Kathmandu, June 4

The Legislature-Parliament will settle the disputes over its new regulation through voting if there is no consensus among the political parties on disputed issues by June 15.

Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar announced at the House meeting on Saturday that the next meeting set for June 15 will move ahead the voting process for the purpose.

Earlier in the morning, the Speaker held consultations with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the latter’s official residence in Baluwatar over the regulations, according to her press adviser Babin Sharma.

“The Speaker had also held consultations with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba yesterday on the issue. She has urged the leaders to settle the disputes through consensus by June 15,” Sharma said.

The Parliament’s attempt to bring new regulation as per the new constitution has failed to materialise as the ruling parties and the main opposition NC remain divided over the strength of the Parliamentary Special Hearing Committee.

The ruling parties in favour of a 15-member PHSC as mentioned in the new constitution, while the NC has been demanding a 75-member PHSC until the new Parliament is formed as per the new provision.

Meanwhile, today’s Parliament meeting passed the Education (eighth amendment) Bill unanimously.

The bill bars opening of new cooperative schools. It has removed the School Leaving Certificate system and brought education up to class 12 under the secondary level education.

Minister for Education Girirajmani Pokharel, replying to lawmakers’ queries at the House, said the government was planning to form a high-level commission to address concerns related to education system in the federal setup.

As per the commission’s recommendation, many unresolved issues will be addressed through the new law, he said.

Lawmakers, including Keshav Badal of CPN-UML, Badri Prasad Pande of Nepali Congress, Geeta Chhetri of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum Democratic had demanded that the schools be allowed to operate under the cooperative system.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Good Governance and Monitoring Committee of the Parliament Mohan Singh Rathoor today tabled the annual report of the committee at the House meeting. He expressed serious concern about growing corruption and bad governance in the country.

Rathoor said the top leaders of political parties were continuously remaining absent in the panel’s meeting. “There are three categories of members in the 46-member panel. Around 15 members come and attend the meeting regularly; another 15 come and return after signing the attendance register.

The remaining 15 members do not attend the committee meeting and most of them are the top leaders of parties,” he said.

Lawmakers of agitating Madhes-based parties today continued boycotting the House meeting.

Taking special time at the beginning of today’s meeting, Sadbhawana Party leader Laxman Lal Karna said the government’s recent letter to the agitating parties inviting them for talks was irresponsible.