NCP holding HoR hostage, says Deuba

Biratnagar, January 15

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba said that his party was ready to pick the speaker if the ruling Nepal Communist Party had difficulty selecting a candidate for speaker of the House of Representatives.

Talking to mediapersons at Biratnagar airport, Deuba said it was unfortunate that a rift inside the ruling party had held the House of Representatives hostage. He urged the NCP to hand the post of speaker to his party if it could not forge consensus on the speaker’s name. “The NCP has failed to pick the speaker. If you cannot agree on the name of a candidate from your party, Nepali Congress will field a capable candidate to run the Parliament”, he added. He demanded resumption of the House of Representatives as early as possible.

Deuba said Millennium Challenge Corporation, an assistance by the American government should be approved from the Parliament and implemented. “Since the MCC is American support for development, the government should approve it from the Parliament at the earliest,” he stated. He said NC favoured the MCC as it was meant for Nepal’s development.

Deuba informed that the party’s 14th general convention would be held within the set deadline. “I am holding talks with disgruntled leaders such as Ramchandra Paudel and Krishna Sitaula. But, the date for next convention will not change at any cost”, he added.