UML calls for giving full shape to parliamentary committees

Kathmandu: Lawmaker and secretary of the main opposition party CPN (UML) Yogesh Bhattarai has called for giving full shape to the parliamentary committees.

‘The UML will not participate in the upcoming meetings of the committees if the parliamentary committees are not given full shape, ‘said Bhattarai, speaking in a meeting of the Public Account Committee under the House of Representatives today.

Stating that the parliament and the parliamentary committees have not been able to run as per the parliamentary process, he claimed that the committees have not got full shape due to the dispute among the ruling coalition partners.

‘The opposition does not want to shoulder the burden of the problem caused due to the ruling coalition. Probably we will not attend any of the meetings of the committees hereafter if the committees are not given full shape as per the parliamentary process. We want to inform the committee presidents beforehand,’ lawmaker Bhattarai said.

He argued that the parliament and the Constitution had not become the symbol of national unity as the parliament has not been run effectively. ‘The main opposition UML has not sought any share in the quotas. However, there is a practice that the presidency of the PAC is given to the main opposition party. If the ruling coalition does not even want to give this to us, we do not need it. Nevertheless, the parliamentary process should be followed in moving ahead with the formation of the committees,’ the main opposition party secretary reiterated.

He further added that it was not good as the committee president had not been elected even three months after the committee started its work. Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chair Rajendra Lingden and lawmaker from the Rashtriya Swatantra Party Manish Jha also echoed Bhattarai saying the parliamentary committees be given full shape at the earliest. Arjun Narsingh KC of the Nepali Congress who was presiding over the meeting in the capacity as the senior-most (by age) lawmaker of the PAC, said the committee’s serious attention was drawn to this topic.

The PAC meeting today passed the Public Account Committee Operation Procedures, 2080. The meeting also discussed the draft of this Operation Procedures. A sub-committee has been constituted for preparing the draft of the Procedures. Rajan KC is its coordinator.

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