Second Meeting of House of Representatives Adjourned After Opposition Obstruction

Kathmandu: The second meeting of the House of Representatives was also adjourned after continued obstruction by opposition parties. The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, obstructed the session demanding the presence of the Prime Minister in Parliament and a ruling directing him to provide answers.

Due to the ongoing obstruction, the Speaker adjourned the meeting for 15 minutes. Earlier as well, the session had been postponed for 15 minutes after the opposition raised the same demands.

The agenda of today’s meeting included the presentation of the policy and programme for the fiscal year 2083/84 by Prime Minister Balen Shah. The Speaker informed the House that the Prime Minister had assigned Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle to present the proposal, after which Wagle was invited to the rostrum, prompting the opposition to begin their protest.

Following this, Speaker D.P. Aryal held discussions with the chief whips of the opposition parties, after which the House briefly resumed its proceedings. As per the understanding, Finance Minister Wagle presented the motion for discussion on the policy and programme. However, the main opposition party again stood up and continued its protest.

Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Bishmaraj Angdembe demanded a ruling requiring the Prime Minister to appear in the House and provide answers. However, the Speaker stated that he would not issue a ruling at that moment, noting that a discussion with the Prime Minister was already scheduled for today. He added that further consultations with opposition parties would be held before proceeding with tomorrow’s agenda.