Kathmandu : Chairman of the CPN-UML, K.P. Sharma Oli, has said he is prepared to participate in a public debate. As calls grow to bring prospective prime ministerial candidates onto a single platform for debate, Oli made the statement through social media on Sunday morning.
He also urged that such a public debate be organized by bringing all sides together. “We are ready for a public debate. Both old and new political parties are engaged in the election. In the contest between forces that seek to build the nation and those that seek to destroy it, our party, the CPN-UML, stands on the side of nation-building,” he said.
Oli noted that there is increasing demand from the public and intellectual community for a transparent debate among major political leaders. He said such a debate has become necessary as parties with a historic role in the country, parties that emerged in previous elections, and newly formed parties have all entered the race by nominating candidates for prime minister.
He further stated that the demand for a public debate may have arisen due to the growing use of framed propaganda circulated on social media to mislead voters. “The public has a right to know the agendas of parties seeking to lead the country, their past contributions to nation-building, and their future roadmap and plans,” he said.
Calling the demand for face-to-face debate “extremely positive,” Oli said he is ready to present facts about his party’s past performance and its future agenda in an open forum. He reiterated his commitment to stand on a common platform to directly answer questions alongside other prime ministerial candidates and urged organizers to arrange such a debate.
