Kathmandu – Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on Tuesday assured opposition lawmakers that Prime Minister Balen Shah would “soon” appear in Parliament for the long-delayed question-and-answer session.
At a meeting of the House of Representatives’ Business Advisory Committee, RSP chief whip Kabindra Burlakoti said the party would “take initiative” to ensure the Prime Minister’s appearance.
A commitment has been made without a specific timeline.
Under parliamentary rules, the Prime Minister is expected to face lawmakers in a structured question-answer session during the early phase of a sitting session yet opposition parties argue that this requirement is being treated as negotiable not mandatory as proceedings continue without a fixed date.
Opposition lawmakers have already disrupted proceedings, warning that they will continue doing so until a clear schedule is set.
Chief Whips from multiple opposition parties have warned that they may continue to disrupt House meeting until the government confirm’s a date.
“You came to power talking about rule of law. But when the Prime Minister himself is not following parliamentary procedure, how can there be rule of law?” Chief Whip Yuvaraj Dulal of the Communist Party of Nepal said during the meeting.
Opposition parties have also asked for Parliament to function smoothly on May 29 when the Finance Minister is scheduled to present the national budget.
“They keep saying he will come but they cannot tell us when. We need a proper date whether it is next week, in two weeks, or later,” he said.
Opposition parties are now demanding that Parliament should not move ahead with other business until the Prime Minister appears in the House.
