KATHMANDU, JULY 12

The Supreme Court ruled today that the speaker can call the House of Representatives' meeting if the government dithered in doing so. The constitutional bench ruled that the HoR should not be deemed an institution under the government's control. It is a body that makes the government accountable, it said.

The court said the government should facilitate the situation for the HoR to form a new government and conduct debate on the issues of public importance. It is the HoR's inherent right to conduct its meeting and discuss issues. 'Therefore, a jurisprudence is being developed about the HoR's right to conduct its meeting and also its right to discuss its own dissolution.

This means that if in a special situation, HoR session or meeting is not called, then HoR members under the leadership of the speaker can shoulder their responsibility as per the constitution.

In order to remove hurdles in procedural matters of the meetings of HoR, the House can itself take a decision to ensure people's meaningful representation.'

A version of this article appears in the print on July 13 2021, of The Himalayan Times.