Ain Bahadur Mahara, Chief Whip of the CPN-UML, emphasized the need for the current government to respect public opinion and be accountable to Parliament. Speaking on Wednesday within the parliamentary premises, he underscored the importance of the opposition benches playing a constructive and strong role, while stating that all government activities must adhere strictly to the constitution and parliamentary rules.
Chief Whip Mahara clarified that UML is not opposed to opposing for opposition’s sake. Rather, the party supports positive steps taken by the government for public welfare and constitutional implementation. However, he added, “If the government attempts to rise above the constitution or exhibit arbitrary and autocratic tendencies, we will offer strong criticism.”
Mahara pointed out that under the Rules of Procedure of the House of Representatives and constitutional provisions, the Prime Minister is required to regularly appear in Parliament to respond to lawmakers’ questions. He also affirmed that following the commitment made by the governing coalition’s chief whip, he has been facilitating parliamentary proceedings in the expectation that the Prime Minister will attend Parliament.
“The Parliament is the highest institution representing the voices of 30 million Nepalis. The Prime Minister must use Parliament to inform the people about government affairs. Although the problems of the people remain unchanged, it seems the government has primarily focused on publicity-oriented activities,” he stated. Chief Whip Mahara also accused the government of failing to address serious issues such as inflation, unemployment, and youth migration prevalent in the country.
