KATHMANDU, April 30: Due to ongoing issues with quorum requirements, there’s a call for rule revisions. The committees of the House of Representatives (HoR) have faced obstacles as they struggle to meet the necessary quorum for conducting sessions effectively.
In mid-April, the committees faced difficulties in performing crucial tasks due to the failure to meet the quorum. Due to the lack of a quorum, essential work remains stalled, impacting public and committee duties alike. The recent by-election on April 27 also disrupted the meetings of the parliamentary committees. However, lawmakers must balance their responsibilities to constituents with their committee obligations. According to the parliamentary regulations, a quorum is not reached until 51 percent of lawmakers are present.
House committees hampered by lack of quorum
However, achieving this quorum has proven challenging with only lawmakers from the valley attending committee sessions.
There is a growing consensus that revising quorum rules is necessary to facilitate continuous committee meetings. Currently, a quorum requires 51 percent attendance, but a system allowing meetings with at least one-third attendance could ensure smoother proceedings, according to the lawmakers.
