KATHMANDU, March 19: The aware citizens have been observing the ongoing national politics with keen interest after the restoration of House of Representatives (HoR). They are taken by surprise over the HoR meeting boycotted by the political parties who demanded the restoration of HoR earlier.
The schedule in the HoR meeting is influenced by the dispute within the ruling party in terms of running government and parliament. It has further fretted the aware people that hearing of their issues and concern are delayed much. CPN UML leader Bhim Bahadur Rawal said the state of inaction at HoR weakens democracy.
"Our system fails to become accountable to people by the passive HoR. It must end soon," he stressed. The traditional best practice of address by the top leaders of the parties representing in the parliament in the first meeting was badly hampered. The disagreement of a section of the ruling party and major opposition Nepali Congress impeded the tabling of ordinance as well.
Top leaders to address first meeting of HoR
"As per practice, the ordinances should be presented in the very first meeting of the parliament session, so it is unconstitutional to obstruct this process," observed leader of CPN UML Khagaraj Adhikari, arguing that is a sheer challenge at present.
President of Parliamentary Hearing Committee, Laxman Lal Karna, however, said government side was for not holding talk on business advisory meeting, so the three meetings of the HoR did not enter regular schedule. He informed that Speaker was consulting top leaders of the parties for their address. With the delayed address of top leaders at parliament, people have been deprived of information about government's future course and opposition strategies.
At a time when the government has claimed that it has done historic works for the country, the opposition has not only denied it but also termed unconstitutional to some. In this connection, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali reminded that there is clear provision in the constitution that government can bring ordinances when there is no parliament in operation. So, it is compulsion to table ordinance in the very first meeting of HoR.
"It's better you ask the Speaker on the issues of parliament administration. It's not government's duty to conduct address in a smooth manner, but of Speaker", he remarked. The HoR had first met on March 7 after its restoration with the Supreme Court verdict. It even held second and third meetings but failed to enter regular business as per the practice, thereby avoiding issues of people's concern and problems.
Moreover, Chairperson of Law and Human Rights Committee under HoR, Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel, viewed that the present state of HoR has not given good message. The state of indecision at such supreme and sovereign platform of people is wrong that lawmakers are deprived of expressing voices and raising people's concern, he worried. The HoR is meeting for the fourth time today.
