Kathmandu, June 13

Main opposition Nepali Congress today called on the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) to vacate the post of speaker or deputy speaker, stating that the constitution does not allow the two posts to be occupied by representatives of the same political party.

Currently, Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Shivamaya Tumbahamphe are the speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives respectively. Mahara was elected the speaker as a  member of the erstwhile CPN-Maoist Centre, while Tumbahamphe assumed the post of deputy speaker as a member of the erstwhile CPN-UML. But after unification, the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre have become NCP (NCP).

“We appreciate the unification between the two parties; it’s a good culture,” NC Chief Whip Bal Krishna Khand told the HoR during a special hour. “But the constitution written by people’s representatives clearly says that the two posts should be filled by people of the different gender of different parties.” Khand was referring to Article 91 (2) of the constitution, which says election for speaker and deputy speaker shall be so held that one of them is a woman, and the two should represent different parties.

The ruling NCP (NCP), however, argued that even before the merger, the two parties had contested the elections using the same election manifesto. “Everyone is aware of this,” NCP lawmaker Khagaraj Adhikari said, adding, “What is also known is that the speaker and deputy speaker had resigned from their respective political parties after assuming the posts.”

NC lawmaker Prakash Rasaily said the ruling and opposition parties should not be trading barbs in the Parliament.

“It is not a good sign,” Rasaily said, adding,”We must try to move ahead by forging consensus. But at the same time, legal provisions should be followed as well.” He further said NC would not claim the post of the speaker or deputy speaker even if one of them resigned.

Another NC lawmaker, Bharat Kumar Shah, said, “There are certain rules in the parliamentary system. In many Commonwealth countries, Public Accounts Committee is chaired by the opposition party. We should also have a similar rule for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker.”

Clause 53 of Political Party Act states that if the speaker or the deputy speaker steps down from his or her party to assume the post, the person can join the party upon completion of tenure, according to Khand. “So, the speaker and deputy speaker are considered members of their respective parties even if they have tendered resignation,” he said.

Meanwhile, lawmakers, today started discussion on the content of the Appropriation Bill tabled by Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada on May 29.

The discussion focused on budgetary programmes of eight ministries, namely Ministry of Communication and Information Technology; Ministry of Drinking Water; Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives; Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation; Ministry of Youth and Sports; Ministry of Finance; and Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen. Many lawmakers, including members of the ruling party, criticised the content of the budget.