Gyanendra Shahi's Stance: 'Elections Without Reform Won't Change the Country's Destination,' Don't Reinstate Parliament

Kathmandu: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leader Gyanendra Shahi, in a discussion with Speaker Devraj Ghimire, took the firm stance that 'Parliament should not be reinstated until the demands of the youth generation ('Gen-Z's demands') are fulfilled.'

He stated that 'elections without reform won't change the country's destination' and emphasized the need for structural and reformative initiatives to steer the country in the right direction.

Shahi presented an eight-point demand to the Speaker, the main points of which are as follows:

Directly Elected Executive Prime Minister: A national debate must be immediately initiated to implement this system for political stability in leadership.

Abolition of Provincial Structure: The provincial structure should be abolished, citing that it has increased state expenditure and is not effective in service delivery. Federalism should be limited to the center and a 'strong local level.'

Non-Partisan Local Level: A non-partisan concept should be implemented to free local development from partisan politicalization.

Establishment of the Monarchy to maintain national unity.

Lowering the Age Limit for House of Representatives Candidates: The minimum age limit for candidates, currently set at 25 years, should be lowered to 18 years.

Provision for Online Voting System: A secure online voting system should be implemented to enable millions of Nepalis residing abroad to participate in the election process.

Shahi advised Speaker Ghimire to take decisive action to build national consensus on these demands, hold the political leadership accountable, and move toward implementation.

His conclusion is that reinstating Parliament will be completely meaningless until such decisive steps are taken. He informed through social media that representatives of other parties participating in the meeting gave mixed reactions to his stance and demands.