Kathmandu, December 15

Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar today adjourned the Legislature Parliament until 1:00pm on December 19 after the ruling parties, Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Centre, disputed with the main opposition CPN-UML over today’s business schedule at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Parliament.

Following the UML’s disagreement over tabling of the constitution amendment bill in today’s business schedule as intended by the ruling parties, the Speaker adjourned the House for four days as an attempt to find consensus among parties on the bill.

She issued an adjournment notice after CPN-UML, the main opposition party, threatened to obstruct today’s House meeting knowing that she was going to include the tabling of the constitution amendment bill in today’s business schedule.

“The NC demanded to include the constitution amendment bill in today’s business schedule along with the previous business discussion on the impeachment motion against Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Lok Man Singh Karki.

However, the UML opposed it saying it would continue House disruption if the bill was included in the business list. This prompted the speaker to adjourn the House,” said NC Chief Whip Chin Kaji Shrestha.

Stating that the three major parties had agreed to hold civic polls, the NC pleaded in the business advisory meeting to table the constitution amendment bill at today’s House meeting, according to Shrestha.

UML Chief Whip Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said his party was adamant not to allow the House to function until the government withdrew the amendment bill. “Attempts at forging consensus should not be derailed by including the bill in the business list. The speaker postponed the House after we decided to continue House obstruction if the bill was included in the business list,” he said.

The UML has been obstructing the House since the government registered the amendment bill at the Parliament Secretariat on November 29 to address the concerns of the Madhes-based parties. The UML has been demanding that the bill be withdrawn, stating that the amendment was not necessary, as people of Province 5 against splitting the province as proposed in the bill. The UML itself is against splitting Province 5.

The speaker adjourned the House as major parties did not agree on including the discussion on the impeachment motion and constitution amendment bill in today’s business schedule, said her spokesperson Babin Sharma.

As top leaders of the major parties are engaged in talks to forge consensus, the speaker took the decision expecting the parties would find a solution till the next meeting, Sharma said.