KATHMANDU: Seven political parties have filed an impeachment motion against Madhesh Province Speaker Ram Chandra Mandal, accusing him of misconduct and violating the dignity of his position.
A total of 74 lawmakers from Nepali Congress, Maoist Centre, JSP Nepal, Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Unified Socialist, and Nagarik Unmukti Party registered the motion on Thursday.
The decision came after a meeting of the seven parties in Janakpur concluded that Speaker Mandal had failed to remain neutral during the government formation process. The parties accused him of undermining the prestige of the provincial assembly by publicly stating that he was “ready to face impeachment.”
Madhesh Province has 104 assembly members. With one suspended member and 25 belonging to the UML along with the Speaker himself, the seven parties command a two-thirds majority required for the impeachment motion.
Tensions flared as UML leaders and cadres reportedly obstructed the seven-party delegation attempting to register the motion at the Speaker’s secretariat. The obstruction led to a scuffle between Speaker Mandal and lawmakers. Assembly staff were forced to switch off the lights in the Speaker’s chamber to defuse the confrontation.
The dispute traces back to Saturday’s session, when Chief Minister Jitendra Prasad Sonar (Sonal) was scheduled to seek a vote of confidence. The seven parties accused Mandal of disrupting the process by allowing Maoist Centre lawmakers Rehbar Ansari and Mala Karna to speak against the motion, ultimately preventing the vote from taking place.
Following the chaos, Sonar resigned after losing the required support, as two Maoist lawmakers had sided with the opposition.
Lawmakers restrained inside assembly building
According to Janamat Party’s parliamentary leader Mahesh Prasad Yadav, several lawmakers who went to register the impeachment motion were held under police supervision.
Among those reportedly stopped inside the assembly building were Jaynul Rain, Upendra Mahato, Rani Sharma Tiwari, and Rupa Yadav from the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party; Bharat Prasad Sah from the Maoist Centre; Raju Gupta from JSP Nepal; and Chandan Singh from Janamat Party.
The lawmakers condemned the obstruction as unconstitutional and accused the authorities of preventing them from formally filing the motion against the Speaker.
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