“Our party has taken the attack as authoritarian one on the norms and values of democracy,” CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal said in a statement Friday.[break] “The incident that was carried out at a time of when all problems are needed to be resolved through national consensus is condemnable and regrettable.”
Maoist lawmakers had manhandled Finance Minister Surendra Pandey and Energy Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, vandalized furniture and microphones and torn budget briefcase in parliament Friday night when Pandey moved to the rostrum to present the budget for the current fiscal year.
The Maoists have said the incident occurred when the government tried to present a full-fledged budget violating an earlier agreement.
Khanal said that the Maoists had agreed during recent three-party meetings to let the caretaker government to bring budget and the government made preparations accordingly.
Terming the Maoists act in parliament as a crime, Khanal has demanded the speaker to take stern actions against those involved in attacking ministers, lawmakers and vandalizing furniture in parliament. "Our party urges the Maoists to apologize for the incident," Khanal said in the statement.
Similarly, Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) has also condemned the incident, terming it as attack on the norms and values of democracy. The party, in a statement, has also urged pro-democracy political parties to take suitable steps against such activities of the Maoists.
In the meantime, a group of civil society leaders and professionals led by Nepal Bar Association President Prem Bahadur Khadka has expressed concern over the Maoists´ manhandling of ministers and lawmakers and vandalism in parliament. They are equally concerned over the hasty decision of the government to end the session of the parliament following the incident.
“The Maoist act cannot be taken as an act of responsible opposition,” they said in a statement Sunday.
They have also demanded the government to take steps to open the prorogued parliament and govern the country as per the spirit of the constitution.
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