Debate on no-trust motion likely today

Kathmandu, July 21

If the ruling and opposition parties fail to reach a compromise on whether the three budget-related bills or no-trust motion should be debated first in the Parliament, the Speaker will first allow a debate on the no-trust motion tomorrow.

According to Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar’s Press Adviser Babin Sharma, the Speaker will try her best to help forge a consensus between the ruling and the opposition parties on the issues but if she fails in her attempt, she will allow a debate on the no-trust motion in the House tomorrow.

According to Sharma, the Speaker will hold dialogue with the ruling and the opposition parties tomorrow as well. The NC and the CPN-Maoist Centre the movers of the no-trust motion are determined to proceed with a debate on no-trust motion first.

The ruling CPN-UML is also sticking to its demand of allowing debate first on three budget-related bills.

CPN-MC Chief Whip Hit Raj Pandey said the three bills were introduced when the ruling parties commanded majority in the House, but after CPN-MC withdrew from the government and moved the no-trust motion, it reduced the government into a minority.

Pandey said deferring debate on three budget-relates bills for some time would have no adverse impact on the economy.

He argued that when a no-trust motion was moved against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, he should have demonstrated in the Parliament that he still commanded majority.

Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi said his party was in favour of allowing a debate on the no-trust motion first in the Parliament tomorrow.

Nidhi said the UML’s argument that the three budget-related bills should be debated first was groundless. He added when a no-trust motion was moved it took precedence over all other businesses of the House.

UML Secretary Pradip Gyawali, however, said although there was an ambiguity about the formation of a new government, the PM would not cite the constitutional ambiguity to remain in power if the no-trust motion was passed in the Parliament.

“But there may arise a constitutional crisis if somebody files a case in the court, saying that there is no provision in the constitution about the formation of a new government,” he added.

Gyawali said the CPN-MC and the NC had a wrong notion that if they helped pass the three budget-related bills, it could be interpreted as the government still commanded majority in the House.