Nepal's Home Minister Sudan Gurung has resigned, citing questions about his investments and other matters, becoming the second minister to withdraw from the country's month-old government. The 38-year-old announced his departure on Wednesday, posting on his social media accounts: "I have resigned from the position of Home Minister with effect from today."
Gurung emphasized, "For me, morality is greater than a position, and there is no greater power than public trust... Public life should be clean, leadership should be accountable." He took office on March 27. Dipa Dahal, press adviser to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, confirmed the reception of Gurung's resignation, adding that Shah will take charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs until a new appointment is made.
Gurung came into the spotlight after he ordered the arrest of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his home minister, Ramesh Lekhak, in connection with an investigation into their roles during a crackdown on youth-led protests last September. Rapper-turned-politician Shah, 35, became prime minister after his three-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which had promised to control corruption, provide good governance and transparency, was swept into power in last month's parliamentary election.
During his three-year stint as mayor of Nepal's capital Kathmandu, Shah gained popularity for his reforms. Earlier this month, the government formed a five-member commission led by a former Supreme Court judge to investigate the assets of politicians and officials. The commission was part of the government's 100-point reform agenda issued after Shah took office.
Shah dismissed his labour minister earlier this month after RSP ruled Dipak Kumar Sah had misused "the dignity of his position" to get his wife appointed as a member of the board of directors of the country's Health Insurance Board. Nepal currently ranks 109th out of 180 countries on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, highlighting ongoing governance challenges.
Source: www.aljazeera.com