KATHMANDU, MAY 21 The Alternative Development Finance Mobilisation Bill, 2026, was approved by a majority at the House of Representatives today, despite a deliberate protest tactic by opposition lawmakers to disrupt legislative proceedings. The opposition parties-CPN UML, Nepali Communist Party, Shram Sanskriti Party (SSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP)-surrounded the well durIng today's meeting. Rule 56 of the House of Representatives Regulations 2023 re-quires the prime minister to hold a question-and-answer session with the members of Parliament in the first week of each month. The three parties surrounded the rostrum, alleging that this specific provision had not been implemented. Nepali Congress MPs supported their action by rising from their seats. On the other hand, MPs from the opposition Shram Sanskriti Party walked out of the Parliament. Despite the opposition's protest in the well, Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal continued to lead the House. The House of Representatives passed the 'Alternative Develop ment Finance Mobilisation Bill, 2026' amid opposition sloganeering. Finance Minister Swarnim Wa gle had proposed that 'the clause-by-clause discussion on the bill be conducted in the House.' Following the clause-by-clause discussion, Minister Wagle presented the bill for endorsement, which was approved by the majority of the ruling coalition MPs. The opposition MPs did not participate in the bill's clause-by-clause discussion or endorsement process. Despite slogan-shouting and disruptions, the House of Representatives also approved two other bills. The House passed the House of Representatives Member Elections Bill and the Voter List Bill. MPs can now submit amendments to these two bills. After the opposition stood up in protest, Speaker Aryal went to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to meet Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah. However, after Prime Minister Shah failed to appear, the speaker overruled the opposition. The SSP, which was elected to the Parliament for the first time fol lowing the last election, and its leader, Harkaraj Rai, have frequently raised questions about government policies. The party currently has seven legislators. During yesterday's House of Representatives meeting, MPs from the Shram Sanskriti Party chanted slogans and held placards demanding that the prime minister resign if he refused to ap-pear in front of the House and answer questions. Immediately after, while reprimanding them, Speaker Aryal warned the party's chairperson and MPs that they had 'regularly displayed placards and demonstrated indecent behaviour in the Parliament, contrary to the dignity of the House.' He also warned the MPs of the said party to change their ways. Following that, the speaker allowed SSP Chairperson Rai, who was standing in protest, to express his views in the House. During his speech, Rai demanded that the prime minister appear in the House to answer MPs' questions. While maintaining that the government must remain accountable to the Parliament, Rai questioned the failure to implement a provision in the HoR Regulations that states that 'a minister must respond within seven days' to questions raised in the Parliament. Despite the speaker's warning, Rai showed up to today's meeting with a placard. The speaker gave him the opportunity to speak after he stood up and displayed the placard. Rai demanded that the speaker issue a 'ruling' requiring government ministers to appear before the House and answer questions. 'The government must be accountable to the people; this House is where the people ask their questions. What does the government's absence from this House mean?... It is their responsibility to answer those questions,' he stated. In today's meeting, Nepali Congress Whip Nishkal Rai questioned both the speaker and the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party, demanding that the government appear in the House to answer MPs' questions. Referring to the speaker's description of the SSP's behaviour as undignified, he stated, 'The party now in power was in opposition previously. In order to hold the government accountable, they would wrap blue scarves around their necks and surround the well. The current ruling party also visited the well, sat cross-legged and read books. My question is: How was that action, done by them, parliamentary and dignified, while the current opposition party's placard is considered undignified? Our conclusion is that it (the previous action) was also wrong, and what is happening now is also wrong and undignified.' Although today's House of Representatives agenda included a programme in which Law Minister Sobita Gautam was scheduled to present three bills on behalf of the prime minister, the meeting was adjourned for some time after op-position parties protested. The next House of Representatives meeting is scheduled for May 26.