"Opposition MPs attempted to get to the Speaker's podium by climbing on each other's shoulders"
KATHMANDU, MAY 31
The House of Representatives passed the House Rules of Procedure amidst opposition sloganeering. The lawmakers have been granted special privileges under the Rules of Procedure, which were approved at the meeting on Friday.
Rule 259 of the Rules of Procedure specifies the 'applicability of the rules' for lawmakers. Sub-rule 1 of Section 259 states, "Regardless of what is written in the prevailing laws, these rules shall remain as federal law in the case of the House, committees, and members and shall be applicable in the manner of a special law."
Sub-rule 2 states, "These rules shall serve as a privilege for members of the House of Representatives."
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives meeting today descended into chaos. A previous session was adjourned for 15 minutes earlier today due to opposition obstructions. Lawmakers from opposition parties, including the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and the Nepal Communist Party, surrounded the well and chanted loud slogans during the meeting, which resumed at 8:30 PM and ended at 9:30 PM today.
They even surrounded the Speaker's podium, demanding that the Rules of Procedure Drafting Committee's report be referred to a parliamentary committee for further consideration.
Despite the opposition's demand for further discussion of the House of Representatives' new Rules of Procedure, Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal attempted to proceed with the endorsement process. Despite the Speaker's efforts, opposition lawmakers rushed to surround the rostrum. The Speaker, however, continued to lead the meeting.
Following that, opposition MPs attempted to get to the Speaker's podium by climbing on each other's shoulders and stepping onto chairs. The guards surrounded and shielded the Speaker.
The Speaker led the meeting while sitting behind the marshals' protective wall. As opposition MPs attempted to climb to the Speaker's podium, lawmakers from the ruling coalition moved to retaliate. Ashok Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) also climbed onto a seat and attempted to charge the opposition. However, he was held back by other members of the ruling party.
The House of Representatives' agenda states that today's meeting will be used to approve the House of Representatives Rules of Procedure. The House of Representatives Rules of Procedure have been amended 130 times by both the majority and minority parties. Lawmakers have filed 35 amendments, both individually and collectively.
However, opposition lawmakers encircled the rostrum even in the meeting after the break. They reached the Speaker's podium to protest, chanting anti-Speaker slogans.
Following the conclusion of the clause-by-clause discussion on the Rules of Procedure, the House of Representatives prepared to present the amendments for a vote. However, opposition MPs demanded that the House of Representatives Rules of Procedure be referred to a parliamentary committee for clause-by-clause review.
Basana Thapa, the Chief Whip of the Nepali Congress, demanded that the amendments be sent to the thematic committee.
However, the Speaker proceeded with the House proceedings, stating that the agenda had been set for the clause-by-clause discussion to take place within the full House itself and that they had moved forward accordingly.
As soon as the Speaker began presenting the amendments for a vote, opposition MPs rushed to the well, chanted slogans, and questioned the Speaker's authority. During the protest, opposition lawmakers lifted chairs and approached the Speaker's podium.
The Speaker, however, presided over the House proceedings while shielded by a ring of guards. He presented the received amendments for decision. Finally, he announced that the Rules of Procedure had been approved by the majority.
