KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 16
The main opposition party, CPN-UML, obstructed the meeting of House of Representatives today as well.
No sooner had Speaker of HoR Agni Prasad Sapkota announced the beginning of the meeting, the parliamentarians of UML stood up and protested against the meeting.
CPN-UML has been obstructing the HoR because the speaker did not implement the party's decision to take action against 14 UML lawmakers, who formed the CPN (United Socialist) party.
Speaker Sapkota urged the protesting parliamentarians to let the meeting run, stating that the meeting was long overdue due to COVID-19. He also called for cooperation for creating an enabling environment to deliberate on 42 bills needed to run the country and to let the voices of the public be heard.
The parliamentarians thereafter chanted slogans and continued with their protest.
The speaker drew the attention of protesting parliamentarians to the concerns expressed by civil society and intellectual about the ongoing disruption of the HoR.
He also appealed to the parliaments to present their agendas and issues by applying the standard procedures of the Parliament elected by the people.
Stating that parliamentary affairs were becoming less effective due to disruption of the HoR, he said, "I make a special request. Let the Parliament function.
Let's create enabling environment to run the meeting."
A version of this article appears in the print on February 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
