KATHMANDU: Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has urged the government to reconsider its decision to implement the report of the probe commission and arrest former prime minister KP Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, Bhandari said she had taken serious note of the government’s move to implement the report of the commission led by Gauri Bahadur Karki, which was formed to investigate the incidents of September 8 and 9.
The commission was formed by the interim election government led by Sushila Karki. Bhandari said the decision by the current government under Balen Shah to implement the report immediately upon assuming office could have sensitive and far-reaching consequences.
The statement claimed that several studies have suggested the report is incomplete, and described the arrest of Oli and Lekhak on the first day of the new government’s tenure as an “immature step.”
Bhandari stressed that implementing any investigation commission’s report requires due legal process, adequate study and institutional consultation. She warned that hasty decisions could weaken public trust in the rule of law and risk increasing instability in the country.
Noting that the current government was formed with good governance as its main agenda, Bhandari said it was unfortunate that such a decision had been taken. She urged the government to reconsider and withdraw the decision while respecting democratic values and constitutional norms, and called on authorities to proceed with restraint and due process to safeguard political stability and the democratic system.
Comment