KATHMANDU, Sept 17: The ruling alliance appears to have stepped back from its plan to remove Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) Indira Rana over a letter she wrote to the US Embassy, requesting a visa interview for individuals unrelated to her office.

The ruling party CPN-UML, which had initially proposed removing Rana, citing her failure to maintain the decorum of her office, seems to have softened its stance. Mahesh Bartaula, Chief whip of UML’s parliamentary caucus, informed Republica that the removal effort is not currently on the agenda and accused the opposition of fabricating the issue.

At a meeting of the ruling alliance held at Baluwatar on September 9, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had proposed Rana's removal, which garnered the support of the coalition partners at the time. The following day’s meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) saw a heated debate on Rana's removal. UML lawmakers called for her resignation on moral grounds, urging her to step down to pave way for a new deputy speaker while lawmakers from the major opposition parties Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and CPN (Maoist Centre), not only opposed the move but also threatened to hit the street with protests if the ruling alliance proceeded with her ouster.

Chief whip Bartaula clarified that the questions raised by UML leaders were not intended to oust Rana but rather to raise the issue at parliament. “Questions were raised in parliament about the Deputy Speaker's conduct being incompatible with her office,” he informed Republica, “The House will decide accordingly.”

In a recent statement, Deputy Speaker Rana claimed that PM Oli has assured her that the issue has been settled. Speaking to a group of journalists after the meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC) on Friday, Deputy Speaker Rana said she had discussed the matter of her potential removal with the PM. “I brought up the issue, and the PM said, ‘You are a member of the CC. Let's not discuss market rumors. Let them stay in the market,’” she said. 

Rana also clarified that the letter in question had never reached the embassy, nor had the individuals traveled to the US. “In fact, the letter hasn't even been registered,” she added.

Another key party in the ruling coalition, the Nepali Congress (NC), also appears to have withdrawn from the issue for now. On Wednesday, the NC had issued a whip instructing lawmakers not to leave the Kathmandu Valley, while those outside were directed to return to the capital as preparation for a possible motion to remove Rana. NC Chief whip Shyam Ghimire clarified that directing lawmakers is a common practice within the party. “With the parliament on the verge of adjournment, issuing directives to lawmakers is a normal procedure within the party,” he told Republica.

Reports suggest that the proposal to remove Rana, initially made by PM Oli, was influenced by the NC, as the six-member CC does not include a member from the NC. The lack of a clear majority in the CC hampers the ruling coalition’s ability to make constitutional appointments. 

In the CC, PM Oli and Speaker of the HoR Devraj Ghimire hail from the UML, while National Assembly Chair Narayan Dahal and opposition leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal represent the Maoist Centre. Deputy Speaker Rana is an MP from the RSP, which is also in the opposition. The NC lacks representation in the council.

It is also reported that the ruling alliance stepped back from removing Rana as some fringe parties indicated they would not support the removal proposal. According to the constitution, a removal proposal requires two-thirds majority (184 votes) of the 275-member parliament. Without the support of fringe parties like the Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) Nepal, and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal, the ruling alliance cannot pass the proposal since the votes of NC and UML together total 167 (88 from NC and 79 from UML). 

The CK Raut led Janamat Party, an external supporter of the coalition with six seats in the House, did not respond positively to the removal proposal despite initially agreeing with Oli. Speaking to News Agency Nepal on Wednesday, Raut accused the government of trying to remove Rana with malicious intent. He claimed that the government’s goal was to secure a majority in the CC.

Another external supporter of the ruling coalition, JSP Nepal, which holds five seats, remained neutral on the issue, stating they would decide if a formal motion for removal is introduced. 

However, JSP Nepal lawmaker Prakash Adhikari expressed his view that removing Rana would not foster a positive political culture. “The party has not made an official decision on this issue, but personally, I believe it is inappropriate,” he told Republica. He criticized the increasing trend of removing CC members to serve vested political interests. He also acknowledged that Rana made a mistake by misusing her power and failing to uphold the integrity of her position. 

Sarbendra Nath Shukla, a lawmaker of the LSP Nepal, argued that Rana did not commit a major crime by writing the letter for a visa interview. Shukla remarked that leaders from various parties are engaged in far worse activities than Rana. “This is nothing compared to the gold scandal, the Bhutanese refugee scandal, the 70-crore scandal, and the corruption in the COVID vaccine,” he told Republica, “She committed a wrong act, but it was not a blunder.”

Other fringe parties, including the JSP and the Nagarik Unmukti Party, which hold seven and four seats respectively, have not yet issued public statements on whether they support the motion to oust Rana.

Deputy Speaker Rana, who was nominated to parliament by the opposition RSP under the indigenous category, courted controversy after a letter dated February 26, 2023, was leaked in July. In the letter, she requested the US embassy to expedite the visa process for her entourage to the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Her letter sparked discussions in parliament and the broader political landscape.