KATHMANDU: The government led by Prime Minister KP Oli has encountered a setback in its plan to oust Deputy Speaker Indira Rana.
Initially, Prime Minister Oli believed he could oust Rana with a two-thirds majority in Parliament, but he has run into difficulties due to a lack of support from key allies.
Deputy Speaker Rana faced pressure from ruling UML MPs, who have warned of efforts to remove her if she does not resign.
Conversely, Nepali Congress MPs have taken a more moderate approach, suggesting it would be preferable for Rana to step down on ethical grounds.
However, small parties within the ruling coalition have impeded the UML’s efforts.
The Janamat Party, led by CK Raut, which holds six seats, opposed the move to remove Rana.
However, this scenario raises two concerns: first, it could exacerbate the rift between RSP and Nepali Congress, and second, there might be criticism about both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions being held by the ruling party.
Similarly, the Janata Samajwadi Party, led by Ashok Rai, also refrained from voting against the Deputy Speaker. Even the Nagarik Unmukti Party has yet to make a decision on the matter.
Opposition parties such as the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Maoist Center, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and Unified Socialist party have not supported the government’s initiative.
As a result, the possibility of achieving a two-thirds majority to impeach Deputy Speaker Rana has become nearly impossible due to the lack of backing from CK Raut and Ashok Rai, who are part of the ruling coalition.
The ruling coalition comprises 180 MPs: Nepali Congress with 88 seats, UML with 77 seats, JSP (led by Ashok Rai) with 7 seats, the Nagarik Unmukti Party with 4 seats, and Loktantril Samajwadi with 4 seats.
To remove the Deputy Speaker, 183 MPs out of 275 are needed.
Even though the ruling party holds a significant number of seats, it would still require support from independent or other parties.
With the lack of support from CK Raut and Ashok Rai, the Oli government finds itself in a position where it must reconsider its approach.
Who will be Rana’s successor?
According to some leaders within the ruling party, there is a lack of consensus on who should be appointed as Deputy Speaker if Indira Rana is removed.
Under Article 91 of the Constitution, either the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker must be a woman, and one of the two must be from a different party.
With the Speaker currently from the UML, the Deputy Speaker must come from a different party.
Should Rana be removed, UML would be unable to fill the Deputy Speaker position due to this requirement.
Consequently, Nepali Congress would likely be the party to receive the appointment.
However, this scenario raises two concerns: first, it could exacerbate the rift between RSP and Nepali Congress, and second, there might be criticism about both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions being held by the ruling party.
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