KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada has formally submitted his resignation from the post of chairperson of the House Committee on State Affairs and Good Governance to Speaker Devraj Ghimire.
Khatiwada faced mounting pressure within his own party after questions were raised about his moral accountability over controversial changes to the cooling-off period provision in the Federal Civil Service Bill.
On Tuesday, addressing the House of Representatives, Khatiwada announced his decision to step down. The following day, he handed his resignation letter to the Speaker, in line with his public statement.
The NC had earlier directed Khatiwada to resign, after the committee he chaired passed an amendment that effectively nullified the constitutional provision for a cooling-off period. The bill’s passage triggered uproar once it reached Parliament, with critics accusing Khatiwada of undermining governance norms.
A parliamentary investigation committee, led by Jeevan Pariyar, concluded that Khatiwada bore moral responsibility for the move, further intensifying calls for his resignation.
Comment