After Nepal PM Balendra Shah’s ordinance, 1,594 political appointees removed

Kathmandu: In a decisive step that shocked many, Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Poudel on Saturday issued an ordinance for the removal of 1,594 political appointees from previous years in a single stroke.

The move has triggered widespread disruption across Nepal’s administrative sector. Officials across universities, state-owned enterprises, regulatory bodies, councils, boards, research institutes, and media organisations have been dismissed, leaving many institutions without leadership.

Described as one of the most sweeping administrative overhauls in recent years, the provision in the “Ordinance on Special Provisions Relating to the Removal of Public Officials from Office, 2026” mandates that all appointments made prior to March 26 are automatically terminated, regardless of tenure, benefits, or terms of appointment.

“Notwithstanding anything contained elsewhere in prevailing laws, public officials appointed and currently holding office in public entities as per the schedule prior to March 26 shall be automatically removed from their respective positions upon the commencement of this ordinance,” the document states.

The sweeping move to dismiss so many officials has, however, raised concerns over the functioning of these institutions in the absence of the prompt appointment of new leadership.

The ordinance was issued as per the recommendation of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

The move follows the March 5 elections that brought the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to power with a near two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, the lower house. Ever since its senior leader, Shah, was appointed Prime Minister on March 26, the new government has taken several steps to make changes across various sectors.

President Poudel had earlier suspended a parliamentary session called for April 30 as per the recommendation of the government, which paved the way for the issuance of an ordinance.

Some of the actions of the new government have been controversial, particularly the forceful removal of squatters from Kathmandu’s riverbeds by destroying the huts and buildings they had constructed.

Supporters of the new government argue that it was necessary to remove many fake landless people who had occupied the riverbeds. The government promised to resettle genuine landless people. However, many have argued that the Balendra Shah government mercilessly evicted settlements without alternative arrangements, leaving many families homeless and rendering women, children, and the elderly vulnerable.

Several influential and controversial businessmen have been arrested for investigation on money laundering charges.

Another ordinance to amend the Money Laundering Act has also been issued, aiming to prosecute those in power more easily than before. Former Prime Ministers K.P. Sharma Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal are also facing money laundering investigations.

Notably, the push for digital governance and the early completion of service delivery by government agencies have invited widespread applause.

IANS