Opposition parties agree to let Home Minister Lamichhane speak in parliament

KATHMANDU: The opposition parties have agreed to allow Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane to speak in the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting.

This decision was made during a joint meeting of the opposition parties, including the Nepali Congress (NC), held earlier today ahead of the HoR session, according to Gyandendra Shahi, chief whip of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

Additionally, the NC, representing the opposition parties, will seek permission from Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire to address the parliament meeting.

The meeting was attended by NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chairman of Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal Upendra Yadav, Chairman of Loktantrik Samajbadi Party Mahantha Thakur, Vice Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Buddi Man Tamang, and other leaders.

Previously, the NC, the main opposition party, had been obstructing meetings of both the lower and upper houses, demanding a parliamentary committee to investigate Home Minister Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in a cooperative fraud case, and preventing him from addressing the meetings.

However, with an agreement reached between the ruling and opposition parties to form the probe committee, the opposition parties have decided to allow Home Minister Lamichhane to take the rostrum.

The HoR meeting, originally scheduled for 11 AM this morning, has yet to commence.