KATHMANDU: Three major political parties, Nepali Congress, Nepal Communist Party and Rastriya Swatantra Party, have expressed similar positions on investigating past corruption cases, while Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (UML) appears silent on the issue.
In their election manifestos and commitment documents targeting the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, three out of the four major parties have pledged to investigate corruption committed in the past.
The Nepali Congress has pledged to form a high-level, powerful investigation commission within six months to probe the assets of all individuals who have held high public office since 1991 (2048 BS). The party has also committed to clearly defining policy-level corruption and amending the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act within six months to bring policy decisions leading to corruption under legal scrutiny.
Similarly, the Nepal Communist Party has proposed forming a powerful commission with a one-year mandate to investigate the property details of all individuals who have held public office so far. The party has also pledged to establish a high-level ombudsman by integrating the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, the National Vigilance Center, and the Department of Money Laundering Investigation to strengthen anti-corruption measures.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party has gone a step further, announcing that it would investigate the assets of individuals who have held important public positions since 1990 (2046 BS), two years earlier than the timeline proposed by the Nepali Congress. The party has also pledged to formulate procedures to confiscate and nationalize illegally acquired property and ensure effective implementation.
However, the UML, in its election manifesto, has largely defended its past role and has not introduced any new commitments regarding further investigation into past policy-level or other corruption cases.
Comment