KATHMANDU: The session of the House of Representatives has come to a halt due to Speaker Devraj Ghimire’s failure to delegate power to Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar.

Speaker Ghimire, accompanied by the Chief Whips and lawmakers from major political parties, has departed for Switzerland, leaving the House unattended despite the presence of Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar in Kathmandu.

Although both the government and the opposition agreed to hold regular parliamentary sessions, Speaker Ghimire’s flight to Switzerland has resulted in a 10-day postponement of the House of Representatives, without handing over power to Deputy Speaker Magar.

In the absence of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker Magar could potentially preside over the session. However, Ghimire flew to Switzerland without informing her.

The Speaker and other lawmakers are scheduled to attend the 148th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly in Geneva from March 23 to 27.

The prolonged absence of the Speaker affects the functioning of the parliament, as he has not delegated any authority to the Deputy Speaker to manage the parliamentary sessions.

According to Section 6 of the House of Representatives Regulations, 2079, there is a provision for the Deputy Speaker to conduct meetings and make decisions in the absence of the Speaker’s written permission.

However, despite the clear provision in the regulations, Deputy Speaker Ranā feels sidelined by Speaker Ghimire’s abrupt departure to Switzerland without any information or guidance.

Deputy Speaker Ranā expressed, “The Speaker hasn’t granted me any written authorization. He hasn’t even informed me about his foreign visit.”