KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balen Shah has reportedly told Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal that he would not immediately attend Parliament despite continued obstruction by opposition parties demanding his presence in the House.
According to sources, Speaker Aryal met the Prime Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar on Thursday after opposition lawmakers continued disrupting parliamentary proceedings.
During the meeting, Aryal requested the Prime Minister to appear in Parliament, citing the ongoing demands from opposition parties and the parliamentary practice of holding question-answer sessions with lawmakers during the first week of every month.
However, Shah reportedly told the Speaker that he was unable to attend Parliament immediately and would instead come at an “appropriate time” after further consideration.
Sources said the Speaker returned disappointed following the meeting and later resumed the House session.
The Prime Minister’s absence continued to trigger protests inside Parliament, with lawmakers from the Shram Sanskriti Party, Nepali Congress, and CPN-UML demanding that Shah appear before the House.
Opposition lawmakers have accused the Prime Minister of avoiding parliamentary accountability, noting that he has not appeared in the House since leaving during the President’s presentation of the government’s policies and programs.
Comment