`PM Oli's Parliament address was a deadly cocktail of half-truths and arrogance'

Kathmandu [Nepal], May 21 (ANI): Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli failed to offer hope to the people about the government's determination to fight COVID-19 during his three-hour address in the parliament with and remarks were filled with "half-truths and arrogance", leaders and analysts have said.
Kathmandu Post said citing political observers and politicians that Oli squandered away an opportunity to provide any short or long-term solutions and just outlined a litany of problems facing the country in his address to the parliament.
Former Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai also criticized Oli for his speech.
"After listening to Prime Minister Oli for three hours, I do not see any indication that he has acknowledged his weaknesses and is trying to improve. Listening to him talk about coronavirus, nationality and democracy, I saw a deadly cocktail of half-truths and arrogance," Bhattarai wrote on Twitter.
In his three-hour address, Oli talked about border row with India and blamed the rising number of coronavirus cases on individuals breaking the nationwide lockdown and especially blamed those "sneaking" into Nepal from India.
Kathmandu Post reported that the prime minister mentioned the problems but did not provide specific measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
"The prime minister looked like the Health Ministry spokesperson," said Krishna Pokharel, a political commentator. "I could not find any compassion in his speech as the head of the government."
According to Pokharel, at a time of crisis when citizens were looking towards the prime minister for leadership and hope, Oli was unable to give an assurance to the nation.
He only endorsed his only visible achievement--the endorsement of a new political map.
During his address, where he was supposed to respond to lawmakers regarding the government's priorities for the upcoming year, he took credit for coming up with a new political map, one that includes India's territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura.
"Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal," said Oli. "This is not just rhetoric, we will bring our land back" through diplomatic means, he added.
Though Oli has said he would initiate dialogue with India to reclaim the land, the opposition has objected that the release of the new map on Wednesday saying it could further complicate matters.
Former minister and diplomat Bhekh Bahadur Thapa said, "My concern is, what next?"
"We did not get any clear roadmap from the prime minister. Now, both countries have two different maps and that is not going to provide a solution," said Thapa, who was also the coordinator from the Nepali side on the Eminent Persons' Group on Nepal-India relations.
Members of Oli's own party did not support him during the speech.
In past years, the ruling party stood behind Oli but this year, in marked contrast, no one from the ruling party, particularly party chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, spoke in defence of the Oli government, according to a ruling party leader.
"The changing dynamics inside the party manifested in the House," the Central Committee member said.
"Only Deputy Parliamentary Party leader Subas Nembang and party General Secretary Bishnu Poudel defended the government in the lower house," he said. (ANI)