KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has clarified the issue of several cabinet ministers resigning from their posts to contest the upcoming elections.
Responding to questions raised by lawmakers while addressing the National Assembly for the first time on Monday, Prime Minister Karki said the ministers had made their political intentions clear even before joining the cabinet and were allowed to leave accordingly.
Former ministers Kulman Ghising, Mahabir Pun, Jagadish Kharel and Bablu Gupta resigned from the cabinet to enter electoral politics. The Prime Minister said their departure was not unexpected, adding that she had given them a clear assurance that they could step down whenever they decided to contest elections.
“Those who did not want to go stayed. We knew they had political interests, and they came under Gen-Z pressure. They came and they left. At present, there is no contact,” Prime Minister Karki said, adding that the ministers had not misused their positions.
She urged lawmakers not to blame the former ministers, saying the responsibility should rest with her instead. “If anyone is to be blamed, blame me, not them. I had clearly told them that the day they decided to leave, I would bid them farewell. Saying they acted dishonestly would be unfair,” she said.
Prime Minister Karki also revealed that there was significant pressure from the Gen-Z movement to include them in the cabinet at the time of government formation. “It was their life, their age and their values. I made the commitment. There was pressure to bring them in, and they had clearly said they would leave when they wished. Till today, they have had no contact with the cabinet,” she added.
Earlier, addressing the National Assembly, Prime Minister Karki said she had been compelled by circumstances to assume leadership following the Gen-Z movement of September 8 and 9. She said becoming Prime Minister was not a matter of personal ambition.
“This opportunity came because of circumstances, not desire. I did not seek it. Circumstances forced me, and I came,” she said, adding that addressing Parliament for the first time was a rare and memorable experience in her life.
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