House adjourned till May 24

Kathmandu, May 16:

The parliament was adjourned today without convening for the fourth time, while the lawmakers disrupted the House proceedings in six other occasions in the last two months.

Lawmakers were informed that the interim parliament was adjourned until May 24 after the

secretariat of the parliament issued a notice. The Speaker decided to adjourn the House as per Rule 8 (3) of the Regulations of parliament.

Speaker Subas Nembang said that the existing political deadlock would be resolved by the time he returns to Kathmandu. He left today for New York to participate in a United Nations conference on Indigenous Issues.

“Prime Minister is taking initiative to address political questions. I believe that the House business would resume after I return,” Nembang said at his office. He said that he would apprise the international community at the UN conference on Nepal’s issues.

Madhesi lawmaker Hirdayesh Tripathi also said that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was positive on addressing the issues raised by Madhesi population so that the House could function.

Among others, Tripathi, who had been to Baluwatar upon the PM’s call, said the PM promised to resolve the problems as soon as possible.

Madhesi, CPN-Maoist and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmakers have been disrupting

the parliamentary proceedings with their separate demands.

The Madhesi lawmakers’ demands include the cancellation of the Constituency Delimitation Commission’s report, formation of a new commission headed by a Madhesi, and formation of a high-level judicial commission to investigate the Madhesi movement.

RPP supported the issue of Madhesi lawmakers while it also demanded all parties’ representation in the local government and declaration of the fresh dates for constituent assembly elections and the preconditions required for the free and fair polls.

The CPN-Maoist has been demanding the formation of a high-level judicial commission to probe the Gaur killings, Home Minister’s apology at the House for police-raid in Young Communist League’s office, and the declaration of a republic from the parliament.