Kathmandu, May 29: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has asserted that there was no alternative to federal democratic republic system in the country.Addressing a special ceremony organised at Tundikhel on the occasion of Republic Day 2082, Prime Minister Oli shared the republic does not belong to any one party and its true owner is the people as well as a democratic republic system of governance ‘of the people, by the people and for the people.’
According to this principle, citizens themselves choose their representatives from the ward level to the President and they can change their representatives, added PM Oli, stating that therefore, the responsibility for good or bad also lies in our hands.He mentioned that the country has seen far greater progress in schools, communications and infrastructures in just 17 years of its establishment than in 250 years of the lavish monarchy, stressing the need that all should be united to build and strengthen the republic.
“The debate in our society is not about whether autocracy or the republic is better. There may still be many areas where those of us in formal and informal positions of power must improve our conduct and bahaviour. The challenges of poverty, unemployment and corruption facing the nation cannot be overcome by seeking an authoritarian ruler wearing a crown. Rather, in a democratic system, the solution lies in honestly electing strong political leaders who can face and address these issues. History bears witness; the monarchy ruled over the people; it did not serve them. The shift from rule to service began with the republic- it is not yet complete.”
PM Oli argued, “Good governance, transparency and accountability are the backbone of a republican system. We are committed to strengthening them and dedicated to fulfilling our national aspiration of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali.'”Republic is not something we were given, it’s something we achieved through the sacrifices and dedication of thousands of people. Today the people themselves cote inclusively, electing at least 36,057 representatives from various castes, ethnicities and communities–from ward members to the president of the country”, he mentioned.Prime Minister Oli stated, “When rights are matched with responsibilities, only then the republic can steer our beautiful country towards development, prosperity ad good governance.”
He questioned, “Where were our development indicators before the republic and where are they now? Let us reflect: Where was our Human Development Index before the republic? Where is it now? How any schools and hospitals existed during the 250 years of monarchy and how many kilometers of roads existed then and how many now? How many people had access to clean drinking water and electricity and how many have it today? Where was the standard of living of the people then and where is it now?”He shared that all these achievements were possible from democratic republic.
Prime Minister Oli further said, “Today is a special day for us. It marks the historic date–Jestha 15, 2065- when after years of struggle with the sacrifices of thousands of brothers and sisters, and our collective tireless efforts, Nepal became a democratic republic. In remembrance of that historic day, today we are celebrating the Republic Day.”
He mentioned that we all people dismantled the autocratic system ruled by the commands of the crown and established a system where the country is governed by the decisions made from the hearts of the people, adding this historic milestone achieved by our society is something we must never forget and we never will.
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