Ordinance Controversy: Coalition Faces Uncertainty Over Land Law

The House of Representatives endorsed five government ordinances but deferred a land-related ordinance due to opposition from coalition partners. The controversial ordinance, criticized as benefiting land mafias, has created division within the ruling coalition of Nepal, highlighting its uncertain future.

In a move highlighting intra-coalition tensions, the House of Representatives successfully endorsed five government ordinances on governance, finance, privatisation, investment, and cooperatives. The controversial land-related ordinance was excluded due to objections from coalition partners, who argued it favored land mafias over landless citizens.

Criticism centered on the ordinance's provisions that purportedly allow land distribution without adequately identifying genuine landless settlers. Renowned figures, such as Janata Samajwadi Party's Raj Kishor Yadav, vocalized concerns about exacerbating environmental degradation and ignoring indigent settlers' rights.

The discord over the ordinance demonstrates the fragile stability within Nepal's ruling coalition. The coalition's future decisions may hinge on the resolution of this division, especially with critical votes in the National Assembly at stake, where the Janata Samajwadi Party's support could prove decisive.

(With inputs from agencies.)