The Congress-UML coalition government formed with the promise of constitutional amendment, political stability, development and good governance has completed 9 months. But no progress has been made on the main agenda of constitutional amendment. Dissatisfaction over development and good governance remains. The leaders of the ruling Congress are criticizing the functioning of the government.

KP Sharma Oli was appointed as Prime Minister on 30 June on the basis of the 7-point agreement made by Congress and UML on 17 June. At that time, the amendment of the constitution was said to be the main goal to establish the legitimacy of the alliance between the two major parties in the parliament.

In the second point of the seven-point agreement, it was mentioned that "the national consensus government will review the strengths and weaknesses and complications that have emerged in practice after the implementation of the constitution, and give priority to the necessary amendments to the constitution and the creation of appropriate laws for political stability". 

The meeting of the political apparatus consisting of Congress and UML decided to form a working group for the amendment of the constitution last December. After a series of meetings, the two parties reached the conclusion of forming a working group under the leadership of Congress Parliamentary Party leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula in the National Assembly. 

Sitaula is also the coordinator of the draft committee of the constitution issued by the Constituent Assembly. After 9 months of forming the alliance, criticism is starting within the Congress that even the working group has not been announced. In the meantime, a Congress functionary said that the government's work to increase frustration among the common citizens has also fueled the dissatisfaction within the Congress.

Congress leader Sitaula insists that the government should start the debate on constitutional amendment from the beginning of the new year. It is necessary to review the constitution from the point of view of implementation. If the amendment is necessary to work in the interest of the nation, it should be done. If there is an error somewhere in the state operation, it should be corrected,' he says. 

Congress leader Shekhar Koirala has been expressing dissatisfaction for a long time saying that the government has not acted on the issue of constitutional amendment. He is also dissatisfied with the functioning of the government. Recently, he has started to question the justification of the alliance. Koirala said that not a single work was done according to the seven-point agreement. "We are in the government because this alliance is made up of Congress and UML. We want it to do well, to move forward. To give people hope and trust. But the government's attention is not in that direction. It is only being done away from the people. Anger has increased on the streets.

Koirala believes that the government has not been able to provide good governance, has not proceeded with the work on the amendment of the constitution, has tried to weaken the state system by removing good employees and has increased impunity. The Prime Minister does not go to the streets and speak. I had to work listening to the sound of the road. No one will believe when the Prime Minister goes on the streets and speaks, the people can believe only through work," he said. "The Prime Minister will work according to the seven-point agreement reached between Congress and UML. Either by forming a commission or by forming a parliamentary committee, the process for amending the constitution had to be started.'

On Saturday, Koirala commented in a public event that although the Congress is in the government, it is not in power. "This government has especially talked about the amendment of the constitution, the more it is delayed, the more the size of discontent on the streets will increase," he said while addressing the 17th annual general meeting of BP Community Cooperative Hospital on Saturday.

Chief Minister Gagan Thapa, who is considered to be a 'supporter' of the government within the Congress, is not satisfied with the government's performance in recent times. After the government did not act according to their suggestions, Thapa tried to get out of the circle of Baluwatar. He concluded that the government is not serious about maintaining good governance and amending the constitution. 

General Minister Thapa has publicly expressed his displeasure that Kulman Ghising was dismissed from the post of Executive Director of the Electricity Authority, especially when he was advised not to remove him when his tenure was only four months. But he has also started to be questioned as he plays the dual role of not leaving the political system and also criticizing the government. 

Prime Minister Oli and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba himself led the political mechanism, Congress Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, General Minister Thapa, Home Minister Ramesh Ukhar and Foreign Minister Arju Rana are members. Senior Vice President Ishwar Pokharel, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel and Prime Minister's Political Advisor Bishnu Rimal are members from UML. 

A Congress functionary commented that instead of seeking stability, the government is looking elsewhere. As the government did not find stability, an alliance was formed between the two big parties. This coalition was formed with the conclusion that the constitution should be amended in the direction of finding permanent stability and not just for the moment," he said, "but in the meantime, it does not seem to be moving towards strengthening the system by amending the constitution, seeking good governance and stability of the government." He added, "That's why questions have started to arise within the party about the legitimacy of government formation." 

The leaders of the ruling UML have also started complaining that the government has not prioritized the agenda of constitutional amendment. UML leader Padam Giri says that the government should soon form a working group and hold a debate for constitutional amendment. The main agenda of constitutional amendment is also mentioned in the common minimum program of the government. Constitutional amendment is also necessary for political stability and strengthening of the system,” he says. He claimed that the government's priority is in the direction of constitutional amendment, good governance and economic reform. 

At a time when dissatisfaction is simmering within the power partner Congress, the main opposition Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal has publicly announced that he will support the Congress unconditionally for the formation of the government. In an interview with Image Television on Thursday, he said that if the government is formed under the leadership of the Congress, the Maoists will give clear support.

Congress does what it wants. This matter is very clear," he said, "even if the Congress helps us from outside, we are ready. Even if you come to the government and ask for help, it will be the same.''

  'The achievement of the government was to spend 9 months'

The government could not move forward in the way we envisioned, good governance has become weaker, corruption has increased, there is impunity, there is no improvement in the economic situation, the work of amending the constitution has not been broken 

Congress-UML coalition government formed under the leadership of KP Sharma Oli has completed nine months. In the meantime, on the one hand, there is increasing anger on the streets regarding the working style of the government, and on the other hand, there has also been an uproar within the ruling party. In this context, the edited part of the conversation between Kulchandra Neupane of Kantipur with Congress leader Shekhar Koirala :

You have come saying that the Congress-UML coalition government could not do anything. Is it really so? 

 Before the Congress-UML alliance was formed, there was extreme instability in the government. In 1979, the Congress and Maoists went to the polls with an alliance. After the election, UML and Maoists formed the government. Then Congress and Maoists formed the government. Again it happened to UML and Maoists. We have come to a point where Congress and UML should come together to end such instability. The alliance has also been formed on the issue of constitutional amendment, maintaining good governance, ending impunity and economic reform. But the government could not move in the way we envisioned. Governance became weaker. Corruption has increased a lot. Impunity has increased. There is no improvement in economic conditions. In the work of constitutional amendment, synco is not broken. 

What is the main reason for getting disappointed so soon with the government formed by two big parties? 

The priority of the government is not seen towards the original goal. The preference is to remove one employee, to keep one. One staff removal issue took up most of Parliament's winter session. The Prime Minister and the concerned minister made an issue of it. From that too, one can understand the mentality of the government's leadership and ministers. This is not how government works. 

The government's priority is clear in the seven-point agreement reached between Congress and UML on June 17. Is your argument that the government did not act accordingly? 

, the government could not do anything according to the seven-point agreement. It takes time but the government has not started. It didn't even say that he was doing anything. Everyone has their own reaction as to whether the incident that happened in Tinkune on 15 Chait was caused by the government or by the protesters. But why the government did not want to create a commission for judicial investigation? Shouldn't there be a judicial investigation? The government should look after the people. That's what gets us away. Only three/four faces are leading the government since one and a half decades. How do people believe that good work has been done? 

You have been saying that we are in government but not in power, what does this mean? 

We are in the government, because this coalition is made up of Congress and UML. We want it to do well, to move forward. To give people hope and trust. But the government's attention is not in that direction. It is only working to distance itself from the people. There is outrage in the streets. Victims of co-operatives, microfinance, metered loans are on strike, teachers are on the streets, resident doctors are on strike wearing white coats. Another group will come tomorrow. Shouldn't the government do a better job after seeing the road rage? It was not thought that if a solution is not found in time, it will bring more misfortune. Just figured out how to fire an employee. Congress is in government with UML. But our competition is also with UML. Therefore, we have to oppose not only UML, but also our own ministers when doing wrong.  

They are saying that if the constitution is not amended, there will be more anger on the streets. Do ordinary citizens have such an interest in constitutional amendment? 

During the implementation of the constitution, many errors have been observed. A constitutional amendment is necessary to address it. Even now, some communities of Madhesh have not fully accepted the constitution. Voices are being raised that this electoral system does not work. Reforms are being raised in the judiciary and constitutional bodies. There are questions about structural reforms and distribution of rights. A constitutional amendment is necessary to address all of them. Without acting on it, the Prime Minister himself goes on the streets and speaks. Now the teachers across the country are on strike, the Prime Minister went to Butwal without seeing him. Such tendencies of the Prime Minister could not establish the justification for meeting the Congress and the UML. We want the rationale for the merger of the two parties to be established soon.

Hasn't this government achieved a single achievement? 

I don't see anything. The achievement of this government is to spend nine months. 

 Congress and UML are saying that the coalition government could not be successful. After the failure of the government, you must have thought of alternatives. What are the options? 

Right now we're not talking about options. There is still an opportunity to act righteously. We want the government to work in that direction soon. I hope that the government will improve soon.  

How long will you be patient to reform the government? 

As we are political creatures, we will be patient but the road cannot be patient. If the government continues at this pace, the road will look for alternatives. The day the street looks for an alternative, that day the politics of Nepal will go beyond what we imagined. Don't let that day come. 

Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his commitment to unconditional support for the formation of a Congress-led government in a television interview, how do you see it? 

Prachandaji has spoken to make the Congress very excited. But a few days ago, he said, "We communists are divided, don't think that we can't get together, we can get together." This has also made the Congress suspicious. 

Are you afraid that the left will unite? 

is not like that. Just as we say that the democrats should come together, we should not take it negatively when the voices of the left wing should also come together. The only concern is where the Left will take the country together. Also, the left-wing leaders are leading the government since 1979. Congress is only helping. This also shows how the left-wing government is proceeding.  

Congress has started looking for an alternative to the government?