KATHMANDU, Sept 12: Amid preparations by the ruling coalition to oust Deputy Speaker Indira Rana on the grounds of breaching professional conduct, Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal lawmaker Prakash Adhikari has opposed the motion of no confidence against Rana.

Speaking briefly to Republica, Adhikari stated that the idea of ousting Deputy Speaker Rana is not appropriate and will not foster a positive culture in politics. “The party has not made an official decision regarding this issue, but personally, I believe it is not appropriate,” Adhikari said.

He lamented that removing members of the Constitutional Council (CC) to serve vested political interests has become a trend. The ruling alliance is also driven by its political interests to establish a majority in the CC by removing Deputy Speaker Rana from her position, he said.

However, he acknowledged that Rana made a mistake by abusing her power and failing to uphold the integrity of her position. “She should not be forgiven for this,” he added.

Adhikari mentioned that JSP Nepal has yet to make an official decision on this matter, and the party will decide once the ruling alliance finalizes its stance.

The House of Representatives (HoR) is currently experiencing heated debate regarding a letter sent by Deputy Speaker Rana to the U.S. Embassy last year, requesting visa interview dates for individuals unrelated to her official role.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has already proposed the removal of Deputy Speaker Rana during a meeting of the ruling coalition parties on Monday, and the coalition partners have agreed to the PM’s proposal. 

Following this, the ruling Nepali Congress issued a whip on Wednesday, instructing its lawmakers not to leave the Kathmandu Valley until September 19.

However, another major ruling partner, CPN-UML, has stated that the party is not preparing to oust her. Chief Whip of UML, Mahesh Bartaula, said that Parliament will decide if questions are raised regarding the Deputy Speaker's integrity.

 
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