lower House approves two poll-related bills

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 27: The House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed two election-related bills amid continued obstruction by opposition parties, demanding the presence of Prime Minister Balendra Shah in the parliament.

The bills passed by the House include the House of Representatives Member Election (First Amendment) Bill, 2083 and the Voter Roll (First Amendment) Bill, 2083. The proposals were tabled by Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobita Gautam on behalf of the Prime Minister, who also holds the Home Ministry and Science, Technology and Innovation portfolio.

The amendments were introduced to replace ordinances brought by the previous government during the House elections held on March 5.

The House also unanimously agreed to send the National Forensic Science Laboratory (Establishment and Operation) Bill, 2082, to the concerned parliamentary committee for detailed discussion.

Despite legislative business moving ahead, the meeting witnessed repeated protests from opposition lawmakers demanding that the Prime Minister appear in the House and respond to issues raised by MPs. Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal urged lawmakers not to obstruct proceedings, saying the Prime Minister was preparing to attend parliament soon.

Rastriya Swatantra Party chief whip Kabindra Burlakoti informed the House that Prime Minister Shah was expected to appear within a week. He said discussions had already been held with the Prime Minister’s Secretariat regarding the matter.

Speaking during the meeting, UML deputy parliamentary party leader Padma Aryal stressed that parliament should function through consensus and cooperation, adding that the opposition’s concerns should be taken seriously.

Nepali Congress chief whip Basana Thapa accused the government of attempting to weaken the role of the opposition and urged the ruling side to listen to differing voices in order to build a broader national consensus.

Similarly, Nepali Communist Party lawmaker Yubaraj Dulal argued that the government must fulfil its parliamentary responsibilities by responding to lawmakers’ questions in the House.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party whip Khushbu Oli said dialogue remained the foundation of democracy and called on the Prime Minister to address the House at the earliest opportunity.

During special and emergency sessions, lawmakers from different parties also raised concerns over disaster management, road damage caused by recent rainfall and landslides, women’s rights, tourism promotion, rising construction costs, climate risks and the need for proportional budget allocation for development projects across the country.

The next session of the House is scheduled for Wednesday at 11 AM.