Kathmandu, January 4

Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar today said top leaders of the major parties were positive about letting the Legislature Parliament function smoothly from Sunday.

She said Monday’s verdict of the Supreme Court regarding constitution amendment did not prohibit tabling of the constitution amendment bill and proceeding with it.

“However, the fate of the bill will depend on consensus among parties,” she told THT after holding consultations with top leaders of the three major parties – the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre.

“I held talks with CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli yesterday, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba over phone this morning and then met Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. They are positive that the House will conduct its business smoothly from Sunday,” she said.

She had adjourned the House yesterday till Sunday after the leaders sought the time for consensus.

An alliance of nine parties led by the main opposition party, CPN-UML, has been obstructing the House since the government registered the bill at the Parliament Secretariat on November 29 to address the concerns of the Madhes-based parties.

The UML claims that the amendment was not necessary, as people of Province 5 were against splitting the province as proposed in the bill. The UML itself is against splitting Province 5.

The House obstruction has affected election related bills that are in pipeline in the Parliament and holding of civic, provincial and parliamentary elections by 21 January 2018 as mentioned in the constitution.

The obstruction has also affected discussion on the impeachment motion against Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Lokman Singh Karki.

The Impeachment Recommendation Committee of the House can begin further process on the motion only after the full House forwards the motion to it after preliminary discussion.