Kathmandu, June 9: Parliament remains deadlocked over Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s May 31 statement, “It turns out we have also encroached on Indian land.” The controversy prompted the Speaker to suspend House proceedings for six days, but with no resolution in sight, Tuesday’s meeting was postponed for another two days.
The suspension coincided with a five-day India visit by Rastriya Swatantra Party chairman Ravi Lamichhane and the party’s district conventions. During the break, no visible initiative was taken by the Speaker to hold all-party consultations or seek a political solution.
After returning from India on Friday, Lamichhane held a nearly two-hour meeting with Prime Minister Shah on Sunday and subsequently called an all-party meeting. Most parliamentary parties attended Monday’s discussion, except the Labour Culture Party.
The meeting focused on ending the parliamentary impasse. However, Lamichhane informed participants that the Prime Minister would not appear in Parliament to respond to the controversy. Instead, he proposed that the foreign minister provide an explanation and said he could also speak if necessary.
“The foreign minister will respond, and if needed, I will also speak,” UML Chief Whip Ain Mahar quoted Lamichhane as saying. “He clearly said the prime minister will not address the House.”
Political analyst and professor Dr Lok Raj Baral criticized the proposal, arguing that parliamentary accountability cannot be delegated. He said allowing someone else to respond on behalf of the Prime Minister would undermine democratic norms and parliamentary procedure.
“In a parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is accountable to Parliament,” Baral said. “Neither Ravi Lamichhane nor anyone else has the authority to answer on the prime minister’s behalf.”
RSP Chief Whip Kabindra Burlakoti defended the party’s position, arguing that the issue falls under the Foreign Ministry’s jurisdiction and should therefore be addressed by the Foreign Minister. He maintained that subject-specific questions are normally answered by the concerned minister.
Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress has continued to demand that the Prime Minister be held directly accountable for his remarks while also questioning the Speaker’s role in resolving the deadlock. The party has called for a formal condemnation of the statement and a response from the Prime Minister in Parliament.
People’s News Monitoring Service
Login to add a comment