First meetings of budget session obstructed in both Houses

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 11:The first meetings of budget session of both the Houses of Federal Parliament were adjourned on Friday without entering the businesses after the Nepali Congress obstructed the 

proceeding demanding formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate into the involvement of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Aryal in cooperatives frauds and give justices to the victims of cooperatives. 

When the attempts of Speaker Devraj Ghimire to continue the meeting failed, he postponed the meeting of the House of Representatives. 

He scheduled the next meeting for May 14.

Nepali Congress has been demanding formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate into DPM Lamichhane since the winter session of the House. But Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' UML chair KP Sharma Oli and DPM Lamichhane himself have been opposing the demand.  

The Nepali Congress which had been warning to obstruct the House meeting right from the day the government prorogued the winter session of the parliament on April 14, obstructed the House on Friday by formally deciding to make the formation of the committee its bottom line. 

A meeting of the party's Parliamentary Party meeting of the NC held on Friday morning decided to obstruct the House until the government agrees to from the committee.  The PP meeting also concluded that the government itself would be responsible for the obstruction of the House. 

However, the CPN-UML in its parliamentary party meeting also on Friday decided not to agree to from the parliamentary committee on DPM Lamichhane.

 As decided by its PP meeting, the NC obstructed both two meetings of the House of Representatives on Friday. 

When Speaker Ghimire tried to commence the second meeting by reading out the letters received from the Office of the President to inaugurate the session, NC parliamentarians rose from their seats and chanted slogans. 

They also did not allow DPM and Home Minister Lamichhane to go to the rostrum when Speaker Ghimire allowed him to speak. 

When the meetings were obstructed, ordinances which should have been tabled on the first day of the meeting were also not presented. 

When Speaker Ghimire allowed NC lawmaker Gagan Kumar Thapa time to speak, Thapa said that they would halt all further proceedings until such a committee is established. 

He warned to continue the obstruction until the committee is formed.

The Nepali Congress also expressed disagreement with the agenda that allowed party senior leaders, including Lamichhane to address the House.  

Amid this disagreement, the agenda could not be finalised, resulting in the postponement of the HoR meeting.

Furthermore, the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party has aligned with the demand for a parliamentary committee to investigate cooperative fraud cases. 

As an effort to resolve the deadlock, Speaker Ghimire convened meetings with chief whips and whips from major political parties in two phases but in vain.  

Similarly, the main opposition party, the Nepali Congress, obstructed the second meeting of the National Assembly.

NC parliamentary party leader of the Upper House Krishna Sitaula put forth the demand for the formation of a parliamentary probe committee to investigate the cooperative fraud case. 

Speaking at the meeting Sitaula warned to obstruct the session until the probe committee is formed.