KATHMANDU, May 29: Lawmakers Meen Bahadur Biswakarma and Tek Bahadur Basnet, who proposed and seconded the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Sushila Karki, said that withdrawing the motion would be against the prerogative rights of the parliament.

Speaking to Republica, the lawmakers said that Speaker should defuse the motion taking action on the written request, which they had submitted to Speaker Onsari Gharti on Monday requesting not to move forward the motion in parliamentary proceedings.

However, the leaders of the ruling coalition on Sunday evening had assured the main opposition CPN-UML that the impeachment motion would be withdrawn. During the meeting on Sunday, UML had made its stance clear that the request to Speaker was not sufficient and the motion should be withdrawn as per the previous agreement between ruling coalition and the opposition. UML leaders have threatened the ruling coalition that they would obstruct parliament and obstruct budget speech if the impeachment motion is not withdrawn.

Following UML's stance, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leaders of the ruling coalition had said that they are ready to withdraw the motion and tried to clarify that the request letter was handed to Speaker only because of confusion of lawmakers.

However, lawmakers Bishwakarma and Basnet on Monday told Republica that the request letter was handed to Speaker to maintain the parliamentary supremacy. "Speaker will take action on our request and defuse the motion. Withdrawing the motion would be against the principle of parliamentary proceedings," argued Bishwakarma.

 When asked what UML would do if the motion is not withdrawn, UML's deputy leader of parliamentary party, Subas Nembang, said that they are hopeful that the ruling coalition will withdraw the motion. "Prime Minister as well as senior leaders of the ruling coalition has assured us that the motion will be withdrawn. We are hopeful, they will keep the promises," said Nembang.

 
• impeachment motion
 
• meen bahadur bishwakarma
 
• tek bahadur basnet
 
• chief justice
 
• lawmakers
 
• uml
 
• ruling coalition
 
• budget
 
• parliament