Genuine Necessity?
The Himalayan Times
23
November 2012
Finally, the long
awaited, much talked and discussed budget for the remaining period of this fiscal
year 2012-13 has come out to the floor despite the oppositions’ strong protest
against the government’s unilateral decision to bring the budget without having
any consensus. Eating his own words, the President did approve the budget
ordinance presented by the government as reported in “Necessity made prez eat
his words” (THT, 21 Nov, Page 1). What made the President to approve the
ordinance despite his repeated call to the government and opposition to bring
the budget on consensus? Why did the President agree to go along with the
caretaker government’s proposal for almost two third budgets? Is there enough
reasons to satisfy the oppositions who are talking about to come out to the
streets? Has he, himself being the patron of Constitution, managed to literally
follow the concerned articles of the Interim Constitution (IC) while approving
the budget ordinance? I think, we will hear more from the concerned for and
against the President’s move in the coming days.
While superficially
judging the President’s position, he was caught in between the government and
the oppositions. However, he was supposed to strictly follow the good faith of
the IC to be in safer position. I am not a constitutional expert and unable to
go in detail about the hyper talk about this budget among the political
parties, business groups, economists and intellectuals. I can simply say that
the budget is the necessity element to keep the state alive and run it
smoothly. So, why was there so much fuss about it has been the peoples’
concern?
Although, the
President approved the budget setting a few conditions, not changing expenses
allocated for other purposes and not transferring the development budget to the
other general expenses, is it enough to control the misappropriation of the
budget in the absence of Parliamentary Public Account Committee (PAC)? Time
will tell. However, it is hoped that the opposition would understand the
volatile situation of the country and cooperate with the President’s move to
approve the budget ordinance.
