Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), KP Sharma Oli, has criticized the Rastriya Swatantra Party over its public call inviting applications for candidates to contest the House of Representatives elections.
Speaking at a program organized by a party-affiliated former army and police organization, Oli said that seeking candidate applications openly from the public has turned national politics into a subject of mockery.
Without naming individuals directly, Oli stated that politics is being trivialized at a time when political parties themselves are being undermined. He remarked that encouraging individuals to apply publicly for candidacy as if politics were informal or casual reflects a serious deviation from responsible political practice.
“At present, the country is being turned into a joke. Politics itself is being treated as a joke,” Oli said. “Political parties are being sidelined, and at the same time, those wishing to become candidates are being asked to submit applications openly from the streets.”
Questioning the outcome of such a process, Oli asked whether it would attract individuals capable of governing the country or merely those skilled at creating noise and publicity. He also raised concerns about whether the process would bring forward leaders committed to truth and responsibility or those capable of spreading misinformation.
Referring to some of the individuals currently being promoted, Oli said the situation was alarming and indicative of a deeper deterioration in the country’s political environment. He warned that turning politics into a spectacle and experimenting recklessly with the nation’s future could lead to further national decline.
Oli also expressed dissatisfaction with the role of the media and the intellectual community, stating that they have failed to demonstrate the level of vigilance required under the current circumstances.
“Our media should have been more alert, and our intellectual community more responsible,” he said. “Instead, many appear to be driven by emotion. Emotional politics does not lead to development, good governance, or the control of corruption.”
He emphasized that national progress depends on thoughtful leadership, fact-based discourse, and responsible journalism, noting that the country cannot move forward through emotional impulses but through seriousness, stability, and political maturity.
