The government fired officials. Then, forgot to replace them

It is vital that leadership roles in state institutions are quickly filled in order to prevent systemic dysfunction.

By axing every single political appointment made before March 26, the Balendra Shah administration cleared the decks of roughly 1,600 officials across dozens of public entities. The fallout immediately manifested as an administrative paralysis. Today, vital state agencies are running on fumes, lacking the authorised decision-makers or signatories needed just to keep themselves functional. Holding a near two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, the ruling coalition has the power to fix this—yet it sits on its hands, leaving the very seats it emptied cold. This is a recipe for systemic dysfunction.