Kathmandu, Oct 28: In a move that angered the opposition parties, Nepal government has filled the posts of district body chiefs to which elections were not held for the last one-and-a-half year, inducting pro-monarchy loyalists of the ruling Rashtriya Prajatantra Party. District development committee chairman and vice-chairman in 14 out of the total 75 districts in the country have been appointed, state run Radio Nepal reported today. The government will also fill the vacancies in the remaining 61 districts soon, a local development ministry notice said. The government has recently nominated Mayors and Deputy Mayors in 58 municipalities in the country.
Opposition parties alleged these are efforts to consolidate the pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

The nomination of local body office bearers came after major parties boycotted the government's move to involve cadres from the parties in these bodies.


The filling of posts, which goes against the government's announcement that election will be held as soon as possible, is learnt to have taken place after donor countries warned that foreign aid may be blocked without local representatives in place, as it could be misused.

This is an undemocratic and unconstitutional move of the government, said Nepali Congress Kathmandu District President Tirtha Ram Dangol.
The government should not nominate its loyal people in the local bodies in the name of activating local bodies, he said, and demanded that the house of representatives be reinstated and an all-party government formed.

Bureau Report