Opposition Parties United in Refusing to Proceed with Parliament Sessions Until Prime Minister Arrives

Opposition parties in the House of Representatives have taken a firm stance, refusing to allow parliamentary sessions to proceed until Prime Minister Balendra Shah attends. Chief coordinators from the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and other opposition parties have demanded that the Prime Minister come to Parliament to answer questions from lawmakers. Speaking on the matter, Aren Rai of the Labour Culture Party said, “Our protest will continue unless the Prime Minister is prepared to face and respond to questions in Parliament.” Kathmandu, 12 Jestha.

The opposition parties adopted the position that no parliamentary proceedings will take place without Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) being present. On Monday, following the conclusion of emergency time, zero hour, and special time in the House of Representatives meeting, the opposition expressed protest before the assembly moved on to the agenda. Upon receiving time to speak from the Speaker, opposition lawmakers stated they would not allow sessions to continue in the absence of the Prime Minister.

Basana Thapa, the chief coordinator of the Nepali Congress, emphasized that the Prime Minister must respond to citizens’ questions. Ain Mahar, the chief coordinator of CPN-UML, highlighted that the constitution and legal provisions mandate the Prime Minister’s presence in Parliament. Yubaraj Dulal, chief coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party, urged that everyone should follow the constitution and the law in moving forward.

The opposition insists that, even if it takes some time, the Prime Minister must appear in Parliament and address the assembly from the rostrum. Aren Rai from the Labour Culture Party underlined the historical significance of setting a precedent and stressed the importance of considering the message given to future generations. He added that numerical strength is temporary and new political alignments emerge after elections held every five years. “Our protest will continue until the Prime Minister is ready to answer parliamentarians’ questions in Parliament,” he reiterated. RPP’s chief coordinator Khushbu Oli also called on the ruling party to take the initiative in ensuring the Prime Minister’s presence. She questioned the Prime Minister directly, asking, “Why is there a reluctance to engage in dialogue with people’s representatives?”