Kathmandu, June 25

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today skipped the question-answer session of the House of Representatives citing ‘busy schedule’, riling lawmakers, who have long been complaining about the premier’s nonchalant attitude towards the Parliament.

Oli was supposed to answer lawmakers’ questions on allocation of next fiscal year’s budget for the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the President’s Office, the Vice-president’s Office and the National Planning Commission’s Secretariat. He was also supposed to justify budget allocated for the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, as he has taken that portfolio since the demise of tourism minister Rabindra Prasad Adhikari.

In his absence, Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada answered questions raised by lawmakers.

“PM’s absence is a tell-tale sign of him not being responsible towards the Parliament,” said Prem Suwal, a lawmaker from the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party.

PM Oli has not entered the House since June 18 when he was barred from speaking by the opposition Nepali Congress lawmakers. The NC had obstructed House that day demanding that its president Sher Bahadur Deuba be allowed to present his views prior to allowing PM Oli to speak. But the House speaker denied NC’s request, leading to cancellation of the meeting.

Since that day, the House of Representatives has convened five meetings. But PM Oli has attended none.

“The PM is increasingly becoming negligent in his duties towards the Parliament,” said NC lawmaker Laxmi Pariyar.

“He visited Europe without informing the Parliament. He didn’t even brief us about his Europe visit after returning to the country. Instead, he held a press conference to brief the media about his visit. It appears the PM wants to avoid lawmakers.”

Oli, according to his press adviser Kundan Aryal, had made up his mind yesterday to attend today’s House meeting. “But he had to cancel the plan today as he was occupied with official work. That’s why he asked the finance minister to answer questions on his behalf,” Aryal told THT. “He did not skip the meeting on purpose.”

In parliamentary system, the prime minister is elected by the House. “So, the person should be responsible towards the House and attend its meetings,” said former secretary general of the Parliament Surya Kiran Gurung.

When late PM Manmohan Adhikari was admitted to Teaching Hospital after suffering injuries in a helicopter accident he had answered lawmakers’ questions from the hospital bed, according to Gurung. “The responses made by Adhikari were broadcast live by Nepal Television,” Gurung said, adding,

“The PM should contemplate on precedents made in the past before skipping House meetings.”