KATHMANDU: Today’s meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) has been adjourned until 1 pm tomorrow (Wednesday) after opposition parties and the ruling coalition failed to reach an agreement on the resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak over the visit visa controversy, according to the Parliament Secretariat.
Speaker Devraj Ghimire held two rounds of talks with leaders and chief whips of both the ruling and opposition parties in an attempt to resolve the impasse.
However, the meeting could not proceed after opposition parties insisted that the resignation of the Home Minister was a non-negotiable demand.
The House meeting was originally scheduled for 11 am. It was first postponed to 2 pm as discussions continued, but with no breakthrough, it was ultimately adjourned until 1 pm on Tuesday.
The opposition has presented a three-point position: A high-level investigation committee should be formed to probe the visit visa issue, covering the period from the enactment of the Labor Act 2064 BS to the current Home Minister’s tenure, with a commitment to resolve the issue thoroughly.
Likewise, the opposition said that the Home Minister should resign to ensure an impartial investigation and refrain from interfering until the probe is completed.
The opposition parties also said that the Prime Minister should address the House and take responsibility by making a clear commitment regarding the issue.
Opposition leaders conveyed this stance during the meeting called by Speaker Ghimire, but no consensus was reached.
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