Parties brace for showdown in Parliament

Both the ruling and opposition parties are actively preparing their strategies for the upcoming winter session of Parliament, set to commence on Jan 31. Traditionally, the winter session is regarded as a ‘bills session’, but as usual, it is likely to be overshadowed by political disputes between the ruling coalition and the opposition.

The ruling parties, led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, are working to present a united front on key issues, particularly the government’s decision to introduce five ordinances just before the session. Prime Minister Oli has emphasized the need for all ruling parties and their leaders to defend the government’s decisions and policies. However, his concerns are growing as some senior leaders of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) have openly criticized the government’s performance and its move to issue ordinances. NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged his lawmakers to refrain from publicly criticizing the ordinances, while the party has invited experts to brief lawmakers on the benefits of these ordinances.

Despite these efforts, dissatisfaction persists within the NC. During the party’s Parliamentary Party meeting, lawmakers expressed concerns over the government’s poor performance. While Prime Minister Oli has publicly thanked the NC for its support, senior NC leaders, including Shekhar Koirala, continue to criticize the ordinances and other government actions. NC Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka has stressed the need for ruling parties to present a unified stance, avoiding conflicting opinions. Echoing this sentiment, UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula has called on ruling parties to highlight the advantages of the ordinances to justify the government’s decisions.

Meanwhile, opposition parties are gearing up to take a more aggressive stance in Parliament. They plan to strongly criticize the government’s decision to issue ordinances and raise other contentious issues, such as proposed changes to electoral laws aimed at introducing a threshold to prevent the emergence of new political parties. Additionally, the opposition will focus on the case of Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane, who is under investigation for alleged involvement in the misappropriation of cooperative funds. Opposition parties view this as political revenge and a targeted move against Lamichhane.

The opposition also intends to highlight the lack of progress on the constitution amendment process, which was agreed upon by the NC and UML. The Parliament Secretariat has prepared a two-week calendar for the session, with top leaders from all parties set to address the House on the first day. The ordinances introduced by the government will also be presented on the same day.

The government aims to enact over a dozen laws during this session, but the political environment remains highly polarized, with sharp divisions between the ruling and opposition parties. Despite the opposition’s protests, the NC and UML, with their strong numerical strength, are well-positioned to pass legislation. Currently, 12 bills are pending in the House of Representatives, and six are in the National Assembly. To expedite the law-making process, the NC and UML have established a two-party mechanism, with UML leader Yogesh Bhattarai and NC leader Jiwan Pariyar leading the effort.