Kathmandu: Stiting coalition Government spokesperson and CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist-Leninist) Deputy General Secretary Prithvi Subba Gurung stated that the idea of removing proportional representation and setting a 10 percent threshold, as proposed by Party General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, is purely a personal opinion. Gurung said, “There has been no discussion or consideration within the party or the coalition government about amending the constitution.” He added, “The proposal to set a 10 percent threshold is not just about eliminating small parties but is fundamentally about undermining the proportional and inclusive system.”

Speaking on ABC Television’s Outlook program broadcast on Saturday night, Gurung, who is also the Minister of Information and Communication, stated, “Today, no one can remove the proportional and inclusive system if they want to.” In an interview with Editor-in-Chief Shubha Shankar Kandel, Minister Gurung mentioned, “A party that believes in multi-party democracy cannot advocate for a two-party system. The number and type of parties in a country depend on the country’s socio-cultural structure.” He further questioned whether having only two parties would be beneficial, stating, “This is not America.”

Prior to this, Gurung, who was also the first successful Chief Minister of Gandaki Province and is a Deputy General Secretary of the UML, mentioned that instead of thinking about eliminating provinces, there should be a focus on strengthening them and preventing them from becoming mere puppets of top leaders. He clarified that the provincial structure was designed based on the belief that having more provinces would strengthen the country’s integrity and sovereignty, considering the geopolitical sensitivity of countries like ours during the constitution-making process.

Gurung also noted that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has instructed all ministers to prove the legitimacy of the current government through action. The need for Congress and UML to unite arose after Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda, following his visit to Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony without any prior context, proposed forming a national unity government with the Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. our chairman Oli took the initiative upon seeing that Prachanda’s proposal seemed aimed at excluding UML and forming a government with Congress to maintain the position of Prime Minister.

This interview can also be viewed on the YouTube channel ABC TV Nepal.