KATHMANDU, Feb 7: Members of the National Assembly have expressed concern that elections may not be held in a fear-free environment as prisoners who escaped during the Gen Z movement and weapons looted from the police are yet to be recovered.
Speaking during the special session of the Assembly on Friday, lawmaker Jayanti Devi Rai said the Gen Z movement emerged because long-standing issues such as ending corruption, ensuring good governance, and improving service delivery were not addressed.
She said these issues had also been raised repeatedly by traditional political parties in Parliament, and warned against creating a misleading narrative that questions the relevance of older parties solely based on the Gen Z movement.
Rai said the failure to bring escaped prisoners under control and recover looted weapons has raised serious doubts about the possibility of holding free and fair elections in a fear-free environment.
Lawmaker Rukmini Koirala said that although the demands raised by Gen Z youth were justified, infiltration into the movement led to tragic incidents in which schoolchildren who went to protest in school uniforms and security personnel lost their lives.
She said the public is anxious about the upcoming election scheduled for March 5, 2026, and doubts are growing about the possibility of a peaceful election.
“Prisoners are still at large, and weapons have been looted. There is no solid ground to feel confident that the election will be peaceful,” she said.
Lawmaker Maya Prasad Sharma said that despite a report submitted by the Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee to address problems in the reconstruction process in earthquake-affected districts of Jajarkot, Rukum West, and Salyan, the report has not been implemented.
She said people are still forced to live under temporary shelters and endure hardship, questioning why reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts continue to face delays despite repeated discussions.
Sharma also accused the government of delaying work on strategic development projects such as the Mahakali Corridor and the Mid Hill Highway.
Lawmaker Anand Prasad Dhungana said that while the demands raised during the Gen Z movement were justified, activities carried out in the name of the movement have pushed the country toward instability.
Stating that there is no alternative to elections to move the country out of uncertainty, he said there are visible attempts to disrupt the electoral process and urged all sides to remain alert.
Lawmaker Ganga Kumari Belbase said political parties should give high priority to economic prosperity, social justice, and good governance in their election manifestos.
She stressed the need to include issues such as poverty reduction, job creation, accessible health care, and education in party manifestos.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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