Kathmandu, July 18

The main opposition party today decided to continue to halt Parliament proceedings until the government addressed the demands of fasting Dr Govinda KC.

A meeting of top Nepali Congress leaders held at NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s residence decided to oppose the National Medical Education Bill if the government tabled it in the Parliament as it is, according to NC Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma. NC leaders demanded that the government amend the National Medical Education Bill to bring it in line with the ordinance issued by the previous government, incorporating the Mathema commission report findings.

The party issued a whip making it mandatory for all its lawmakers to attend tomorrow’s House of Representatives meeting and present their opinion.

The party has already announced nationwide, phase-wise protests against the government’s ‘autocratic and anti-people moves that undermined the constitution’.

The party has urged all its sister and well-wisher organisations and village and town committees to take part in the protests in order to make the public aware of the government’s arbitrary moves.

Today’s meeting was attended by NC President Deuba, senior leader Ramchandra Paudel, general secretaries Shashank Koirala and Purna Bahadur Khadka, Spokesperson Sharma, Chief Whip Balkrishna Khand and central working committee members Arjun Narsingh KC and Minendra Rijal, among others.

Opposition’s charge

• The NCP government has breached constitutional provision whereby speakers and deputy speakers of the Federal Parliament, as well as provincial assemblies, should be from different parties
• The NCP government centralising power
• It is compromising judicial independence
• It is curbing press freedom
• It is keeping constitutional bodies under the shadow of the executive
• It is not acting to address skyrocketing prices
• It is undermining the constitution by revoking decisions taken by previous governments
• It is violating the right to freedom of expression by declaring restricted areas, and restricting people’s access to information by imposing internet tax

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