Ruling Coalition Issues Policy Priorities and Common Resolution

The ruling alliance of five political parties issued a document on minimum policy priorities and common resolution with the goal of “tackling hopelessness and generating hope.”

Vice-chair of UML Bishnu Poudel read out the document during an event at the Prime Minister’s Office on March 19.

The preamble to the document recognizes and outlines five key challenges faced by the current government including economic stagnation, impunity and professional hopelessness. They are:

• Deviations from the spirit of the constitution in the running of the state
• Economic stagnation, impunity and professional hopelessness
• Hopelessness, anger, and negative mentality in the society, especially among the youth
• Need for the development of strengthened and balanced international relations
• Lack of pride in Nepal’s history and dignity, struggles and sacrifices, and changes and achievements 

The document groups its priorities under 13 headings:

1. Ending economic stagnation
2. Freeing financial institutions from irregularities
3. Implementation of federalism and public structural reforms
4. Efficient service delivery and good governance
5. Jobs-employment-entrepreneurship and domestic production
6. Education, health and social security
7. Physical infrastructure development and inter-agency coordination
8. Energy development, information and communication
9. Land management, forest-environment, climate adaptation, and disaster management
10. Youth and sports, tourism, culture and social cohesion
11. Female participation, empowerment and social inclusion
12. Transitional justice and sustainable peace
13. Protection of national interests and independent and non-aligned foreign policy.

The vision document was drafted by a task force comprising representatives from the five parties. It included Bishnu Poudel and Bishnu Rimal (CPN-UML), Barshaman Pun and Janardan Sharma (Maoist Centre), Swarnim Wagle and Mukul Dhakal (Rastriya Swatantra Party), Rajendra Shrestha and Manish Suman (Janata Samajbadi Party), and Pramesh Hamal and Ghanashyam Bhusal (CPN-Unified Socialist).