KATHMANDU, Jan 9: The main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), has decided to exert pressure on the authorities concerned to take action against those involved in the Nepal Airlines Corporation wide-body aircraft purchase scam.

During the party’s parliamentary party meeting held in Kathmandu on Tuesday, most of the lawmakers insisted that the party should take unequivocal position on the scam and demand strong action against all those guilty irrespective of their political affiliation.

Some NC lawmakers had sought party’s position on the issue of the alleged involvement of two former ministers of the party in the aircraft purchase decision as mentioned in the report of parliamentary Public Accounts Committee’s probe panel. “Party president instructed all lawmakers to take unequivocal position on the issue and seek actions against all those involved in the scam,” said NC lawmaker Sanjay Gautam. 

NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba instructed the party’s lawmakers to raise strong voice in parliament against corruption and irregularities including the wide-body scam, according to the party leaders. 

Most of the lawmakers in the meeting denounced the government decision to form a separate panel to investigate into the wide-body purchase scam after the PAC report, stating that it undermined parliamentary supremacy.

Similarly, the meeting decided to support Dr Govinda KC’s demand while taking part in the deliberations on the Medical Education Bill to be tabled by Health and Education Committee of the parliament in the full House. “NC lawmakers have decided to express solidarity with Dr KC’s demand during deliberations on the Medical Education Bill in parliament,” said lawmaker Gagan Thapa.

The meeting was called in the aftermath of NC’s House obstruction on Sunday against Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara’s decision to bar the party’s lawmakers from asking questions to the prime minister. The meeting, however, could not decide whether to continue their obstruction during Wednesday’s meeting.

“NC will take an appropriate decision based on the speaker’s response,” said Thapa. 

NC has said that it will decide about whether to obstruct the parliament meeting at its business advisory meeting on Wednesday noon.  NC leadership has asked its lawmakers to make maximum utilization of the question-answer session in parliament. 

Following demands by some lawmakers to form a shadow cabinet, NC president and parliamentary party leader Deuba has asked interested lawmakers to submit their names to work as watchdog of the government’s work.

 
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