Opposition parties disrupt proceedings, demand resignation of home minister and a probe panel
KATHMANDU, MAY 27
Today's meeting of the Lower House was adjourned until 11:00 am on Wednesday after the ruling and opposition parties maintained their respective stances on the incident involving Home Minister's Secretariat employees in a visit visa scam.
Parliamentarians from the CPN-MC, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, among others, disrupted the House meeting, demanding the establishment of a high-level probe commission to look into the visit visa scandal.
The opposition parties have declared resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and the formation of a high-level investigation commission into the visit visa scam are the 'bottom line' for clearing the obstruction in Parliament. However, the ruling party has been adamant, arguing Parliament is a forum for everyone to speak, and thus, home minister and ruling party lawmakers should be allowed to address the issues raised by the opposition.
The meeting had to be adjourned twice earlier on Tuesday due to opposition lawmakers' obstruction. Subsequently, Speaker Devraj Ghimire met with the chief whips and whips of the parties represented in Parliament, but the opposition refused to abandon the commission's bottom line.
When the House of Representatives meeting began, Speaker Ghimire, seeing opposition party lawmakers standing, allowed CPN-MC lawmaker and former finance minister Barshaman Pun to speak first.
"The visit visa issue involving the secretariat of Home Minister Lekhak himself is a serious matter," he said during the meeting.
"This is not an ordinary corruption incident; it is a case of looting and organised human trafficking of ordinary young people looking for work abroad."
Pun claimed that Tirtharaj Bhattarai, Joint Secretary of the Department of Immigration (DoI) at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), who is currently being investigated by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), was transferred to DoI at the home minister's request and was later removed.
Stating that Lekhak had previously raised ethical concerns, Pun stated, "After such a serious issue has been raised, the home minister himself should pave the way and create an environment for a fair investigation. We cannot allow the regular process to move forward on behalf of the entire opposition until this situation is resolved."
The opposition has argued that because the various bodies conducting the investigation are part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, an impartial investigation cannot be conducted while the home minister is in office.
Shishir Khanal, a Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RSP) legislator and former education minister, recalled that the Lekhak had previously stated that the minister should resign when questions are raised.
"A massive loot has occurred in the name of visit visas right under the nose of the Home Ministry," he claimed. "Thus, the minister should resign as questions have been raised about him. But we're not just looking for resignation. There must be an independent investigation into this organised corruption. Parliament cannot function unless a high-level commission is established to investigate organised crime and money laundering."
Meanwhile, NC lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada asked mediapersons at the Parliament building on Tuesday, "Will ministers resign as complaints are filed against them?"
"A fair investigation should be conducted into an employee's actions. If a mistake is made, anyone at any level should be held responsible. However, it is biased to suggest that the home minister resign if someone is being investigated," he added.
CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula, speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, stated that obstructing Parliament and demanding the resignation of the Home Minister in connection with the CIAA's investigation into the employees is an unparliamentary and apolitical act.
The CIAA is currently investigating five people accused of involvement in the visit visa case, including TIA's head of DoI, Tirtharaj Bhattarai.
Both the home minister and the Ministry of Home Affairs have defended their roles in the case. However, Lekhak's party, Nepali Congress lawmakers, have differing opinions, with some defending him while a few demanding his resignation.
Minister Lekhak had earlier taken to social media and said, "If anyone proves that I have committed even one financial irregularity, I will resign not from my position but from politics."
On the same day, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement citing the visit visa case at TIA, claiming that 'the ministry's leadership is not involved in any such illegal or corrupt activities.'
