Editorial
No guidance in PM's speech
Opposition leader also disappoints us
What was there for the nation in the speech of the prime minister given in parliament on Wednesday night, especially when the country remains bogged down on a crossroads of confusion? She has gone many miles to criticise the opposition, and talk about the good deeds of her government, but, unfortunately, there was nothing substantive or conclusive in her speech to help settle some of the nagging problems like the voter list, electoral reform, law and order, price hike and the looming threat of a runaway inflation. She mentioned that the door to talk on the issues raised by the opposition was open but there should not be any precondition attached. She has been saying this for quite a while now but we expected a fresh overture to break the deadlock in her speech to draw the opposition into a dialogue. No progress has been made in that front. Even on the question of the welfare of the president of the country the prime minister remained ambiguous in her reply. As the chief executive she is the one who has the responsibility of informing the nation about the position of the president and thereby remove all the mystery surrounding him. She only made light-hearted remarks that did not remove the questions in the public mind. A categorical statement that the question of changing the president does not arise, was called for at the moment. Regrettably, it was not forthcoming. The opposition leader for her part touched on peripheral issues that were not material also to burning questions of the day. Her speech was bereft of any forward looking vision that the nation expected from her. Of course, her role is to criticise the government but she too is expected to enlighten the people with her perception of how she wants to lead the country. So, both of them have failed to show us the light through the critical phase of our national life.
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