Kathmandu, November 11

Parliamentary debate on the impeachment motion filed against chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority continued today amid walkout by lawmakers representing the Federal Alliance and Untied Democratic Madhesi Front.

Madhesi and Janajati lawmakers representing the FA and UDMF walked out of the House in protest, as ‘the government was dilly dallying on moving constitution amendment bill.’ As soon as the House proceedings began today, FA and UDMF lawmakers rose from their chairs following which Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar let Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal lawmaker Ashok Kumar Rai speak.

Rai told the House that the three-point agreement signed by the Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre and Federal Alliance had not been implemented yet. He said the government did not take any effective step to make the constitution acceptable to all and neither did it withdraw false cases filed against the cadres of agitating forces. He accused the government of filing new cases against the cadres of the agitating forces.

Before walking out of the House, Rai demanded that the government should provide cost of treatment to those who were injured in the Madhes movement. Co-chair of Sadbhawana Party Laxman Lal Karna, who was among the  lawmakers who walked out of the House today,  said the lawmakers associated with the FA and UDMF would continue to protest House proceedings till the three-point agreement was implemented. “The government said it would move constitution amendment bill by mid-November and yet it has done nothing about it,” he added. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had earlier told the agitating forces that he would move the constitution amendment bill by mid-November.

Karna added that lawmakers representing agitating parties had nothing to do with the impeachment motion registered against Karki. “We will form our opinion on the impeachment motion once the Impeachment Recommendation Committee forwards its report to the House,” he said.

Seventeen lawmakers — Ashok Kumar Rai, Dhana Raj Gurung, Purushottam Paudel, Shiv Chandra Chaudhari, Chitra Bahadur KC, Milan Kumari Rajbanshi, Rukmini Chaudhari, Ram Kumar Rai, Yashoda Kumari Lama, Min Bahadur Bishwakarma, Sarita Giri Oli, Panchkarna Rai, Bharat Saud, Sher Bahadur Tamang, Surendra Chaudhari, Jagadishwar Narsingh KC and Rajaram Syangtang — spoke today.

Some lawmakers told the House that political parties that played a role in appointing Karki as the chief of the anti-graft body were also culprits.

Meanwhile, Minister of Federal Affairs and Local Development Hitraj Pandey tabled a bill relating to the salaries and perks of members of the Parliament.

The next meeting of the House has been scheduled for 11:00 am on Sunday.