KATHMANDU: A meeting convened by Speaker Devraj Ghimire ended without resolution on Wednesday, after the opposition parties, including the Maoist Center, reiterated their demand for Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak’s resignation.
Speaker Ghimire had initiated talks with the chief whips of both ruling and opposition parties in an effort to facilitate the smooth functioning of the parliament session. However, the discussion remained deadlocked.
Maoist Center Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey made it clear that the party’s position had not changed, stating that Lekhak must step down in light of the visit visa scandal, which he said was directly linked to issues of good governance.
Pandey stressed that the resignation of the Home Minister was necessary to break the impasse and allow parliament to function normally.
Opposition parties have been obstructing parliamentary proceedings ever since the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) launched a probe into alleged extortion of individuals traveling abroad on visit visas.
The case involves officials at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), including Home Ministry Joint Secretary Tirtha Bhattarai. The opposition has demanded Lekhak’s resignation on moral grounds.
Meanwhile, leaders of the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have argued that the Home Minister should be allowed to address parliament and respond to the allegations, instead of stepping down.
Despite Speaker Ghimire’s efforts to mediate throughout the day, no consensus was reached. As a result, Tuesday’s scheduled session of parliament was adjourned.
Today’s meeting, set for 1 p.m., has also been delayed as parties continue to hold their respective positions.
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