KATHMANDU: Parasmani Gelal, a lawmaker from Rastriya Swatantra Party representing Udayapur, has clarified his recent remarks about the “transfer of mayors,” which went viral on social media.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Gelal said the phrase “transferring a mayor” was used as a political expression, referring to the public’s ability to vote elected representatives out of office through elections.
He said he made the remarks while interacting with constituents after receiving widespread complaints that local governments and mayors in his constituency had failed to deliver basic infrastructure, including road construction and maintenance.
Gelal argued that while civil servants are part of the permanent administrative system and should be corrected through guidance rather than frequent transfers, elected representatives who fail to perform can ultimately be removed by the sovereign people through the electoral process.
He claimed that only a short clip of his longer statement had been circulated on social media, creating confusion. According to Gelal, his full message had encouraged voters to “join the campaign to transfer the mayor in the next election and elect a better one.”
Responding to criticism, Gelal noted that he serves in the country’s lawmaking body and said constitutions and laws can evolve over time. He suggested that future generations could introduce legal mechanisms allowing elected representatives who fail to fulfill their responsibilities to be removed from office before the end of their term.
Gelal also stressed that the transfer of civil servants and the replacement of political leaders are fundamentally different concepts, adding that informed citizens had understood the intent of his remarks, while critics were deliberately seeking controversy.
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