Nepal’s federal parliament is set to begin its winter session on January 31. With this crucial session focusing on budget preparation and legislative discussions, both the government and the opposition are gearing up with their respective strategies.
The session is expected to be a battleground for contentious debates, as the opposition gears up to address issues ranging from controversial ordinances to government inaction on key matters.
The opposition has criticized the government for bypassing parliament and issuing ordinances on key issues, including governance, financial accountability, and land management.
These ordinances, issued during the four-and-a-half-month parliamentary hiatus, have drawn sharp criticism. The government defends its actions, claiming they were necessary to streamline services. However, opposition leaders argue that such moves undermine the role of parliament.
Opposition leaders have raised concerns about the government bypassing parliamentary processes by issuing these ordinances. Mahesh Bartaula, the Chief Whip of the ruling party, defended the ordinances, claiming they were introduced to ensure efficient governance. However, opposition leaders argue that these measures undermine parliamentary practices and violate legal norms.
The opposition is also wary of potential government attempts to push divisive ordinances, such as those aimed at raising the election threshold from 3% to 5% and facilitating party splits.
Concerns over these issues have spurred discussions among opposition leaders about presenting a united front during the session. However, achieving unity among the seven opposition parties, which include the Maoist Centre, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Unified Socialist, and others, remains a challenge.
While leaders have agreed to collaborate on national and public-interest issues, differences persist on forming a formal alliance or front.
Key issues on the opposition’s agenda include the controversial Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) bill, addressing grievances of cooperative depositors, and holding the government accountable for human rights concerns.
The opposition is also likely to scrutinize the government’s inefficiencies and failures, including delays in constitutional amendments and addressing public grievances.
While opposition leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s approach, they have clarified that they do not intend to obstruct the session entirely. Instead, their strategy will depend on the government’s response to their demands.
The Speaker of the House, Devraj Ghimire, has scheduled a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee for January 28, which is expected to finalize the agenda for the session.
Following this, opposition leaders plan to convene to further refine their collective strategy. Leaders like Hitraj Pandey of the Maoist Centre have emphasized that the opposition will use the session to amplify the voices of the people and hold the government accountable. Similarly, RPP President Rajendra Lingden has stated that the opposition will strongly oppose the government’s unilateral decisions and procedural shortcomings.
As the session approaches, the opposition is preparing to challenge the government on its governance failures while emphasizing the need for greater accountability and transparency.
The outcome of the session will largely depend on how effectively opposition parties can align their priorities and how the government responds to their concerns.
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