KATHMANDU, AUGUST 22
An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to discuss formation of a high-level probe commission could not take place as CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli failed to show up at the meeting venue on time.
UML Whip Mahesh Kumar Bartaula told THT that UML Chair Oli informed the PM he would be late for the meeting' The PM also told Oli that he needed to go to President's Office to witness the swearing in of new Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha and hence it would be appropriate to postpone the meeting till tomorrow.
The all-party meeting was supposed to finalise the constituent parties' agreement prepared by a three-member taskforce on formation of a high-level commission to probe the 100 kg gold smuggling racket.
Yesterday, the top leaders of parties representing in the House of Representatives had agreed to form a high-level commission and entrusted the three-member task force comprising Nepali Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak, UML leader Subas Chandra Nembang, and CPN-Maoist Centre Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey in this regard.
Bartaula said there was no need to read too much into Oli's inability to show up for the all-party meeting on time today. He had a busy schedule and he informed the PM about it but since the PM had to leave the meeting venue to attend the newly appointed CJ's swearing in ceremony, the all-party meeting called for today was postponed till tomorrow, Bartaula added. As the all-party meet got deferred, the meeting of the House of Representatives scheduled for today, was also postponed by the Parliament Secretariat till tomorrow. NC Chief Whip Lekhak told THT that the three-member task force had finalised the deal, but the meeting got deferred as UML Chair Oli was unable to attend the meeting because he felt unwell and sought more time to discuss internally on the draft agreement.
A source privy to yesterday's allparty meeting said that today's meeting could not take place mainly because Oli appeared to back out from what he agreed to yesterday.
Top leaders had agreed to form a commission to probe the gold smuggling case but only after the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police submitted its report on September 16 so that the commission to be formed would not interfere in the CIB investigation.
The top leaders basically agreed on three things yesterday: to allow the Central Investigation Bureau to complete its investigation into the 100 kg gold smuggling case by September 16, form a high level commission with effect from September 21, and give the commission the mandate to look into the 100 kg gold smuggling case as well as the 33 kg gold smuggling case and other incidents of gold smuggling that happened in the past and to recommend measures such as legal and structural reforms that were required to control gold smuggling.
Top leaders had agreed that the CIB would be able to independently and impartially investigate gold smuggling cases and indict all those people who had a role in it. Top leaders had agreed to form a commission under Commission for Enquiry Act, 1969. The source said that it would be unfair to distrust the CIB, a competent investigating agency. "If the government does not trust CIB for any investigation, it will demoralise the country's top investigating agency, which was formed to investigate such incidents," the source added.
Bartaula said he hoped that the ruling parties would not back out from their commitment to form a high-level commission. If they did, the UML would continue to stall House proceedings.
Meanwhile, Rastriya Swatantra Party Chair Rabi Lamichhane was unhappy about the postponement of the all-party meeting. He told mediapersons after postponement of the meeting that attending all party meetings was useless. "I personally felt that attending a meeting with other top leaders was like sharing the blame. There is no point in sitting in the all party meeting. We will discuss this issue. Let them decide on this matter," Lamichhane said about the formation of a probe committee to investigate the gold smuggling case.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 23, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
