In a meeting held at the NC´s parliamentary party office on Thursday, the 12 parties agreed to oppose the government´s plan to introduce the new budget two months before the end of the current fiscal year.
Following the meeting, the parties submitted a memorandum separately to Speaker of the House Subas Nemabang and Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal. [break]
The memorandum accuses the government of sidelining the peace process and constitution-writing and trying to distract the Constituent Assembly and the nation with the new budget. It has further alleged that the government´s bid to bring a new budget even while there is still plenty of time only vindicated suspicions aroused by the controversial seven-point deal that the current government was not sincere in concluding the peace process and constitution-drafting.
The parties have warned of ´strong retaliation´ if the government went ahead with its plans. This move by the parties will effectively thwart the government´s plans to introduce the budget.
Speaker Nembang is generally averse to introducing new business in the House without the consent of the main opposition party. On several occasions in the past, Speaker Nembang adjourned the House meeting even if there was protest from just a few lawmakers from fringe parties.
“I have always asked the government to forge understanding with the main opposition party and coalition partners before tabling the new budget as well as its policies and programs,” Speaker Nembang told Republica. “The need for understanding among parties is particularly important in the current fragile political situation.”
The government has summoned a budget session for May 2 to table an early budget for the new fiscal year 2011/12, going against the long-standing tradition of unveiling the new budget just before the end of the ongoing fiscal year in mid-July.
The opposition parties submitting the memorandum against an early budget include NC, Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (Democratic), Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party-Nepal, Sadbhawana Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janashakti Party, Nepali Janata Dal, Samajbadi Janata Party, Dalit Janajati Party and Samyukta Loktantrik Rastriya Manch.
NC Vice-president and main opposition party leader Ram Chandra Paudel told media that the nature of the protests would be decided after the government brings the budget in parliament. Though some leaders of opposition parties privately hinted that they would resort to House obstruction, Paudel did not make any comment when asked by journalists what type of protests they would resort to should the government stick to its plans.
Accepting the memorandum, Prime Minister Khanal assured the opposition party leaders that he would move ahead on the budget in consultation with those parties, according to NC Chief Whip Laxman Ghimire. Khanal asked them not to harbor any suspicion about the government´s intentions over the budget, he said.
Earlier in the morning, Prime Minister Khanal met NC President Sushil Koirala at his residence and requested him to support the government´s plan to bring an early budget. However, Koirala told the prime minister not to go ahead with the budget and suggested he instead focus on concluding the peace process and constitution-drafting.
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