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The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to  allow the government to present policies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year in the federal Parliament today.

The main opposition party had been obstructing the proceedings of the House of Representatives before this calling for forming a parliamentary committee for conducting impartial investigation into the cooperative scandal.

A meeting of the Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party today decided to allow President Ram Chandra Paudel to present the government's policies and programs for the next fiscal year in the joint meeting of the federal Parliament today, the NC Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said.

President Paudel is scheduled to present the policies and programs in the federal Parliament's joint meeting at 3 pm today.

The NC has, however, stated that it will not allow running the Parliament proceedings in the discussions following the agenda of presenting the policies and programs until the parliamentary investigation committee is formed. 

The Nepali Congress has been demanding formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate fraud charges against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal urged the main opposition Nepali Congress not to obstruct the Parliament while presenting the government’s policies and programs for the financial year 2024/25.

During a meeting held in Baluwatar this morning, the Prime Minister urged the Nepali Congress leaders not to create obstruction while the President is presenting the policies and programs of the government for the financial year 2024/25 in the joint meeting of the federal Parliament today, Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak informed.

General Secretary Gagan Thapa and Chief Whip Lekhak among other leaders were present in the meeting.

Prime Minister Dahal urged the Nepali Congress leaders to adopt flexibility saying it would send a wrong message if they obstruct the Parliament when the President is presenting the policies and programs.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister said that he is committed to resolving the cooperative problems.

In response, the Congress leaders said that they would decide on how to move ahead after the Parliamentary Party meeting.

The NC has been obstructing the Parliament demanding formation of a parliamentary probe committee to investigate charges against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

The Parliamentary Party meeting of the Nepali Congress scheduled for this afternoon has been postponed for Tuesday morning.

Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said that they will continue the discussions within the party on contemporary political issues today and the Parliamentary Party meeting will be held at 8 am tomorrow.

According to him, they will have an intense discussion in the meeting to be held on Tuesday morning and decide on how to present themselves in the next meeting of the Parliament.

The Congress has been obstructing the meetings of both the Houses of federal Parliament–House of Representatives and National Assembly–demanding the formation of a parliamentary probe committee to investigate fraud charges against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

The main opposition Nepali Congress obstructed even the first meeting of the budget session held on Friday demanding the formation of a parliamentary committee.

The party has been saying that it would not allow the House of function until the parliamentary committee is formed to investigate Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in misusing the cooperative funds.

Amid sloganeering by the Congress lawmakers, Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire postponed the Parliament meeting till Tuesday.

CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula accused the Nepali Congress of demanding the government in the name of a parliamentary committee.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting called by Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire, he clarified that the parliamentary committee will not be formed as demanded by the Congress.

“Congress has not demanded the parliamentary committee. It has demanded the government in the name of a parliamentary committee, which is not possible. The parliamentary probe committee is not in accordance with law and regulations,” Bartaula said.

He was of the opinion that the demand of Congress is not in favor of cooperative victims.

“The demand of Congress will not be addressed,” he further said.

“We have come here to formulate laws, not to carry out investigations. We will be only investigation officers for five years if we keep on forming committees,” Chief Whip Bartaula said, adding, “The UML will also pile pressure on the government to take a concrete initiative to resolve the problems of cooperative victims.”

The government is unveiling its policies and programs on Tuesday.

President Ram Chandra Paudel will present the government policies and programs in the joint meeting of the House of Representatives and National Assembly.

The main opposition Nepali Congress said that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is positive on forming a parliamentary committee on cooperative scam.

After a meeting between Prime Minister Dahal and Congress leaders today, Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said that the Prime Minister is positive on forming a probe committee for investigation into Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane over his alleged involvement in the misuse of cooperative funds.

During the meeting, they reiterated their demand of forming a parliamentary probe committee.

“We have been raising the issue of cooperative fraud in the Parliament. We have said that a parliamentary probe committee should be formed. The Prime Minister has taken the issue in a positive way,” he said.

Lekhak said that they would ahead as per the decisions of the Parliamentary Party committee meeting to be held on Monday.

The main opposition Nepali Congress said that a parliamentary probe committee to investigate cooperative fraud charges against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane is its bottom line.

A Parliamentary Party meeting held on Friday made a conclusion that the party would not allow the House to function until the demand of forming a parliamentary probe committee to investigate Lamichhane is addressed, Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said.

He said that the government will be held responsible if the Parliamentary meeting is obstructed.

“The bottom line of the Congress is to form a parliamentary probe committee to investigate Rabi Lamichhane. The government has been ignoring the demand of the main opposition. The government itself will be responsible if the Parliament meeting is obstructed,” he said to mediapersons after the meeting.

He said that more evidence has emerged to confirm Lamichhane’s involvement in the cooperative fraud case.

The Congress said that the government mechanism has been misused to protect Lamichhane.

The main opposition Nepali Congress has decided to allow Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane to speak in the Parliament meeting.

A Parliamentary Party meeting of the Congress held on Thursday decided to allow Lamichhane along with other senior leaders to speak in the Parliament, a lawmaker, who attended the meeting, said.

He said that the meeting has decided to let Lamichhane to speak in the Parliament in the capacity of the President of Rastriya Swatantra Party.

The Congress has been demanding the formation of a parliamentary probe committee to investigate Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in the fraud involving millions of rupees.

The NC had not allowed Lamichhane to take to the rostrum in the previous session of the Parliament.

After the main opposition did not allow him to take to the rostrum, Lamichhane has been saying that he be allowed to speak in the Parliament.

The Congress has been saying it would not allow the House to proceed with its business until the parliamentary probe committee is formed.

A Parliamentary Party meeting of the Nepali Congress scheduled for Thursday has been postponed.

The meeting called for today at Lhotse Hall of Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwor was postponed due to the demise of former minister, former central committee member of the Nepali Congress and Constituent Assembly member, Surya Man Gurung. 

Gurung passed away on May 7. The meeting was postponed as the last rites of Gurung are to be performed today, according to the Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party.

The next meeting is scheduled for Friday morning.

A senior Nepali Congress leader said on Wednesday that no serious negotiation has been taking place with the CPN-UML about toppling the current coalition government and forming a new one.

The comment from NC leader Ramesh Lekhak comes amid reports that senior leader Shekhar Koirala is in constant talks with UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli to topple the current government and form a new government under leadership of the two parties. 

He said: We are in no hurry to break this (five-party) ruling alliance. NC is the largest party at the Center as well as in the provinces, so talks with other parties are natural. He, however, said talks have been taking place within the NC about forming a new government with UML. Ruling coalitions with small parties have resulted in frequent changes in government, so a section within the party thinks it is better for the NC and the UML to cobble together a new government, he said.

There is a similar opinion within the UML also, but no concrete discussions have taken place between the NC and the UML on this matter, Lekhak added. 

Of late, NC leaders have gone on record saying that they will bring down the current ruling coalition. Before forming the current coalition on March 4, UML had offered premiership to NC. These days, however, UML Chair KP Sharma Oli is ruling out the possibility of NC and UML coming together to form a new government. UML and CPN (Maoist Center) have some outstanding power-sharing issues, but Oli is reportedly in favor of giving continuity to the current ruling coalition for now.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has concluded that the Nepali Congress has been trying to invite political instability in the country.

A Parliamentary Party meeting of the Rastriya Swatantra Party held in Singha Durbar on Tuesday concluded that the Congress has been trying to invite political instability in the country by not allowing the House to function smoothly at the behest of someone else.

Although the party is clear that the parliamentary probe committee will not be formed in the cooperative scam, assistant spokesperson Manish Jha said that the party, however, will accept the all-party decision of the ruling coalition.

He said that the meeting discussed the preparations of the next session of the Parliament and budget.

Informing about the current political situation in the meeting, the Congress has been trying to bring conflict in the coalition.

Jeetendra Dev is a leader of the Nepali Congress. As a senior politician, he closely observes Nepal’s foreign policy and international relations. In this context, ApEx talked with him about the various aspects of Nepal-India relations.

How do you see the current state of Nepal-India relations?

Nepal and India have an age-old historic as well as civilizational relationship. This is the relation of emotion, daily life and shared destiny. We are interlinked with an umbilical cord towards shared destiny. Nowhere in the world could we see such a relationship between the two sovereign countries. On top of that we should never forget that this relation was not made by any government, parties or individuals; rather it was made by civilization, history and by the people itself and this bond is unbreakable.

After this we have the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950 and the international border is open as well as there is no passport and visa system. We have deep and fruitful political relations too. We have a wider range of dimensions and paraphernalia of socio-economic cooperation. For this purpose the Indian Aid Mission was set up in 1954 which was later transformed into Indian Cooperation Mission in 1966.

Nepal has been receiving socio-economic support and cooperation through this mission in the sector of connectivity, education, health, power generation, irrigation, flood control, empowerment of government agencies, and various community development projects. 

Overall, Nepal-India socio-economic cooperation is growing day by day and bilateral relationship is strengthening and getting deeper in mutual interest and advantages.

What is the current state of economic collaboration between the two countries ?

First of all, I believe that we are not distinguishing and differentiating between political and economic issues. Political issues should be tackled and resolved through political and diplomatic means and it must not be linked with economic issues. Nepal needs development and prosperity. For this we need investment and friend’s financial support. We cannot move forward without the support of our friends. Our public revenue is low, capital expenditure is low, economic activities are slow, investors are not attracting for investment, donors and friendly countries are becoming suspicious on our policies and dealings, we need employment generation activities to boost up the economy and to be graduated in middle income country in 2026 as well as to achieve SDG goals, among others. So the government and the political parties must bring the economic agenda to the forefront in the interest of the people and the country.

What should be our policy to enhance economic relationships?

It needs political trust and deep understanding between the political leadership of both countries and also the investment friendly environment in Nepal. We should be free from the mentality of skepticism and cynicism. In the present international order, bilateral economic relations can only be strengthened and made vibrant if there is a political trust. We only can garner maximum benefit from Indian economic powerhouse when we feel that India is our number one friend. When we enter this new thought, the whole bilateral scenario will move in a new positive direction.

Why are we failing to attract Indian investment?

As I explained above, I again say that for this, political trust and an investment friendly environment are needed. It is so nice that we are going to hold the Third Investment Summit at the end of April. For this purpose we have amended some Acts through ordinances to create an investment friendly atmosphere in the country. Now we have to strengthen inclusive democracy in the country as well as to bring good governance and maintain excellent relationships with our neighbor as well as other friendly countries.

What are your suggestions for the political parties to redefine bilateral relations in the changing context?

We have to review and reassess our whole political, socio-economic and foreign policies. Nepal needs inclusive and participatory democracy. Nepal should bring its socio-economic agenda on top priority. We need an employment generating economy and good governance. There is a need for a good and clean image of the political leadership.

We have to restructure and reorient our foreign policy. New priority should be drawn. We have to review our neighbor policy. I have the feeling that our India policy is not pragmatic and perfect. We have to keep in mind that India is our next door number one friend. If we take such a policy, the whole bilateral scenario will move to change in a new dimension and new vistas of economic cooperation will open and at the due course of time all our other bilateral unresolved issues will be solved.

The Nepali Congress has said that the governments in Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces were formed in an unconstitutional way.

The Congress said that the Constitution has not given the right to the province chief to take decisions for any political party.

“Governments are currently being formed in the provinces in an unconstitutional way. The process of forming the government in Gandaki and Sudurpaschim Provinces was unconstitutional. The Congress has strong objections to the governments being formed in an constitutional way,” Congress spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said.

He said that the province government has even violated the order of the Supreme Court.

In the case of the Gandaki Province government, the Supreme Court had issued an interim order not to take a decision that would have long-term effects.

The Gandaki government has been splitting the ministry and making important appointments against the same, the NC said.

“The coalition has even breached the order of the Supreme Court. Appointments are also being made in an illegal way,” leader Mahat said.

Defying the Supreme Court’s order, the province government’s decision was against the interim order, he viewed.

Similarly, Mahat said that the CPN-UML-CPN (Maoist Center) took a wrong step in the Koshi Province also.

He said that the UML-Maoist Center alliance was unnatural. The Congress leader further said that the unnatural coalition will collapse soon.

Nepali Congress has objected to the government’s decision to prorogue the winter session of the Federal Parliament.

A meeting of the Parliamentary Party held on Sunday morning concluded that the government has been ignoring the demand of the main opposition to form a parliamentary probe committee to investigate the alleged involvement of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane in the cooperative fraud.

Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak mentioned that the government has been turning a blind to the demand of the party.

“There should be a serious and meaningful dialogue on the demand of the Nepali Congress to form a parliamentary probe committee to investigate charges against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane. But the government has been moving ahead against the parliamentary norms and values,” he said, adding, “The government should be serious on the people’s demand. The parliamentary practice cannot be undermined.”

He said that the Congress has not obstructed the Parliament, instead the House is being obstructed due to the irresponsibility of the government.

Congress has strongly condemned the government's decision to end the winter session.

Leader Lekhak said that the government has unexpectedly prorogued the winter session of the federal Parliament.

The main opposition party, the Nepali Congress, has been obstructing parliamentary meetings for the past few days demanding the formation of a parliamentary committee to probe the alleged involvement of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in a cooperative fraud. However, ruling parties do not agree with the NC’s demand, stating that there is no solid evidence of the minister’s involvement in the misappropriation of cooperative funds. 

While political parties have every right to stage protests in the Parliament, they should never forget that rights come with responsibilities attached. In Nepal’s context, major parties have misused this right to protest all too often by holding the parliament hostage for fulfilling their petty interests. In essence, all major parties are responsible for not allowing a smooth, independent and effective functioning of the parliament. This practice seriously hampers the law-making process and deliberations on the people’s agendas.

A case in point: It has been a decade since Nepal formally adopted federalism, but dozens of laws are yet to be formulated, giving successive governments opportunities to rule through ordinances without parliamentary scrutiny. 

Therefore, it’s time for all major parties—the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center)—to realize their mistakes and vow to never obstruct the parliament again by keeping in mind that such obstructions have never benefited them as they have to reach a compromise solution sooner than later.  Allowing the parliament to work independently is crucial, especially at a time when voices against the current political system are getting stronger and regressive parties are questioning the relevance of the current political system by pointing toward a dysfunctional parliament. 

The time has come for the parties to put an end to such obstructions once and for all—like they did with Nepal Bandh protests in view of tremendous hardships caused to the people—and allow the House to fulfill its duties, given that several urgent bills, including those related to the 2024 Nepal Investment Summit, remain pending in the House. 

A declining public trust toward the parliament resulting from the tendency of using the sovereign body to make or break a government and pursue various other petty interests should also act as a wake-up call for the main opposition and other parties to end such obstructions and get back to business. The sooner they do it, the better.

Speaker Devraj Ghimire has called a meeting of the House of Representatives for April 14.

After Speaker Ghimire tried to run the meeting of the Parliament today, the main opposition Nepali Congress, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party lawmakers chanted slogans and obstructed the meeting.

Following the obstruction, the Speaker announced the termination of today's proceedings and summoned the next meeting for 2 pm on April 14.

The Congress has been demanding the formation of a parliamentary probe committee to investigate cooperative fraud charges against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane.

The party has been saying that it would not allow the House to proceed with its business until the parliamentary probe committee is formed.

Nepali Congress lawmakers Dhanraj Gurung, Badri Pandey and Jeevan Pariyar have registered a proposal of public importance in the parliament regarding the investigation of wealth and assets of public office holders and their families. 

The proposal, registered with the Task Management Branch of the House of Representatives on April 9, falls within the ambit of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Interestingly, the main opposition party has been obstructing the House session demanding a parliamentary probe into Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in misappropriation of funds deposited in a Pokhara-based financial cooperative.  

If the proposal is discussed in the parliament, Home Minister Lamichhane will have to furnish replies on the matter.

“There’s a prevailing practice of forming a high-level commission to investigate the wealth and assets of public office holders. A judicial investigation panel was formed on 8 March 2002 to investigate the wealth and assets of all incumbent and retired public office holders accumulated till 1990. The panel’s report needs to be made public,” the proposal undersigned by Gurung, Pandey and Pariyar states.

The Congress lawmakers argue that while the Corruption Prevention Act, 2003 stipulates a mandatory condition of wealth and asset disclosure applicable to all public position holders and their families, it remains unimplemented. The lawmakers have sought effective implementation of the anti-graft legislations to curb corruption and irregularities, maintain public trust in governance, make the activities of public office bearers transparent, accountable and responsible.

One of their chief demands is conducting a parliamentary discussion on publicizing the report, submitted by the judicial investigation panel formed in 2002, detailing the wealth and assets of public office holders and their families. They have also called for a continued scrutiny of their assets beyond the reporting period.

Key demands

• Unveiling and and implementation of the report on the fortunes of public office holders and their families submitted by the judicial panel formed 22 years ago
• Investigation into the properties of public position holders, including incumbent and retired prime ministers, ministers, members of parliament, chief ministers, provincial ministers, elected local government officers and their close family members
• Formation of a separate commission to investigate the wealth and assets under the ownership of past and present public office holders, as well as their family members