KATHMANDU: Gagan Thapa has cautioned Prime Minister Balen Shah against exercising unchecked authority, saying that having a parliamentary majority does not mean anything can be done.
Addressing a parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday, Gagan Thapa said the Nepali Congress will respect the mandate of the government led by the Rastriya Swatantra Party and will not obstruct its positive initiatives.
He said the March 5 election had given a strong mandate to the RSP, and respecting that mandate is the responsibility of all democratic forces. However, he warned against what he termed the illusion of majority rule.
“The basic principle of democracy is the rule of law. No one is above the law. But the government appears to be under a major illusion,” Thapa said.
Recalling earlier political experiences, including the two-thirds majority government led by KP Sharma Oli, he cautioned that no government should assume that electoral strength allows it to act beyond constitutional limits. He said even in past majority governments, democratic actors had to repeatedly stress adherence to the rule of law.
Thapa clarified that Congress would support any government action carried out within constitutional boundaries but would firmly oppose any violation of legal norms.
Concerns over ordinance and eviction drives
On ordinances, Thapa said the party does not oppose them in principle but will scrutinize their intent and content in Parliament. He expressed serious concern over provisions related to the Constitutional Council.
He said the Constitutional Council was created as a watchdog institution to prevent executive overreach, but successive governments have attempted to manipulate it through ordinances.
“Now there appears to be a conspiracy to appoint the Chief Justice through engineered processes, with a three-member majority being used to push decisions,” he said.
Thapa also criticized recent eviction campaigns targeting squatters and landless communities, calling them inhumane.
He said the state must follow proper legal procedures in addressing informal settlements and landless citizens, and added that Congress would support necessary legal reforms.
Referring to recent incidents, he condemned demolition drives affecting religious and public structures, saying a democratic state cannot behave in a “brutal” manner.
“The state cannot be barbaric. It should deliver justice and demonstrate wisdom, not humiliate the poor,” he said.
Thapa also said Congress supports the government’s diplomatic move of sending a note verbale regarding the Limpiyadhura–Lipulekh issue and will cooperate on matters of good governance.
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