed by time itself.”
He further remarked that those who once spoke of burning Singha Durbar, or celebrated it being set ablaze, now attempting to reach the same Singha Durbar through democratic competition should be taken as a positive development.
Gyawali, however, criticised the narrative that Nepal has failed to progress because of certain individuals or parties. He said such claims oversimplify complex national challenges.
“Until now, Nepal has not failed simply because certain individuals did not unite,” he wrote, likening such thinking to South Indian films where a hero stamps his foot on stage, creates a storm, and defeats all villains at once.
According to Gyawali, serious political alternatives require clear answers to fundamental questions: what kind of country Nepal should be, what system of governance it should adopt, what economic policies it should pursue, and how a pluralistic and diverse society should be managed.
He accused emerging political forces of promoting negativity, rejection and hatred without offering concrete policy alternatives.
Recalling past political upheavals, Gyawali also referenced the Maoist insurgency period, noting how media outlets once chartered helicopters to cover announcements of “people’s governments” during the armed conflict.
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