KATHMANDU, JULY 20

CPN-UML lawmaker Bhim Bahadur Rawal today refused to leave the rostrum of the House of Representatives for almost 20 minutes demanding that the speaker direct the government to immediately write a letter to the United States of America informing it of the Nepal government's decision to withdraw from the US State Partnership Programme. On June 20, the government had decided to withdraw from the SPP after communist parties created a ruckus over the programme.

Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota kept telling Rawal that his demand was irrelevant as the House was debating a different issue -- a proposal seeking consideration of the House of Representatives on Nepal's membership of the Global Green Growth Institute.

However, Rawal insisted that since the House was debating international agreement issues, his demand was relevant.

Stating that despite the Cabinet decision that Nepal would not participate in the SPP, Rawal said the government had not yet written to the US government about its decision to withdraw from the programme.

Rawal said the home minister, foreign minister, and top leaders had also said that Nepal would not participate in the SPP.

'It seems that the government is facing difficulty in implementing its own decision. The speaker should issue a ruling to the government to write a letter to the US immediately, informing it of Nepal's decision to withdraw from the SPP,' Rawal added.

Rawal said patriotic Nepalis wanted the government to write a letter to the US immediately informing the American side of the Nepal government's decision relating to SPP.

Satya Pahadi, who was chairing House proceedings at the moment, repeatedly told Rawal to end his obstruction as the House had taken note of his demands, but Rawal kept telling her that the House must issue a ruling to the government.

Sapkota then returned to chair House proceedings and told Rawal that his concerns were irrelevant as the House was debating a different issue.

Even after Sapkota made it clear that he could not issue a ruling on the issue, Rawal continued to occupy the rostrum of the Lower House, forcing the speaker to postpone the House meeting for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sewa Lamsal said at a press conference that the ministry was still discussing the SPP. 'Disaster assistance and infrastructure issues are involved in this.

'Nepal had received such assistance in the past as well. Our main concern is that such assistance should not be adversely impacted,' Lamsal said.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 21, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.