KATHMANDU, Jan 30: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has decided to oppose the suspension of its chairman Rabi Lamichhane from the post of Member of Parliament in the upcoming winter session of the parliament. Lamichhane was automatically suspended from his position as a lawmaker on the basis of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2008, after a case was registered against him at the Kaski District Court on December 22.
The party's chief whip Santosh Pariyar told Republica that the meeting of the RSP’s parliamentary party held on Wednesday at the party’s central office has decided to question Lamichhane’s suspension in the parliament meeting. He claimed that the suspension was based on political vendetta and violated the rules of the House of Representatives.
“Chairman Lamichhane’s suspension from the parliament is questionable as the decision is against the parliament’s regulations, this raises the questions about the ruling coalition’s intentions behind the suspension,” he said, “We were not present in the house in the yesteryears, but we have MPs now, so we will certainly raise the question in the parliament.”
Similarly, lawmaker Sishir Khanal from the RSP condemned Lamichhane’s suspension as unconstitutional. Clause 27 of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2008, which was cited to automatically suspend Lamichhane from his MP position, only provides for the automatic suspension of “official or staff of any bank, financial institution or non-financial institution or civil servant” for a period they are “under custody as per the Act or for a period the case is decided”.
“If they had to suspend Lamichhane from his post as an MP, they could have done so on the basis of some other law,” Khanal told Republica, “Keeping him suspended after the custody is over is unconstitutional.” He added that the party is confident about the restoration of Lamichhane’s position.
In addition to their decision to question the suspension of their party’s chairman, RSP lawmakers have also decided through the parliamentary party meeting to oppose the six ordinances recently introduced by the government, which are to be proposed in the parliament.
“We condemn the hasty process involved in the introduction of the ordinances, bypassing the parliament, with the winter session of the parliament scheduled just after a few days later,” RSP’s Chief Whip Pariyar told Republica, “We have decided to oppose the ruling coalition’s proposal by rejecting the ordinances at the parliament.”
Chief Whip Pariyar stated that the party’s MPs will also reject the government’s proposal to introduce a new stock exchange. “We are not ideologically against the government’s decision to introduce a new stock exchange but we will reject the proposal since the act of introduction of the new stock exchange or restructuring of the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) seems to serve the interest of some individuals and interest groups,” MP Pariyar told Republica.
Condemning the clash between the local administration and the residents regarding the construction of a cable car system to Pathibhara temple in Taplejung, MP Pariyar further mentioned that RSP will protest the government’s atrocities in the parliament’s winter session. He added that they have also decided to oppose the seven-point agreement reached among the ruling coalition partners, their handling of the economy and their unbalanced foreign policy.
Deputy PP leader Shrestha to lead RSP in the winter session
The meeting of the RSP’s parliamentary party (PP) on Wednesday also decided to let their deputy PP leader Biraj Bhakta Shrestha lead the party’s MPs in the upcoming winter session of the parliament.
“As per the party’s statute, the deputy PP leader will lead the party’s PP in the absence of the PP leader,” MP Khanal told Republica, “We have made the unofficial decision to have MP Biraj Bhakta Shrestha lead the party’s MPs in absence of Chairman Lamichhane from the parliament.”