KATHMANDU: Pushpa Kamal Dahal, coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), has said that holding elections within the scheduled timeframe is unavoidable to resolve the current political crisis.
Speaking at the program titled “Collaboration for Peace, Stability and Prosperity: A Collective Effort” organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday, Dahal said that the way forward is to obtain a fresh public mandate through elections and restore the parliament.
“Elections must be conducted in a free, fair and fear-free environment to establish a new parliament for peace, stability and prosperity. The new parliament will address the ambiguities present in the constitution,” Dahal said.
He stated that recent political developments and the Gen Z-led movement have compelled established political forces and traditional thinking to engage in self-reflection. Emphasizing the need for reform, Dahal said political leadership must identify its shortcomings and move toward correction.
“We must introspect and find where we went wrong. Established forces have now reached a point where they must either move forward by prioritizing citizens’ needs or step aside as their relevance fades,” he said.
Dahal also stressed that elections should not be viewed merely as political competition but as a process to build national consensus. Referring to the Gen Z movement, he said there has been growing momentum toward national consensus and political unity among all stakeholders.
The NCP coordinator said the current government has succeeded in creating an environment conducive to holding elections despite challenging circumstances. “Instead of remaining trapped in uncertainty, we must now focus on elections. Even amid difficulties, the government has been moving toward elections as the only viable option,” he added.
Addressing economic issues, Dahal argued that political stability and economic prosperity are not possible without active participation from the private sector. He said development and prosperity cannot be achieved without protecting and encouraging private enterprises.
According to him, sustainable prosperity is possible only through cooperation among the state, the private sector and communities, which would help generate employment, expand investment and increase production.
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