Nepal, Nov. 1 -- Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Kumar Thapa has said that a strong government requires strong state institutions, rules and laws, rather than simply a powerful prime minister.

Thapa made the remarks at a press conference on Sunday, a few days after the newly elected central working committee took office following the party's 15th General Convention.

He said the government must act against corruption and investigate irregularities, but it must do so by following established legal procedures and respecting the institutions responsible for enforcing the law.

Thapa objected to reports that police had taken the director general of the Department of Irrigation and the chief of the Sunkoshi Marin Diversion Project into ...