Former Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal's Reputation Tarnished by Controversial Cabinet Recommendation for National Assembly Seat

Kathmandu. Advocate Om Prakash Aryal was once known in Nepali politics for his 'clean image.' The praise he earned while handling the home administration of the election government has suddenly faltered since the election concluded. The main reason for this is the controversial decision by the cabinet, of which he was a member, to recommend him for a seat in the National Assembly.

In politics, 'conflict of interest' is a blight that can push even good people into a whirlpool of controversy overnight. The same happened in the case of Home Minister Aryal. As if saying 'might is right,' when he sought a safe landing for himself while in power, intense anger has been seen towards him in civil society and especially among the 'GenZ' generation.

From Praised Home Minister to Controversial Figure

Aryal received widespread praise for his role as Home Minister in ensuring the general elections held last Mangsir were impartial, free from rigging, and peaceful. However, once the election results were out, his integrity came under scrutiny when the caretaker government recommended his name from the cabinet for the National Assembly member to be nominated by the President. Political analysts comment, 'It is a blatant mockery of democracy and ethics for a minister who participates in the decision-making process in the meeting to recommend his own name.'

Political analyst Krishna Khanal says, 'When new public mandate has already arrived, it would have been better if this government avoided making decisions with long-term effects. Only the government knows why this decision was made, but making such a decision at the time of departure is not appropriate.' According to Khanal, since the President appoints the National Assembly member based on the government's recommendation, although there might not be a procedural flaw in the style, the timing and context are wrong. He adds, 'The cabinet is the one that sends the name, but the main question is why such haste when the government of new representatives is about to take over.'

GenZ Movement and Aryal's 'Betrayal'

Recently in Nepal, a powerful 'GenZ movement' took place on Bhadra 23 and 24 against political malpractice, corruption, and nepotism. The main agenda of that movement was system reform, valuing merit, and ending self-serving politics.

GenZ activists have accused Aryal, who was part of the government supposedly formed based on the strength of that movement and understanding the sentiments of the youth, of 'dashing the hopes' regarding those agendas. GenZ leaders including Raksha Bam, Tanuja Pandey, Majid Ansari, Monika, Bikash Kami, and Sanken Rai are protesting this. Today, the 'GenZ Movement Alliance' organized a protest demonstration along with various groups. Sudan Gurung, a leader of the GenZ movement and currently an elected Member of Parliament from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), had been questioning Aryal's working style from the beginning.

Om Prakash Aryal is an established name in the legal field. While serving as the legal advisor to Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen), he resolved many complex legal tangles for the metropolis. Moreover, during the tenure of Nepal's first female Chief Justice Sushila Karki, he was known as Karki's most trusted advocate. Because of this background, although there was some initial criticism when he was appointed Home Minister, his performance later subdued those criticisms. However, the current move has stained his own past image.

According to Senior Advocate Resham Regmi, although Aryal's recommendation appears technically legal, it is morally completely flawed. 'No individual sitting in a decision-making position can make a decision for their own benefit. This is the height of 'conflict of interest',' says Regmi. He adds, 'He is a capable person in himself, there is no doubt about that. He has fought a long battle against corruption and malpractice in the past. But the question is not about capability, it is about the system.'

Dissatisfaction within the Home Ministry Itself

Even senior officials within the Home Ministry were surprised by Aryal's move. A Joint Secretary at the ministry said, 'During his tenure as minister, we did not feel political interference in the bureaucracy. He appeared very professional. But after the elections concluded, his high ambition manifested.'

According to that official, although Aryal spoke of many reforms while in the ministry, in the end, he also followed the 'old trend.' 'The respect we had for him is no longer sustainable. Can't an expert contribute to the country without a position?' he questioned.

Srijana Lama, a political science student and youth activist who closely observed the GenZ movement, says, 'The GenZ movement sought a system where the process is bigger than the individual. But Aryal interpreted the process according to his convenience.' According to Lama, the National Assembly should be a house of experts, but it has been turned into a place for 'ministers' post-retirement life' or for managing defeated leaders. She argues that even though Aryal claims to be an 'expert,' this recommendation, as a member of the cabinet, stands in the dock of ethics.