KATHMANDU, Aug 9: Despite repeated requests from the lawmakers of the ruling parties to allow the parliament to carry out its business, lawmakers of the main opposition party have stuck to their guns, saying the parliament cannot move ahead until their demand is met.
Speaking at the meeting of the National Assembly on Wednesday, the ruling party lawmakers urged the main opposition party, the CPN (UML), to reach an agreement and remove the parliament deadlock. They argued that the obstruction of parliament has deprived the sovereign parliament of discussing matters of public concern and presenting several important legislations.
However, the opposition lawmakers insisted that they have been raising the issue in favor of the citizens and good governance.
The ruling party lawmakers airing their views include Jaga Prasad Sharma of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Anita Devkota of Nepali Congress, Jayanti Devi Rai of CPN (Unified Socialist), Mohammad Khalid of the Janata Samajwadi Party and Tula Prasad Sharma of the Rastriya Janamorcha.
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Lawmakers Khimlal Devkota and Bamdev Gautam also underscored the need of removing the parliament impasse as soon as possible and investigating the gold smuggling scam and other scams by getting down to their root.
Similarly, UML lawmakers Kumar Dasaundi and Bimala Rai Poudyal drew the attention of the parliament and the government for forming a high-level probe committee to investigate the gold smuggling scam.
Meanwhile, lawmakers Bimala Kumari Ghimire and Ramesh Jung Ryamajhi of NC urged the government to take initiative for removing the parliament's impasse.
The main opposition party has been obstructing the parliament for three weeks, demanding the formation of a high-level investigation committee to probe into the gold smuggling scam.
The main opposition party CPN (UML) continued its obstruction of the National Assembly meeting on Wednesday as well.
The UML obstructed the upper house session after the lawmakers put their views on party basis in the beginning of the session.
National Assembly Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina removed the agenda of the meeting as the assembly could not discuss the agenda fixed for Wednesday.
The Upper House will next meet at 11 am on August 11.
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