KATHMANDU: Parliamentary proceedings have ground to a halt amidst a standoff between ruling and opposition factions.
The Nepali Congress, the main opposition, and ruling parties, have been embroiled in a dispute over alleged fraud within a cooperative leading to the postponement of the HoR meeting until Sunday.
Initially adjourned until 11 a.m. on Friday following a heated exchange between MPs on Thursday, the meeting was further delayed to 2 p.m. due to unresolved tensions.
Subsequently, the House of Representatives’ next session has been rescheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday as the Nepali Congress did not budge an inch from its position.
Not confined to the HoR, obstructions spilled over to the National Assembly’s Friday session, where Nepali Congress MPs impeded proceedings from the outset.
Speaker Narayan Dahal responded by adjourning the National Assembly meeting until 1:15 p.m. on Sunday in light of Nepali Congress’s obstruction.
The NC’s insistence on a parliamentary inquiry committee targeting Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane in the cooperative fraud case has led to the impasse.
However, the ruling party contends that a comprehensive investigation encompassing the entire cooperative is necessary, rejecting the formation of a single-person inquiry committee. Thus, resolution remains elusive.
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