NC accuses Mahara of being biased

Kathmandu, August 3

The Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party meeting today criticised Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara for being biased against the opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives meeting yesterday.

The Speaker had refused to allow NC lawmakers to ask questions to ministers. The HoR meeting, which was supposed to take place this afternoon, was put off after the main opposition lawmakers boycotted the meeting. The Parliament Secretariat, issuing a statement, said the meeting was cancelled and the next meeting would be held on Sunday.

The NC Parliamentary Party meeting concluded that Speaker Mahara was biased against opposition lawmakers. It also stated that the Speaker should not have continued the meeting in the absence of opposition lawmakers.

NC lawmaker Prakash Rasaili said, “The Speaker should be neutral. We didn’t expect such biased attitude from him.”

“The Speaker could not play a neutral role,” said NC lawmaker Ram Bahadur Bista, adding that they would attend the next HoR meeting, but before that their leader would talk to Speaker Mahara.  He also said there was misunderstanding between the Speaker and NC lawmakers.

“The speaker allowed Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa to speak in the House meeting as per rule 219 of the Parliamentary Regulation. So, stood from our seats to ask questions. But the Speaker didn’t allow us to ask questions to the minister,” Bista added.

Bista complained that the Speaker also didn’t allow them to ask questions to Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali.

“The Speaker ignored us and didn’t allow us to ask questions to foreign minister. So, we boycotted the meeting. After we left, the speaker continued the House business,” he said.

The NC Parliamentary Party will continue discussion on the country’s politics tomorrow.